Track Repaint -
Kevan - 27th-Nov-23
We first talked about painting the club track a few years ago, maybe 4 or 5 years ago but never decided what paint to use.
We bought a Rally track from Pendle in August 2022, used it for a few months then painted it in January 2023 with polyurethane paint after reading an article on BSCRA website ->
https://slotcarracing.org.uk/trackbuild/part3.htm#Painting%20the%20Surface
...grip on the Rally track has been superb ever since
Roll forward to this years AGM, it was proposed we bite the bullet and use the same polyurethane paint on the main club track and a couple of volunteers gave up two Saturdays to get the job mostly done.
The first board was painted last Saturday, on Thursday we used the track for the first time after this painting and general consensus was definitely improved grip...
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This Saturday the same two volunteers went to the club to do some more painting, possibly finish the bends...Brian spent 2 hours taping the track to speed up the painting process then had to leave for a prior appointment
[attachment=32669]
Kev got painting, it's Blackfriar polyurethane floor paint, available in various colours and applied with a brush...with hindsight a roller would have been better, probably quicker and a more even finish
...this section was painted in 45 minutes
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The other bends were painted in another 45 minutes
[attachment=32671]
Whilst the paint was still wet the tape was lifted
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As it was only 3 O'clock Kev decided to carry on and start the straight sections...by 4 O'clock the rest of the track was done including the dead strip which is now painted brown
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Normally we cover the track with a plastic sheet to keep dust off but this wasn't really possible after painting so Kev returned on Sunday afternoon to check all was OK.
Paint was dry, no problem areas so a few test laps with untreated tyres and grip is now fantastic compared to before.
The main advantage of this will be a wider choice of tyres, rather than trying to find original NSR Ultras and treating them it will be easy for everyone as most of us don't treat tyres before racing mainly because it's a faff.
If at some time in the future we decide to repaint, it would be much easier with a fine roller.
RE: Track Repaint -
Top Down - 27th-Nov-23
Great info. Thank you.
RE: Track Repaint -
Kevan - 1st-Dec-23
First nights racing on the newly painted (grippy) track...
- should have done it years ago
- lap times are down
- tyre selection choices have gone up
- tyre wear has gone down
- lap count has gone up
Happy campers at MSCC
RE: Track Repaint -
KensRedZed - 2nd-Dec-23
Congrats Kevan!!!
RE: Track Repaint -
Kevan - 2nd-Dec-23
Tyres that were previously balling-up badly now only seem to be creating rubber particles. probably due to the tyre not sliding sideways as much.
I'd say there were at least 6 rubber compounds in use and treating the tyres before racing doesn't seem absolutely necessary as before.
Looking through lap times for these cars the hot lap time has reduced by as much as 4 tenths of a second with the majority of cars improving.
My NSR Mosler has knocked a tenth off the track lap record and every car I drove during practice was easy to push hard.