Up the Creek Column - 5
6. Marking the edge of the cork strips before installation
makes the seam where they join obvious to the casual
observer. I use a black Sharpie marker.
6
ME flex track 101
Some folks say Micro Engineering flex track is difficult to install.
I have found that with a little care and an inexpensive tool it’s
not tricky, but it does call for some patience.
Most of the issues with ME track involve getting it to form a
smooth curve, or once bent, getting it straight again.
ME track is stiff and will hold its shape, while Atlas flex track is
floppy and won’t hold its shape until it is fastened down. With
Atlas track, the rail above the continuously connected end of
the ties is held firmly in place, and the other rail is left loose
to slip through the spikes. When Atlas track is flexed, the ties
don’t bind.
With ME track, both rails are loose enough to slip (just a little).
The zig-zag pattern [9] lets the ME track’s ties move around as
the track is curved. When they become diagonal instead of par-
allel the gauge is decreased by an iota or two. This increases
the friction of the rails sliding past the spike heads. If the place-
ment and angles are uneven, so is the friction. The friction
makes ME track hold its shape. The uneven friction seems like
the reason it’s tricky to form ME track into a smooth curve.
I’ve been using ME flex track for a long time. With patience I
can always coax it into shape. Then my local hobby shop owner
turned me on to the Track Tool from MLR Mfg [11]. This handy-
dandy gadget is placed on top of the rails and makes curving
ME flex track a lot easier.
Before I start installing the track, I lay it out upside down and
use my sanding block, this time with 200 grit sandpaper to
MRH-Sep 2014
