A Little More on the Layout

It may not look any different from last time. But the layout had indeed progressed: the track is all permanently affixed to the base.



This time, I decided to try something different. Instead of using double-sided foam tape, as I have consistently in the past, I went with an adhesive. It's my preferred home improvement product: Loctite PowerGrab. I simply applied a bead of it to the base, and dropped the track on top.



As I pressed the track into the adhesive, I suddenly realized that this might have been a huge mistake; I'd completely forgotten about all of the little slots and holes around the track joiners, and suddenly I was faced with growing white snakes and blobs everywhere. Yikes!



But what I thought at first was a major lapse in judgment turned out to be a golden opportunity. Using a moistened paper towel, I wiped away the globs, and the adhesive neatly filled in all of the cracks and crevices around the joints. Since everything will be painted, the remaining excess adhesive was the opposite of a problem; it was instead a cosmetic benefit.



Such is the beauty of taking risks. Sometimes, instead of just learning from our mistakes, we may occasionally discover exciting new possibilities we hadn't anticipated. And now my layout is ready for track painting. (PowerGrab is not a silicone-based caulk, so paint will adhere to it.)

By the way, I'm now really glad I decided to solder all of the track joints!