# Tape vs. Markers



## hchytd (Oct 28, 2008)

lo all,

I have had many people recommend getting paint markers to color the 4 lanes (Red, White, Blue, Yellow) instead of the 4-lane tape - supposedly easier/works better. However, my concern is their permanence. Wouldn't paint markers screw one's ability to shake up the track layouts in the future - as some of the lanes would not always match? Any input/advice using either method would be extremely welcomed!

Thank you,

-hchytd

P.S. I'm going for the following config/look...


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

*Anyone with tape for lane colors out there?*



hchytd said:


> lo all,
> 
> I have had many people recommend getting paint markers to color the 4 lanes (Red, White, Blue, Yellow) instead of the 4-lane tape - supposedly easier/works better. However, my concern is their permanence. Wouldn't paint markers screw one's ability to shake up the track layouts in the future - as some of the lanes would not always match? Any input/advice using either method would be extremely welcomed!
> 
> ...


hchytd,

Welcome and just a note: This should have been put in the track section of this forum...NO BIGGY MAN...just saying for future post. I would be interested in the Neon tape possibly...yeah!

You have a good point on the paint marker thing...I have a whole bunch of Tomy Track that was painted for a 4 lane layout years ago. Now with a different layout the painting thing has left me with some mis matched lane colors here and there on the current layout.

Have never tried the tape so, if someone that has could post up here please! Would like to hear how the tape works. Could see how it may start coming up???? I don't know...waiting for an answer here myself.

Bob...zilla


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I have had very limited experience with tape. On my first road/rail setup I taped the center line on a two lane all around the track. As long as the track is clean and dry it should stick ok. The good part as mentioned though, is even if it's really stuck on, down the road, warming it up with a hair dryer will make it an easy job removing it. The one thing I do remember is, don't over stretch it.

UtherJoe


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

In Texas, we use paint because the tape seems to come up (it gets hot down here). It really depends how you paint it, if you want to change the layout later. Some guys paint it rail to rail. Now, that would be hard to change later. I just paint the center, both sides of the slot, by running a paint marker down the slot. You can always paint over that with a black paint marker, or just sand it off.
You can see how it looks at www.myspace.com/northtexasslotcars 

Rich


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

Just a thought but, 

I have some Modified and dropped Tomy SRT cars that sit pretty darn low. Sometimes they actualy pick up a bit of my lane paint on the bottom. If tape was layed down on my track the small thickness could make a difference in clearance and rip up some tape also.

Painted our smaller 2 lane track with yellow and white to make it look like Highway markings and is functional at the same time.

There is a guy who uses NEON tape for his layout and it just looks sweet.

Bob


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## Tycoarm (Jan 7, 2006)

NTxSlotCars said:


> I just paint the center, both sides of the slot, by running a paint marker down the slot. You can always paint over that with a black paint marker, or just sand it off.
> Rich


I painted in the slot groove as well. If I do decide to change things up, painting over the existing colors as NTxSlotCars mentioned with black or lightly sanding the paint off is not a problem.
I went for thin lines by shaking the pens often then doing a few sections at a time.









Tycoarm/Tycosaur


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

The only issue with tape is somtimes it interferes with low slung chassis...


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

Compromise --










Paint dashes instead of lines; less to clean off / paint over if you ever switch things up and much more permanent / less worrisome than tape.

My $.03 worth, adjusted for inflation. :tongue:


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

*Hey!*

I did much the same thing on my little track.. (Must have gotten the idea from you Doba!)
I have also found that you only really need the dots in the areas where the cars always crash...




1976Cordoba said:


> Compromise --
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## BRPHO (Aug 1, 2006)

I want to see more pics of Tycoarm's track!!!

Great looking track!!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## RiderZ (Feb 19, 2007)

*!!!*

I bought a five roll package of elec. tape at WallyWorld.It has red-white-blue-yellow & green.If you look closely at the track you can see i have small strips of the tape marking each lane.Just be sure to clean the track area where you want to place the tape.
They have been on there over 6 months without any issues.The bad thing about paint is if you want to change your layout.Also the paint can flake and get small bits all over the chassis.My 2 cents!:thumbsup:


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

A small painted stripe on one side of the slot works fine for me.


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## T-Jet Racer (Nov 16, 2006)

I think paint would be the better deal, permanent no troubles. If you swap the track around later on it can be painted over. I would try to be pretty happy with the layout before painting HAVE FUN!


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## GoodwrenchIntim (Feb 22, 2005)

RiderZ said:


> .Also the paint can flake and get small bits all over the chassis.My 2 cents!:thumbsup:


the paint pens paint is very thin, no flaking, most of us who paint the full lanes have permanent layouts


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## Tycoarm (Jan 7, 2006)

I like the electrical tape idea. Inexpensive and not permanent.

BRPHO,
More pic's of my layout can be located in my photo album I also added a short video flyby in this thread.
http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=193164


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## BRPHO (Aug 1, 2006)

Hey Tycoarm!

Thanks!

I just checked them out!

Great track!

I'm jealous!!!! HA HA HA!!!!

Wish I had that kind of room for mine....

Some day maybe once the kids are grown and I can have my hobbyroom back that is now their play room......

For inspiration at work to get me through my day I printed off a picture of your 4 afx vintage stock cars doing battle on your track and hung it on my wall. HA HA HA!!!!

It makes a mundane day here so much better!!!!

Thanks again for sharing!

I appreciate it!

Wayne :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Like 'Doba and Noddaz, I used dots strategically placed where cars deslot. BUT... I did something a little weird... I originally wanted to use little colored dot labels that they sell at Staples. They're about the size of what comes out of a hole puncher. But they didn't have white, and I wanted to do red, white, blue, yellow... AND they were kinda expensive; spend 7 bucks, buy 700 of these little dots, and use maybe 30 or 40... so I passed.

I left Staples and went next door to Michael's craft store to see if they had any little labels that might work... and the nice girl there came up with something that I was able to do FREE. See, my wife scrapbooks, so she has all kinds of colored paper. And she has a Xyron machine, which is something you use to make stickers--you just feed a little piece of paper into it, pull the tab, and it comes out sticky on one side with backing paper and all. You can get 2 different adhesives for it--"repositionable" and "permanent". She happened to have repositionable, so that's what I used.

I made squares about 2" long in red, white, blue, and yellow, fed them thru the machine, and then used a hole puncher to pop out the right number of dots in each color. Peel the backing paper off, stick it down, and voila. They've held up fine to a week or so of my kids and I racing, but then we run Tjets... lower cars might pop them off. I've also run a few AFXs and MTs on them and they seem fine so far...

Will post pics eventually, I'm visiting family out of town at the moment...

rick


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