On page 90 of the May issue of CTT there is an ad for a Tracker II device to join 2 sections of tubular track. If anyone has used this I would appreciate their opinion and comments and the cost of this it5em it they know. Thanks
Joining tubular track and keeping it joined proved to be too much of a hassle for me. That’s why my whole layout is done with FasTrack.
Jim
I haven’t used this device, but the comments I have read in the past from users indicated it worked very well. However, you would need to join together a lot of tubular track to make it cost effective.
Girly-Man! 
I’ve seen that device advertised, but don’t have one and have never used one. Back when I was using tubular track (I use Atlas now), I always wore a heavy pair of work gloves and just wiggled/pushed the stuff together. That always worked well enough for me. There’s no question that joining tubular track sections–particularly new sections–can be very rough on your hands if you do it without the aid of a good, heavy pair of gloves.
I just found the price for Tracker II is about $170.00. I will be buying a pair of work gloves. Thanks for your replies.
I have found a lot of useful info in this forum
Yep…I’d spend a couple of bucks on a cheap pair of work gloves and then take the rest and buy more toys. [:D]
Joe, for about $14.00, I would also suggest getting a pair of Track Pliers. These are very usefull with regard to tightening the track around pins. I purchased mine from Hobby Surpluss, but I am sure a number of other places sell them too.
PS: don’t use the track pliers for pulling nails, it messes them up[:-^]
Dennis
A question about the track pliers. I notice on new tubular track that the factory installed pins are crimped at the notch in the pin, does anyone crimp their track onto the pin? And if so how do you find the notch in the pin? Or do you all just insert into the opposing end and leave as is?
If there are any English teachers out there, I do apologize for ending a sentence in a preposition. [;)]
[#ditto] Bare hands. Pull pins with your teeth. [:D]
You didn’t.
and polish the rails on your five o’clock shadow.
Real men use tubular track. [:D]
[#ditto]
I was driven to respond. [:-^]
Rod L.
While all you Manly Men are pulling pins with your teeth and scrubbing rails with your beards, the rest of us can use gloves and in the case of removing pins, you hit the end of the pin and knock it back a little, then pull the pin. At this point, you can use the track pliers to crimp the end of the track around the pin when inserted. Now I know that Frank and the rest will simply bite down and crimp the rails, but for those not so supper heros, the track pliers are much easier.
Dennis
PS: Frank, if he used fastrack, he could simply wear ear plugs and have no problems[swg]
I crimp it, using the tip of a small pair of long-nosed pliers. You can find the place to crimp by holding another loose pin alongside the one inserted into the rail. However, I usually find it by trial and error. It won’t crimp until you hit the right spot.
I get pins out by spreading the bottom of the rail end a little with a screwdriver, then pushing the protruding end of the pin down (not in). After that, it usually comes out easily. Then I squeeze the rail web back together with the pliers.
Yeah, I guess the “as is” isn’t a preposition, instead I guess its an adjective in this usage. I guess next time I’ll have to try harder to figure out where I have placed my preposition at.
[;)]
It took me 10 minutes to create a sentence that ended that way.
“This is the sort of…nonsense up with which I will not put.”
(attributed to Winston Churchill)
We should also remember the child’s complaint: “What did you bring that book that I don’t like to be read to out of up for?”
Joel