Repair to classic track

[Balticfraz]

When my granddaughter aged 7 got her first Scalextric set this year fro Xmas from.......yep me....I remembered I had some old track in the loft.

 It was rusty and the electrical contacts at each of the track were damaged. Keen to try and fix/clean up this old track I set about removing the rust using a fine grindstone in a mini-dril just lightly going over the worst damage. A clean with some isopropyl alcohol cleaned and degreased the rails followed by a wipe with a cloth dipped in some WD-40. 

To repair the electrical tabs that fit into the adjacent track, I first cleaned up what was left and then ran some solder over the metal. I then found some 4mm tinned wire braid sleeving and fitted it over the tab applying the soldering iron until the solder flowed through the braid. A quick file into shape and there you go.....electrical contact is back again......now for the other box of old track to tackle!! Hope this might help someone!

[Andy P.]

Before and after pics would be great :-)

[Blagard]

<Snipped>

To repair the electrical tabs that fit into the adjacent track, I first cleaned up what was left and then ran some solder over the metal. I then found some 4mm tinned wire braid sleeving and fitted it over the tab applying the soldering iron until the solder flowed through the braid. A quick file into shape and there you go.....electrical contact is back again......now for the other box of old track to tackle!! Hope this might help someone!

As Andy has said, some photo's to illustrate what you did would be useful. The wire braid you used was I antcipate the sort used for shielding wiring, but a combination of solder and the braid sleeve would make the tab oversize some !

 

I also wonder if you also used the mini drill with grinding tool to get the tabs back to a fit size?

 

Have you tried the polishing compound using a felt mop in your mini drill for the track raiils ? The reason I ask is because I would have thought even a fine grindstone wold be too aggresive.