Part II - Starting the Rail & Racetrack

 

Here's a side view of the rail (upside down). The glue is drying, and the clamps are holding it together. You might want to wipe off any excess glue that might've leaked down the sides.

Another view of the rail while the glue dries

Close up of rail (upside down).

Once the glue has dried, drill small holes (the same size as your wood screws). Try not to drill all the way through (though it's no big deal if you accidentally do, because you're going to cover the rail with foam and vinyl anyway). Screw in the wood screws to firmly mount the two rail pieces together. I used 8 screws (3 on each side, and one at each end). The length of the screws was 1 1/4" (long enough to reach both pieces, but not long enough to go all the way through). You can now unclamp it, and your rail should be in one piece.

Test the fit by placing the rail over your table top (remember to align it the correct way with your astericks). It should fit like a glove.

Now it's time to cut the racetrack & felt insert. Take the piece that will be used for the table-top (the one you only cut 1.5" out of above), and draw your line/arc for the width of the racetrack. I wanted a racetrack width of 5", so I measured 7.5" from the outer edge (remember that you've already cut 1.5" out of the table that will be placed back down, and the top rail width will be 4"). 4" + 5" - 1.5"= 7.5"

Here I used the ruler method of tracing my arc. In my opinion, it's easier/better than the string/wire method

Here I'm tracing the arc for the racetrack. Just follow the ruler with your pencil as it goes around the arc (the tack nail is holding the rule steady at the axis).