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Slowdigits:

I'll take a swing at answering your questions.

#1 What to use mdf or particle board for the track and what thickness and why

Use 3/8" MDF if possible. 1/2" works, but is heaver and is harder to bend if you want something other than a 'pancake-flat' layout. I believe the issue with particle board is that when you route it, you get a bulge on either side of the slot. While 3/8" MDF is not available just anywhere, it is available from cabinet making shops. That's how I got my last batch. I called them up, explained what I was doing, and they got it for me the next day, and at a fair price. I even got an 4x12' sheet...

#2 Copper tape or Braid and why

Both work. As Bookie mentioned, the copper tape works just fine and is significantly cheaper. With braid, you also have the issue of making a second pass to route the recess of the braid. Braid does not come with adhesive, and you get to apply that, too. Commercial tracks or club tracks that receive very heavy use like the better durability of the braid. There is another kind of braid that provides magnetic grip, but it's more expensive than the usual copper type of braid.

#3 what to use for the track surface i.e paint and what type

Like Bookie said, flat latex works just fine. If you run rubber tires, it will start off somewhat slippery, and it will take a few days for the cars to put down a layer of rubber that improves grip significantly. Silicone tires work fine right off the bat. Recommendation: Don't mix rubber and silicone tires. The silicones 'clean off' the layer of rubber that rubber tires leave. This results in two things: 1. A loss of grip for rubber tires as the silicones remove the layer of rubber that the rubber-shod cars need for best performance, and 2, running silicones after rubber will mean that as the silicones 'clean' the track of rubber, that rubber will collect on the silicone tires, making them dirty quickly, requiring frequent tire cleaning until all the rubber/dust/grit/etc. is cleaned off the track.

#4 What type of power supply how many volts and amps

A variable power supply is preferred, but anything around 12-13.8 volts works fine. The variable voltage is nice if you have children using the track; you can simply turn down the voltage to keep your cars from taking high-velocity flights into walls and onto the floor. Also, you may be more comfortable with cars running at a lower voltage.

You don't need the high voltage of the standard power packs because the cars won't have to overcome the drag produced by the magnets.

Now, having said that, there are plenty of people running the standard power packs for their tracks, usually a 'wall wart' per lane to avoid power surges when cars deslot.

The amperage you want will vary depending upon the motors you run. At some level, the more amps the better. However, past a certain point you're just going to be wasting money. I would recommend a minimum of 10 amps, and anything more than 30 amps is probably more than you will need. The British Slot Racing Association -- which runs more serious cars than you probably will -- requires 18 amps per lane minimum for a competition club track. That's a good idea of the max you should ever require.

#5 Should it be built on top of a solid plywood table or just stringers

My first two routed tracks were on tables, the next one will be on 'stringers'. The tables are expensive, heavy, and if you are planning on a number of elevation changes in your track, are just not needed. The tables also make wiring the track more difficult.

Pick up a book on 'Model Railroad Benchwork' at your local hobby shop. That's the approach I'm taking on my next track.

I have a blog that has lots of information about routed tracks. It's not all aimed at 1/32, but almost all of it applies. You can find it at wmbrant.spaces.live.com/

A lot of the basics are at the very beginning of the blog.

Don't hesitate to stop by here with other questions, and welcome to HRW!

-- Bill