I finally took a stab at installing the gear track on the dome this afternoon. In response to some posts, I first did a dry install (no double-sided tape). As I feared, once the track was in place it was too long by about 1/4". Sliding on the track up and down on the mounting surface did nothing. Then, I worked my way around the entire dome, loosening the bottom bolts and prying and pushing the dome segments in the hope that I could pick up 1/32" per joint. That worked but there is no more play in that direction. I then marked the location of the track on the dome, with a tick mark for every 10th tooth. Next up, I put the double-sided tape in place. It's not very sticky but I proceeded anyway. By the time I reached the 20th tooth, it was clear that the track was now running long. I tried pushing very hard to keep the track in the same place (azimuthal force here, not radial) but that had no effect. I continued putting the track up until the end. The result? As it sits now, the track is too long by exactly one tooth. If I cut one tooth off, it will be a perfect seam. However, doing so means 287 teeth per revolution rather than the 288 teeth that I suspect is intended. My guess is that won't go well at all.
I'm not sure what to do here. I just don't see how I can pick up an inch. I'm guessing the tape thickness is what caused the overage here compared to the dry install. I'll be thinking a lot about how to solve this problem but any clues the rest of you can provide from your own (successful?) experiences will help a lot.
I followed this guide and it's worked great. You drill a pilot hole through the tooth so it lines up perfectly. The double sided tape works to line everything up prior to securing. I did buy thicker 3M tape and took 2 goes to get it right.