A question, for you or anyone. I too followed Doog’s great tutorial on how to assemble the indy link tracks.
I have a fundiMENTAL question: When you assemble the tracks, are you shooting for a single strand, or do you section each track into manageable lengths? I tried to do it as a single pieceon the E 100, but it kept separating into segments. I repaired it easily enough, but there must be a method to this?
Did you intentionally separate it, and if so, what segments?
Thanks Bill I am down to the wire on the this one and almost ready to start on the base and figures.
Well I tried Karl’s tutorial to the letter and had mixed results and then Bill suggested threading from one end which I found successfull if you are very careful and wait about 1.5 hours after applying the Testors cement before I even start air brushing, dry brushing and applying pigments. While the tracks are drying I use CA on the road wheels and Testors on the guide wheel. I leave the drive wheel off until I have successfully threaded the track through the top return rollers and then I use Testors to glue the Drive Wheel which I feed in from the bottom so it gives me time to finish applying sag and then I use a light touch of CA where the tracks join on the bottom.
I also make sure to wait 24 hours before I remove Q-tips and toothpicks so my sag has time to set properly.
Also I leave the vehicle sitting flat and do not turn it on it’s side because I have had the tracks seperate on me becasue of the torque. I put it on a high box in front of me so the return rollers are eye level.
Are you saying that you paint them before installation? I tried gluing, forming, then removing, painting, drybrushing, then reinstalling. Perhaps the constant messing around with them was my undoing? Now that I list what I tried to do, the dismal failure seems to have a clear cause.
You assemble, glue, wait 1.5 hours, then airbrush, then put them on and leave them on, correct? Do you put the pigments, drybrush, etc on before placing the tracks, too?
My experience has taught me to wait 1.5 hours before I Air brush with Metalizer Non-buffing Gunmetal and then I dry brush Metalizer non-buffing Steel and then I very carfully use my exacto knife to loosen the tracks from the painters tape so I can carefully turn it over and do the same two steps on the other side. I then apply a burn tumber oil wash and very carefully dry with Hair dyrer before I apply mig poigments either with mineral spirits or water.
My next step is to place the vehicle on a long eye level box so I can start threading the entire track from one end to the other. When I have it evenly threaded I glue the the drive wheel on and carefully form the tracks underneath. I also make sure I have enough room on top for sag.
After four attempts which the last three were successful this is the method I worked out. I am sure there are other methods that work but this one has proven sucessfull for me so far with my vast experience since December! [(-D]
I was confronted by my wife and another modeler friend that they were not impressed with my ammo boxes and to do something about it. I could not get the image of a glint of shell brass through a broken box out of my mind so I got out my exacto and paints and went into a trance we all know very well.
Hey schnobs… missed this thread for a few days. Your progress is terrific, really looks nice.
I see that Brad filled you in on what a dado is.
With no intention to highjack your thread with regards to Bill’s indy track questions…
I use doog method all the time and it works great. It is important to have them well cured before painting or they and get soft again. I lay out the traks , brush with glue and wait 30 -45 minutes. Then I put them on the vehicle and shim for any sag they need. Then I leave them at least over night. After they get a coat of paint I lay them on their sides to dry so help themkeep the shape. Paint and weaterhing is done off the vehicle.
What the heck are you eating? This is looking the Bomb!!!
Well done, my friend. I’ve been out of the country and too busy to be following this on a regular basis, but I just spent a few moments reviewing the last few pages. You are certainly becoming adept using a variety of mediums and techniques…and that’s really the name of the game. It will open the doors…allowing you to achieve the vision you have in your mind.
I better keep my eye on you as we get closer to show time! [:)]
LOL! A steady diet of Shep Pain, John Prigent, Lynn Kessler, Mig Jimenez, Adam Wilder, Bill Plunk, Karl Logan, Manny and your posts.
I am going to fire up the AB this afternoon and do some pre-dusting on the lower hull and road wheels with a very thinned Earth and Buff mix and then apply my fist Mig Mud pigments very carefully to the lower hull and running gear. I am going to go very subtle. I am looking to add texture and contrast not a mud bath.
Are you going to the Port Townsend IPMS show on the 20th of June? Is Chris as well I like him he’s very nice. I want to get this done and the base and hopefully my first figures for the show.
Thanks Bill. I could not get the thought of a glint of shell brass coming out of one of the boxes out of my head and your earlier comments are true loose ordiinance would never fly but a damaged crate would.
What my crates aren’t gorgeous are they at least ruggedly handsome? [;)]
My Wife and I read all the responses to my posts together at the end of the night and she got a kick out of you telling me my shells were gorgeous. She has been teasing me all week. My Air Brush is smoking hot according to her! [:)]
Thanks as always for your thoughtful commentary. Off to my first mudding!
Hi, Edmund, I really enjoying what your doing with this build, everything so far looks first class. The stowage is really impressive, well done there. I’m looking forward to seeing what you do with the figures.
Thanks for the kind words as always Terry! I really enjoyed workiing with the stowage rack and all the bits that was my favorite! I have no more excuses on the figures the Stug is basically finished unless I get some feedback on this post.
Build Update:
Current Assembly and Dissassembly Time: 32 hours
Current Painting Time: 20 Hours
Weathering Time: 29 Hours
Aggregate Build Time: 81 Hours
Well I had a couple more “firsts” today. I performed my first pre-dusting using my AB and Deck tan thinned down about 90%. I had read about this method and it worked out okay but I can see this totally getting out of hand very quickly!
I also applied my first MIG mud pigments using the techniques off the Night Vision The Pigments F.A.Q. DVD. I tried to be very subtle which is very difficult to do when you are layering mud on a model that you have learned to loved over the last 80 hours!!! I about freaked out!! I look at every build as an opportunity to push myself to learn new methods but it gets scary sometimes.
I was amazed at the results and how real it looks. I admit I almost wiped it all off it was close but it’s permanet now because I committed myself by using the Acrylic Resin and MIG Pigment Fixer. I am the Pig in a ham and egg breakfast not the the Chicken who is only involved!!! [:-,]
Here are some pics of the base but this is my first base I ever made and I am not committed to it and might make something totally from scratch please let me know what you think.
No more superlatives from me that might get you more razzing from the wife! [8-] You’ve really experimented with a lot of things on this one and gotten your feet “wet” in the mud department as well. Something to consider for next time is a logical pattern for “how it got there” as some places on the vehicle are a little too clean vs. others that have the heavier caking IMHO, but that will come easily with more practice and experimentation. Overall you’ve achieved a good look and not hard to believe that you’ve got 80 hours into this one at all. I find the builds that you can “individualize” with little additions or characteristics are the most fun ones to do and you’ve certainly achieved that here with this one! [tup]
I thought I was being logical on how I applied it but I guess that is all up to interpretation isn’t it? I just wanted to add the texture and practice the technique without overwhelming the model.
Yes it will take awhile for the mud technique to feel comfortable. I enjoyed going off the page!
I am scraping and assembling my first figure in my life as I type! [%-)]
Edmund, that dusting is really a convincing effect, I realy like that, and the mud, too. One thing you have is the control to not bathe it in mud so it looks like you are hiding something. Yours looks dirty, not ridiculous. I know how you feel about taking mud and grime to your baby you just spent hours getting a perfect factory finish on, but I really like your effects. It’s a leap of faith all right, but worth it.
I am going to add a stug to my stash, and am working on some paint shelves, your build has doubly inspired me!\
Wow Schnobs, your models are getting better and better, just love this build. That ammo box on the rear of the tank looks awesome, and a nice touch too.
This is the type of thing I was referencing to…if you look at the final drive housing for example it’s totally clean of mud but you’ve got mud on the track and on the hull side on either side of it. A minor thing, but something that is in the consistency angle I was talking about where mud would “logically” accumulate from moving tracks. [;)]
