Maybe this question have been made before… but as I’m new in modelling vehicles, here I go: I know that I must join the parts using a heated screwdriver… but as I’ve never did that before, I don’t want to ruin them for using an overheated screwdriver… so the question is: is there a kind of glue that can be used for these vinyl tracks?.. If no I’ll just use a heated screwdriver and pray for not to ruin them… Thanks in advance…
Unless it is a “glue-able” type of vinyl tracks, joining it with any type of glue is NOT advisable. Please carefully check the instructions about the type of vinyl tracks your kit came in with and the proper way to join it.
On a personal note, I have tried using rubber cement on non glueable type of vinyl tracks. It worked fine but the curing time is quite long. However, I am not recommending it as I have tried it only once.
Haven’t done the “hot screwdriver” thing for a while, simply for the fact that I haven’t built anything in ages (but getting back into it). Just don’t overheat the thing.
A candle flame will be more than enough. You don’t want to heat it to a point where the pins melt to a liquid. Just enough heat so that the pin melts very slightly.
Also, try not to melt the pin flush with the inner track surface - what you need is to leave a slight mound that you can press down with your fingertip (yes, your fingertip - it won’t be that hot) . this should leave you with a little raised dome that resembles a rivet. (Hint: do one pin at a time - don’t melt them all together into a big molten mass)
This has always worked for me with the “rubbery” Tamiya style tracks.
All vinyl tracks will glue with superglue and hold just fine. The hot screwdriver method is ancient, '70s, Tamiya crap. It doesn’t hold well and looks like you melted the tracks with a screwdriver. Just cut the rubber pins off flush with the track and use superglue on the joint. You may have to put a closthespin to hold it a few minutes till it sets up. The new “glueable” track is supposed to be glueable with regular model glues, I still use the good old superglue method on it. I have never had the superglue fail me.
The secret to ‘melting’ the tracks together is just just start the melting process halfway then quickly pull the screwdriver back and press the heated area down and hold 'till cooled. You don’t want to heat or melt the whole area, just half of the pins sticking up. It’s better to do a little at a time than regret later on doing too much all at once.
I’ve done dozens this way with no problems and the tracks stayed together and held. Hide that piece of the track in an area where it’s not easily seen.
Jeff
I have to say, HeavyArty is wrong.
I tried both super glue and stirol glue to weld my soft vinyl tracks. Both resulted in a thin but hard coat that actually held the parts together - but I could just easily peel the glue off, it didn’t stick on the surfaces.
Hi guys,
I use CA however not only do it cut off the (rods) level I also drill a few more holes thru both sides and use reall thin CA to fill these u first,
I then use slow/thick to glue the two surfaces together.
This makes more “rivets” into the vinyl and holds it better as CA does not stick well but the strength of the rivets holds then better.
AJ
AJ
May be your opinion, but I have never had a problem with it. Mind you, I don’t go playing with them and trying to peel the glue off either. You can just as easily peel the melted track apart , or any peice of a model for that matter, if you try hard enough. I stand by the superglue method, always used it, always will.
I’m with Gino on this, I try to use the “rubber bands” as much as I can, I use superglue all the time on them, no problem at all. Heck, Here’s something SAS taught me to try. A good old stapler! Line up the ends, put a couple of staples to secure them, and stretch them over the sprockets. Just put the staples on the bottom of the tank so the road wheels cover, add some superglue to get some sag, and you’re done! He’s been doing that for years, and I’ve done it a few times and they never have come apart!
I found the heated screwdriver method to work just fine. Heat it on the element of a stove or use a lighter.
Obviously don’t get it red hot, just heat it up a bit at a time until it works. Push down so it mushrooms flat and thats it. It’s not a big deal a little heat goes a long way with those tracks.
I use the staples when I have to shorten vinyl track by a few links as well. Yup, works great. Super strong and easy to hide under a road wheel as well. I have aslo used the sewing thread and needle technique as well. Sew an “X” to secure the two ends of track together. I also use superglue on the upper return rollers or road wheel tops and popsicle sticks wedged in between the tracks and fenders to put sag into them as well. Superglue is great stuff and hold just fine.
YUP! Sewing thread works great, especially when someone in the house can’t stand the smell of plastic melting!
Jeff
Gino, I do the exact same thing with the popsicle sticks! LOL I have seen some cases where people drill holes in the hull, and insert metal rods just above the tracks to force sag, and manage to hide the bars very well…haven’t tried it yet, but from what I’ve seen, looks great as well! CA All The Way!!! LOL
Guess great minds think alike.
I used staples once. On a kit with short treads that I feared anything else wouldn’t hold. The staples created a small weird sag that I didn’t like. Maybe I did something wrong. I haven’t tried again.
Believe me or not I used MM liquid cement for the tracks of a tamiya tiger. It took very long to cure but worked great. Oh, and I also used it for an academy stug IV. Before you apply the cement remove the paint from the parts to be glued. After I just cut off the excess vinyl pins.
Gino,
You are right on with your description of the hot screwdriver method being '70’s Tamiya crap. However, if you happen to build an old tank with those lame treads, you’re pretty much stuck with hot screwdrivers. I recently built their age old T-34, and now matter what I tried, (zip-kicker, no zip kicker, preping with lacquer thinner, priming with Future, etc. ) those treads would not glue. Just now, to make sure I wasn’t imagining things, I tried to super-glue some spare M-3 Grant tracks, again '70’s Tamiya vinyl no doubt the same mix as in the T-34), and again, it just doesn’t stick.
Of course, with the newer Tamiya and Dragon tracks, I agree that superglue is the way to go.
Andy
That’s what I did with my aforementioned T-34, and it did work surprisingly well. In spite of the fact that the T-34’s waffle pattern treads don’t really give the brass rods a place to hide, and that I went with only light weathering with no mud, and that there is a fair amount of room above the treads, I can hardly see them.
Andy
Maybe I’m just lucky, but it has worked fine for me with the old ones too, like M551, M42, M48A3, etc. as well. I’ll just stick with superglue for me.