What is the best method to install pre-fab tracks on your tank? I’m finishing an Academy Tiger I (Early) and am scratching my head. The tracks have very little slack in them, making it difficult to install them while on the tank.
I haven’t built that kit but I asume it’s a one piece vinyl track and not individual track links so here goes.
Place the tracks on the drive sprocket and very carefully
sssstttttrrrreeeetttttcccchhhhh the track on.
They usually go on without too much damage.
H.M. & G.B.
Shermanfreak
I have the same kit. You do have to strech the tracks to get them to fit. Instead of melting the pins wire them together, just make sure you have the track joint on the bottom that way it will hide the wire.
HTH
I often sew the one-piece vinyl tracks together with invisible nylon thread and then hide the joint on the bottom under a road wheel or under a sand shield. If the trhread won’t hold, you can gently heat the track over a mild heat source like a lightbulb, gently stretch it into place and then staple it and hide the staple. This method will unfortunately make you touch up the paint on the tracks, but it works.
i melt/attach them and stretch them a little and then when they have streched a very little bit i just beat it ontp there. if anyone asks, its battle damage.
If the road wheels are on with poly caps, just take the leading and trailing sets off. Slip the track on, and reinstall the road wheels.
Here’s acouple more ways to install those tracks. I usually use copper safety wire, I pull the wire down from the top behind a road wheel, then through the bottom track, twisting it off on the bottom. Fold the twist flat with the track. Then you can paint the wire the basic track color. Works pretty good. Another way is to use super glue (I like Zap a Gap). Place the glue on top of a roadwheel where you want the slack to be, then wedge something between the hull and track to hold it onto the roadwheel. Give it plenty of time to dry. Hope this helps. Chris.
I usually say the hell with the one piece vinyl and opt for the individual track links. I’ve read some of the posts about those metal tracks and am thinking about those. They aren’t cheap and are obviously time consuming to assemble, so weigh price vs time vs authenticity