How do you join tank tracks?

General Discussion General Modeling Discussion
1

I usually only build aircraft but have recently finished a Tamiya Leopard tank for a change. All went well but I am just not sure how to join the tracks together. I tried super glue but it just balled up and didn’t cement the tracks. Do you just melt the two little prongs that stick through the two holes where they join or is there any glue that will work.

Appreciate any comments.

2

You can just melt the prongs, its as good as any other way just don’t go too far as it can very easily stand out. If you can “hide” the join anywhere do so but not at the sprockets as that just wont look tight

3

Thanks P mitch. I am going to try that later today.

rookie 104

4

Hi

What I used to do years ago was this .I would put them together off the tank and carefully heat with a match a blunt tipped small punch. No bigger than the space between the links .And gently heat the punch and set them .Then I would set the join over say the first covered idler roller on the top . Always worked for me .

5

Rookie: heat the head of a straight pin to melt over the pins just be carefull to not go to deep,this has worked for me for years. ACESES5 [snWcm]

6

Thanks for the help, Gentleman. Greatly appreciated.

7

easiest way i have found. take a medium nail with a flat head and pound it into a dowel. this gives you an insulated handle and a flat heated surface. i now do rubber band tracks this way. DO NOT PUT THE IDLER ON THE HULL. you can paint all the road wheels and the drive sprocket (the one with teeth) and put them on. the idler is the road wheel looking wheel at the other end from the spocket. lay them out flat and sloppily brush paint tamiya metallic gray. wash with black and some hull red maybe add some powder. let them dry and pin them together. now take the looped track and wrap it around the sprocket, road wheels and return rollers. put the idler are at the other end of the track and stretch everything until the idler arm slides onto the axle, with a leopard you will have center guides that go between the wheel halves. oh AND DON’T DO WHAT I HAVE DONE make sure the tracks are facing the correct way on both sides.

8

If they’re Trumpeter’s vinyl tracks, invest in a nail gun…

9

R104, on occasion I use LockTite plastic/rubber adhesive. I too have had problems with CA and regular glues so I’ll use LockTite when needed, but you can take Wayne’s advise to the bank. It’s easy and it works. Try a few things and see what works best for you. All the best.