I just picked up the M3 and M3A3 Stuarts in 1/72 from Mirage Hobby.Looks like nice kits. Question, does any one know what is used to attach/glue the tracks together? Testors glue maybe? They are soft and do not have the little attaching cleats the larger kits do. Any advice and info would be greatly appreciated.
I have the Mirage 1/72 C7P artillery tractor in my stash. The tracks are made of the same material as those of the Mirage M3/ M3A3, and the instructions say to use CA to cement the tracks together. Not sure if CA would actually resist the shearing forces sufficienty, and I think I would want to reinforce the join with a couple of stitches, suitably disguised with a lump of mud. [;)]
That said, I think the tracks are the weakest part of the 1/72 Mirage tanks. I have a set of PART etched Vickers 6-ton tank tracks which I intend to use instead of the kit tracks for my C7P. You might want to consider using the link&length tracks from the Italeri/ ESCI M4A1. Although not a perfect match, these are pretty close, and easier to work with. The Italeri / ESCI kit also includes rubber band tacks, so you don’t have to consign it to the spares box!
Cheers,
Chris.
Thanks for the info. I agree with your concerns of CA glue holding. I guess we will see,as I’ll start one with in the week.
I built the Mirage M3 Lee. The tracks work fine with superglue, although I did reinforce the joint with a strip of styrene. Placed in just the right place it’s not too apparent. Damon.
Thanks! Believe it or not, I thought about the Styrene or even a piece of paper. Hopefully it won’t take much. I’ll post pictures when done.