I’ve got a Panther Aufs.G(early) with improperly molded rubber tracks and wanted some reccomendations on aftermarket sets. I have used individual links before and found they look better.
I was also wondering if anybody could point me in the right direction on picture sources.
Allen
I think most people use either Model Kasten or Friul am tracks. The MK’s are plastic, but a little less expensive. The Friul’s are metal, but more expensive. Both types have their supporters.
Do you have the Tamiya Early G? That’s the one I’m building. Somebody will show up with pics for you. I’m sure I have some at home. I’ll look sometime this evening.
Allen, the Model Kastens have a finer level of detail to them. They are absolutely beautiful when built. They were a pain for me to build (I did a set for a late A), and they were very delicate. They kept coming apart on me. Weathering them was hard for me because they came apart so easily. But now that they are done and on the tank, they look terrific.
I’ve done a couple of sets of Fruils (see the Pz II in my sig for one of them). The detail isn’t quite as fine as the MKs and a lot of times, the guide horns are cast solid even if the real ones were hollow. The are much stronger than MKs and really give a lot of heft to the tank. Rather than using the wire (used to connect one link to the next) included with the track set, though, use the following idea (not mine, but it sure works).
Buy a couple of boxes of dressmakers pins. (I got mine from Wal-Mart for 88 cents each). Get the ones with the plastic balls on the ends. Hold the two links together and insert the pin in the pivot point. After you get about 10 links together, lay them on their side on your work bench with the pins point up. Then LIGHTLY tap each pin with a tack hammer. This is meant to just set the pins a little. Now, cut off each pin with a pair of small diagonal pliers or wire cutters as close to the link as possible. Put the track section back on edge and tap the pin ends with the hammer once more. This time, try and get the pins flush with the link ends. This may hold the links together well enough that you don’t need to use any CA glue at all, but I went ahead and put a bit of thick CA on each pin end. The big thing to watch out for doing it this way is to make sure the pin stays in the pivot all the way across the link. I had a few that I didn’t get in right. If you don’t catch that before cutting off the pin, it can be a real problem.
modelpoint.us (thanks, ted!) has some pretty good prices on Friuls, and a pretty good supply in stock. Although, I think they were out of Panther sets. Sorry. But give them a look see.
Also, Tamiya sells a plastic AM set of Panther G tracks, part #35171, but I don’t know anything about how good they are. And they are not articulated (the don’t move) when done.
Good luck, hope this helps.
buff,
Yes, that’s the kit. Did you notice all the suggestive manufacturing that Tamiya did? Holes for exhaust piping, the entire gun inside the turret, driver and bow gunner periscopes that extend down into the hull…
Allen
Bill, I typed in modelpoint.com on my MSN search and found only one site. I went there(www.modelpoint.com) and found a yahoo type listing for stuff like fixing my credit and shopping. 1:32p.m. CST
By the way I appreciate all the info and am looking forward to anymore from the rest of the community.
Allen
Yup, I noticed most of that indeed. You don’t normally see that in kits with no interiors. That being said, it doesn’t really make me want to go and buy an am interior. Well, I don’t think it does.
How far are you along with the build?. I’ve basically just started mine. I’ve pre-shaded the running gear and the hull sides below the sponson black. I want a really grimy, dirty look there. I’ve also pre-shaded those parts of the lower glacis and back red primer. I’m going to try hand zimming it (never done that before), and I want to bash up the zim a little in those areas. Any comments or tips on any trouble spots you’ve encountered would be a big help. Good luck with your build.
buff, I haven’t gotten that far. I stalled when I saw the engine compartment set at rollmodels.com for $14. Thats when I made the connection about the suggestive manufacturing. Do you have a small plastic gear? I’ve read and been told that’s the best way to apply your own zimmerit.hgg
the hgg. my roommate decided to clean the keyboard without thinking.
ive got Frui model tracks and like them
heres some picture sources for the Panther
starting with the best one
http://www.panzer.punkt.pl/strony_www/panther_galeria.htm
http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz4.htm#panther
http://www.geocities.com/desertfox1891/nightfightingpanthers/nightfightingpanthers.htm
http://www.twenot.nl/panther.htm
http://www.panzerv-panther.fsnet.co.uk/gallery.html
http://www.battlefield.ru/destroyed/german.html
http://www.jagdtiger.de/index2.htm?http://www.jagdtiger.de/GermanTanks/PzV-01.htm
heres another link
http://www.achtungpanzer.bos.ru/gal_panther3.htm
most of the photos look like there scanned from alot of books
If you want Friulmodel tracks, the best price I’ve seen is $30 a set. I’ve found them at this price at www.rjproducts.com where I just bought sets for my Mid Pro Tiger I and my Tasca Luchs.
Okieboy
The link to the model point site is this http://modelpoint.us/ I have to tell you ,…
I just ordered from these guys just last weekend ,… I saw my account debited , and wondered what the hell ?
2 days later my order arrived !
Excellent company if you ask me !
Sorry about the misqueue on the web site, Allen. I looked it up and was going to post it, but got busy here at work. (W2 prep time here in City Government, you know!!), and didn’t get time to do it until just now, but I see spector got it to you. Thanks to him for being more on top of it than I have. Ted ordered from them also, and seemed impressed by their service. I haven’t, yet, but from everything the members have said, I will be!
Well I’m conservative so to speak and I went with the Tamiya Panther indy tracks with mine. Probably half the cost of the big boys and I think they build up well.
Allen, I’m planning on using the Tamiya zim tool. The problem is what to use it with. I can easily get some Tamiya polyester putty, but it’s supposed to be hard to work with. Another member, Ausf, suggested a product called ApoxieSculpt (I think that’s what it’s called). It’s supposed to be much easier to work with. The problem is that I don’t know if I can get it here. I’d rather not order it. When it crosses the border, I get hit with the taxes. I’ll see. I hope to have this sorted over the next couple of days.
I have just purchased a set of ww2 production panther tracks and these are by far the best available , they are resin click together and are fully workable and they include casting no’s on each link, check out the pmms site for reviews you wont be dissapointed. Cheers Bob.