Rubber one-piece tracks help???

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

Help! I am a rotor/prop-head that is expanding my horizons to the armor world!

Currently, I am working on Tamiya’s OLD Sdkfz 251/1 Hanomag kit and just getting to the tracks. Unfortunately (or fortunately, I’m not sure which right now) they are the one-piece rubber tracks…and I have a few bunch of questions:

1)How do you prep them for painting? Soap and water or some other cleaning agent?

  1. How do you recommend painting them? (I typically use acrylics, then weather with enamels.)

  2. Will the paint crack and peel after it has dried and I am bending them around the road wheels and drive sprockets?

  3. How do I attach and secure the tracks to the road wheels and drive sprockets?

  4. How do I achieve the appropriate/realistic track sag?

  5. [Nothing related to tracks] Is this kit an A or C variant???

2

My advice on this…

Soapy water wash, (detergent, etc.)

Paint with acylics, they are a bit more flexible, typically, and that will help stop it cracking.

From what I have heard, the tracks will be quite tight over the sprockets and roadwheels, so you may have to super glue or even tie them down with thread to get the sag.

If all this is too much, AFV club make a set of indys for this vehicle, but I don’t know anything about them.

I am fairly sure you have an Ausf C there.

Good luck.

3

To get nice sag look, I paint and install the tracks. Then I drill tiny holes in the sides of the hull where I want the sag, push the track below the hole and insert pieces of a cut up paper clip or thin wire, painted the same color of the track, through the hole. Glue the paper clip in and allow it to stick out so it reaches a litle more than half the width of the track. It will hold that portion of the track down. I do that between every return roller where a sag is desired. A little planning before you drill and you can’t see the wire at all. It is easier to do prior to attching the top, since you can glue it from the inside, but I have done it on a completed model too. It is pretty simple, but a little hard to discribe, so e-mail me if you have any questions

4

Personally, I’d go AM on the tracks, I don’t care much for them. However, being a newbie to the Dark Side you may want to do as Matt stated above. Some people like indies, others don’t. God luck and show us how you do.

5

Thanks for the input! I greatly appreciate it!

6

Welcome to the Darkside of modelling.

Tamiya only make C and D variants of the SdKfz 251. If the rear doors are flat it is a D, if they are bent V shape it is the C. The C version is very old, and the tracks have absolutely no detail on the inside. A set of AFV club replacements will be cheaper than most other types.

AFV Club two types of AM sets for the 251 series. One has replacement tyred wheels and rubber one piece Tracks (yes Wheels is spelt wrong on the box), the other type are individual plastic links - these come in 3 types: Early, late, very late. See this link for reviews: http://pmms.webace.com.au/reviews/vehicles/afvclub/afvclub.htm

Each type of track is reviewed - go to the link for kit numbers 35043,35044,35069 &35070. For first time, depending on your skills, you might just want to try the one piece rubber tracks. If you want to go for indy’s, go for the early type as they were the most common on C versions, but you could get away with the late. The latest were not fitted to the C as far as my references tell me.

7

Just my 2 cents but I paint my tracks with Testors burnt metal and burnt Iron. First the metal then the iron. Since they are thinned for airbrush use they basically dry on the tracks. Its hard to describe but I have done this method 4 times now I think and I have never had a problem with the paint cracking. I got the idea from the book on armor model building that FSM puts out. I have gotten some very good ideas from that book.

8

Hi senojrn,

  1. I use dish soap and water then follow with a good scrubbing using Ajax (or similar cleanser)
  2. I use Floquil lacquers (RR colors). Dark brown for a base coat, then whatever you want.
  3. Never had any problem with cracking or peeling.
    4/5) See JWest’s reply. I use a block on the inside to keep the pin from pushing up.
  4. ?
    Wishing you the best in your endeavor.
    Regards,
    Joe
9

When I built the same kit I paint the tracks with testors flat black. It worked fine. Im sure acrylics would also work. Since the fit around the drive sprocket is tight you wont need to glue it. To get the realistic sag I tried a very simple way and avoided the bars and blocks. After I had placed the tracks on and attached them, I then put some Gap filling CA glue on the back road wheels and then pressed the tracks down.

Unfortunatley I didn’t capture all of the tracks in this pic but you can kinda see the glued down tracks.

10

Thanks again to everybody for the input!

11

I use the same method as Rebelreenactor for all rubber band track. Basically, I paint, weather and install the track. To sag it, I put super glue on the top of the road wheels or return rollers and hold the track down onand around them with popsicle sticks till the glue dries. I have never had a problem with it popping off.

12

Without return rollers such as your halftrack I just tied the tracks down to the first and last roadwheels. The tracks have big holes for the sprocket teeth so it’s easy to pass the thread through them. Tie a square knot and then just touch the knot with a bit of CA glue. You may need some help holding the first loop, I call my wife in to hold it with a toothpick while I tie the second loop. Kind of like wrapping packages only without using fingers.