Does anyone know of a good online tutorial or something about doing individual link tracks that come in a kit? I have a Dragon StuGIII with individual link tracks that need to be glued together. The lower portion(ground contact) is pretty easy, so is looping up over the drive sprocket and the idler(I think thats what it is called), but looping it all over the top and have some sag in there I am unsure how to do. So looking for some kind of good online article. I have never dealt with individual link tracks before, as I am new to armor. I would like to be able to get the tracks assembled around all the wheels, and then pull the wheels and tracks off so I can paint the tracks seperately with my airbrush instead of having to brush paint them while on the model, or painting them before assembly. I know FSM did an article like this as I had the issue, but my 1 year old decided he didn’t like that issue and chewed and slobbered it into submission and it’s now dead. I don’t know which issue so I can’t order a backup, that and I don’t really have a place that it can be shipped to anyway at the moment, and I am more or less at an impass for working on this thing right now until I can get the tracks assembled.
Sweet guys, thanks a bunch. The second and third links I have to check out when I get home as the second is blocked and the third the picture hosting site is blocked(I’m at work right now). I so far have a mostly complete length run on the bottom, but not quite all the way as I wanted to get an idea of how to get them to curve up first before I got them anywhere near the last road wheels. I would get workable tracks, but my problem is I can’t see spending the same amount or more then the kit costs for just a single aftermarket accessory. I have no problem spending 50 bucks on several aftermarket items for a 15 dollar kit, for instance, but not a single one will be over 10 bucks. Perhaps when I increase my skills enough and am making enough money I will start using workable track links. Or I’ll start drilling kit links and making them workable. LOL.
Ya know, working with the individual track links is a learned skill. It’s somethng you get better with over time, and getting rolling on 'em can be rather frustrating. Many a curse word said over getting those blankety-blank links over that return roller linked up with the length you just installed over the idler wheel…
Just keep trying, trial and error. If you find you’ve not got enough sag, add a link or two. The longer a tank went without the maintenance item of tightening up the tread links, the more sag you see.
However: If you are building in the M4 Sherman series of tanks, save yourself headaches and blue language and buy the AFV Vinyl tracks. M4 Sherman tracks for me were just frankly not in the cards…
Actually in this particular case it is a Dragon Models, StuG III Ausf A. Remarkably quality kit. Especially for the price. I just picked up the Tamiya M1A1 Abrams yesterday with the mine plow. With the exception of the mine plow nowhere near the quality. Yet the price was MUCH higher. I figured with the high cost it would have some link and length or individual track links, but nope it has the vinyle tracks, and I don’t like the way they are going to look on there. I need to find an aftermarket set, I don’t care if they are workable, I just want something that looks better then the vinyle stuff. Well time for me to bail, gotta get ready for work, and gonna stop at thehobby shop and pickup something small and from Italeri for that group build on here.
The two links above will give you pretty much everything you need. Its a technique that comes easier as you build a few kits that have indy links. Just take your time. I usually build mine up in sections, one for the upper run, and one for the bottom. I’ll make several sections of about 4 or 5 links each, then join them into a longer run. Just as the glue begins to set, I’ll run them over the top run, and use plasticine, playdoh, pencils, or whatever, to impart and hold sag, then masking tape to hold it all in place until the glue has set.