What is the use of poly caps since the wheels are glued on?
Who do you use for metal tracks? There are several vendors I have no experience with.
Poly caps are generally used in place of glue.
For metal tracks,basically wherever I can get them cheap, but I believe the Fruil website is up and running.
For what it’s worth,I have been using clickable 3-D printed tracks very easy to use and half the price.Check this out
But,if you absolutely have to have metal you can also try the regulars like Spruebrothers or Scslehobbyist.I also try ebay
Poly caps date back to motorized models, and modls where the items moved when you played with them.
Bill
Ya, poly caps hold the wheels rather than glue. This allows them to move, but more importantly, it allows you to take the wheels on and off as you need to while building and painting. If you glue them, that’s it. So, use the poly caps but don’t glue them, like AT ALL.
I normally don’t bother with using the poly caps. As for the tracks, I’ve heard great things about a (I think 3D?) track company called Panzerwerk. However, it sounds like Friulmodel metal tracks aren’t the best.
S.H.
One of the benefits to poly caps (excluding the motorization and old vinyl tracks) is that the sprocket has some movement to it while trying to install the tracks onto the suspension.
As to metal tracks, remember that some style tracks have a lot of sag like WW2 German and Soviet style armor, but many modern armor has very stiff “live” track that uses angled wedge bolts and rubber bushings that keep tension between track links and therefore have very little sag.
My personal opinion on indy tracks is that the saggy ones (dry pin track) should be metal and the tensioned ones (live track) are best represented with plastic assembly tracks.
If you use metal tracks, they will always sag a bit. Plastic tracks won’t if you glue the links together. Plus they generally have sharper detail vs cast metal.
I have used Dragon Magic Tracks,(Plastic indies),when I glue them I mold the sag in and let them dry,so they can depict sag,like on German and Soviet tanks.
The kit only supplies 2 poly caps so zooming around on all wheels would not be possible the other wheels are glued in place?
Which kit?
Like as not, if only two, then, they are for the drive sprockets, so that they can be ‘spun’ to mesh with the track.
But, that’s a guess.
Tamiya Hell Cat
ok I’m missing something the instructions imply I should glue the tracks one to another which I did if so they would be unable to spin around the sprocket??.
Once the tracks have been glued together, before the glue has time to completely dry, you can form the tracks around the drive sprockets, idler wheels, road wheels, and return rollers. So the polly caps in the sprocket is only for it to be able to turn while you put the tracks on. And also so you can remove the sprocket if needed.
S.H.
Okay I believe that Tamiya uses link-and-length tracks,my process is for individual links but the process is pretty much the same.
First I glue the whole run together using Tamiya Extra Thin and let dry 25 min
Then I flex the whole track around the running gear and let dry overnite
Remove when dry
Paint,weather and return to tank
The poly caps hold the sprockets in place,and make them easier to remove.Hope this helps.