TANK BUILDERS: Help please...

Axlotl

Master Member
I'm getting ready to start on another tank, but need some advice as I've only done one tank before and I still haven't finished the darn thing because I don't know what to do with those silly rubber tank tracks. Model cement doesn't hold 'em, I tried melting the posts down with a heated knife, but just made a melted rubber mess.
How do you guys do it?
 
What exactly are you doing with them? If you're simply gluing them in place on the armor I use CA glue to hold them in place. With the rubber ones you can somewhat simulate tread sag, but there are better things out there. Depending on how much time/money you're willing to spend, and the type of armor you're working on, there are seperate tank tread kits out there for various tanks.... check sites like Squadron's or Verlinden/VLS.

But like I said, if all you're wanting to do is attach the rubber tread to the tank some medium CA is all you need.....
 
Not the spare tracks carried on the armor, the treads the tank actually rolls on.
They come in long rubber strips, and you stretch them around the wheels and fasten one end to the other somehow.
Will CA do the trick? Two-part epoxy? Was I holding my mouth wrong when I tried to melt them together?
I don't want to buy an expensive kit of linked metal tracks or anything, I just want to know how to make the rubber stick to itself.
What's the preffered/accepted method?
 
Originally posted by Axlotl@Apr 1 2005, 03:51 PM
Not the spare tracks carried on the armor, the treads the tank actually rolls on.
They come in long rubber strips, and you stretch them around the wheels and fasten one end to the other somehow.
Will CA do the trick? Two-part epoxy? Was I holding my mouth wrong when I tried to melt them together?
I don't want to buy an expensive kit of linked metal tracks or anything, I just want to know how to make the rubber stick to itself.
What's the preffered/accepted method?
[snapback]956050[/snapback]​

No I know you weren't talking about the spare tread pieces that go on the side of the armor, I was refering to the long rubber tread that they put in the kits. Hence why I talked about simulating tread sag ;)

Medium CA will hold them. If you want to use the two part epoxy it will work as well and will hold better than the CA will if you plan on moving the piece around alot.... but CA will do fine if it's simply going to sit there.

And look around some more, there are resin kits out there of the treads, not just the expensive metal ones..... just a thought.
 
I guess I'll try CA.
I haven't used the stuff in so long, I forgot they even made it, and I've been buying the old-school stuff in the orange tube. :lol

Thanks for the help, Aegis :thumbsup
 
Odd that melting them down didn't work. On the few kits with rubber treads that I've done (where I haven't got resin replacements, or better... metal links...) melting has always worked for me, heating up a small flat head screwdriver or xacto blade.

Give CA a good shot, and if that doesn't work, well... I suppose you haven't got enough of the 'slag' left to try melting them together again?
 
Originally posted by Clerval@Apr 8 2005, 04:10 AM
Odd that melting them down didn't work. On the few kits with rubber treads that I've done (where I haven't got resin replacements, or better... metal links...) melting has always worked for me, heating up a small flat head screwdriver or xacto blade.

Give CA a good shot, and if that doesn't work, well... I suppose you haven't got enough of the 'slag' left to try melting them together again?
[snapback]959897[/snapback]​

i used to tie them down with thead,its invisible once the track rests on the wheels, it was fairly good at producing the track sag

z
 
Originally posted by Axlotl@Apr 8 2005, 09:10 AM
Thread, huh?
How exactly does that work?
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Thread is what most modelers use, but it takes tons of patience and tiny fingers to reach into areas where the thread wont show.

When nothing seems to work or I just want to glue it and be done, I use JB Weld. It is a 2 part adhesive that you can find in Hardware stores. It takes a while to dry, so make sure the track is held in place by some type of jig and let it dry 24 hours (to be safe). JB Weld is the last word in glue, you can even paint and sand it to shape.
I hope this advice helps you out. -Mikel/The Modeleer
 
Here are a few suggestions :

1) Drill out the side of the tank where the threads would sag and put in some stiff metal wires to push the track down. Once you paint the dirt and crud over them, they are pretty much invisible.

2) Sewing the threads together is a good option as it allows you to add a little extra slack, since most rubber tracks are a very tight figt.

3) If this doesn't work, just use a stapler, old wargamer trick ;)

4) There are companies that make aftermarket tracks in resin/photoetch/white metal etc ...
 
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