SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

Straightening/flattening rubber treads?

1027 views
5 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    May 2006
  • From: East Coast
Straightening/flattening rubber treads?
Posted by CarnivourousDonut on Sunday, March 29, 2015 2:08 PM

A very kind soul here send me the old Tamiya T34/76, which I am building this weekend (as a break from the madness that is SKIF) and the tracks are rather warped, and do not lay flat. Sort of buying individual track links (which I am loathe to do) is there any method to flatten/straighten these tracks?

Let's rattle the cage, crack the machine. Let 'em know who you are, shine to be seen.

  • Member since
    November 2004
  • From: Cat Central, NC
Posted by Bronto on Sunday, March 29, 2015 2:30 PM

Tape them to a board and gently heat them with a hair dryer.   Just be careful not to melt them,

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Valrico, FL
Posted by HeavyArty on Sunday, March 29, 2015 2:39 PM

You can also attach them to a board or some other item and dip them in boiling water.  Usually though, they will straighten out once applied to the model under a bit of tension.

Gino P. Quintiliani - Field Artillery - The KING of BATTLE!!!

Check out my Gallery: https://app.photobucket.com/u/HeavyArty

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Sunday, March 29, 2015 8:36 PM

You're better off buying single link tracks anyway. These T34 tracks from Tamiya are pretty cruddy. I think it's the ones in theT34-85 that have no detail on the insides?

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: Jefferson City, MO
Posted by iraqiwildman on Sunday, March 29, 2015 10:36 PM

I just finished an old Academy Wirbelwind with warped tracks. I hung them with a clamp on the bottom for weight, in front of a desk lamp for heat. After about a week of hanging with the light on for maybe an hour a night, they are straightened.

Tim Wilding

  • Member since
    May 2006
  • From: East Coast
Posted by CarnivourousDonut on Monday, March 30, 2015 7:21 AM

Thank you.

Let's rattle the cage, crack the machine. Let 'em know who you are, shine to be seen.

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.