Dragon T-34

You need to set up a jig to make sure all the tracks are straight. I took a thick ptastic ruler, drilled a couple of holes through it and attached it to a piece of a 2" x" 6". I then glue them together using testors liquid cement (orange tube), ususally breaking one track into 2 or three pieces and let it dry for about 15 minutes. Then I bend them around the wheels. They should stay together but still be flexible. I paint mine first, but so the wash and mud at the end

Everyone does them differently. I like to do long sections of 15 or so. Let cure so they are still movable and then shape them across the drive sprocket towards the idler and back around to the drive sprocket. Key for me is to make sure the glue dries a bit, but is still movable. Take your time.

Lots of different methods available to you. The key is to determine whether you want to paint them on the sprues as individual links or paint them as a whole track. Once you make that determination, you can go about handling the assembly and final, if any, weathering you want to do as well.

Jwest's suggestion about using a straightedge or jig is essential to insure your track sections come together straight. Dragon is usually pretty good about their link molding so you shouldn't need to do excessive cleanup on them unless you want to fill and sand all the sink marks common to them.

I prefer to paint all the links and assemble the track in pieces then assemble pieces into one track, doing the fitting and adjustments in one go then leaving it overnight to cure up. Dragon links aren't workable generally speaking so when you decide to do start this phase, be sure you have enough time to construct the links and the shape or place them around the running gear the way you want. If you give yourself 1-2 hours the tracks should retain enough flexibility to allow you work with them without them falling apart...after that they tend to stiffen up too much and become brittle depending on the glue you use.

If you've never done individual links before, there is an interesting step by step process on www.hometown-hobbies.com that may be of some help to you. I just found it the other day while searching for info on track links. After you get to the web site click on Gallery area. There you will find an article on the assembly of individual track links. It's just one more way to assemble tracks. Hope it helps. semper fi, mike