1/72 vinyl tracks.

I got an ESCI jadgpanther and the link and length tracks on it were absolutely terrible! It was a total nightmare to put them on. the teeth on the drive wheels didn't fit the holes in the links. I wound up trimming all those little points with my trusty x-acto, both in thickness and profile. Also, the hub halfs don't have any locator pins on them and believe me, it's easy to not get those teeth aligned perfectly! The link and lengths that come in the Revell-Germany 1/72 kits I've built are terrific. But all the link and length type tracks are a bit fiddley. I think next time, I'm going to build the "link" parts up into a "length" against a straight edge, let them set up a bit, then bend them around the drive and idler wheels and finally attach them to the lengths that come with the kit.

I used Testor Model Master Steel (with flat black added) to paint a set of vinyls on a Hasagawa 1/72. I didn't have too much trouble with it. They did come out a bit streaky, but as I'll put a rusted patina over it, I wasn't to concerned with that. A neat rust coloring can be made by using Testor steel and mixing some burnt umber oil (no acrylic!!) artists paint into it. Mix just a tiny bit of the umber in at a time as it's really overpowering. You can use it as a full paint, or as a wash (I usually do a wash over a steel/black or all flat black base color) depending on the effect you're trying for, them drybrush a little straight steel then silver over the high points.

btw...don't get your screwdriver too hot as it's easy to melt right through the tracks! It's better to have to do a couple of melts rather than leave a gaping hole in the middle of your track!! ( voe -- voice of experience)

Good luck with your models.

Bill W.

djmodels:.
i'm so sorry about that, i'm kinda new to this online communication thing. i'd still like to see that Mk3 conversion article...
:(
appy polly loggiges...

Thanks, Bernie and Sarge...now I'm almost done with the Chieftain and halfway thru the Sheridan, but I'm stuck on how to paint camo without an airbrush. I want to try the Silly Putty masking from the latest FSM, but the toy store was all out of Silly Putty (maybe there are a lot of modelers who ran right out and bought it all after reading the article). I tried hand painting on the underside of the Sheridan, and it looked awful...I was so glad I didn't do it to an area that will show on the finished model.

Tamiya acrylics work best on vinyl tracks. And I use superglue to attach them.

Bernie the K.

ya, i wanna know how u paint them too. i painted a set before with basic model paint. didn't stick. neither did acrylic. tried that too. but i fuse/melt the tracks on. glue annoyes me when it comes to movable stuff. such as rubbery like stuff. like vinyl. ya.

What kind of paint do you use on vinyl tracks ? The silver color just doesn't look right and l'm not sure acrylics will adhere without a base coat of some sort. Also, do you heat-fuse the tracks and then slip them over the roadwheels and all, or just use superglue to hold them on ?

i prefer vinyl. since i've never done individual link tracks and they look kinda hard for a person somewhat new to armor (me), therefore, vinyl all the way!!!

I do prefer the hard plastic variety.

Since my Tiger I can't really say I'm thrilled with them. They rubber banded and warped when I put them on. Maybe I did something wrong though..

never tried plastic so I have to say I hate vinyl tracks, but at the same time say I like them. at least until I try plastic. Nice models!

bernndye,

After seeing the job you did on yours, I may have to try a few 1/72 kits.

Nice work!

I prefer the link & length tracks although many times there is a place where you have to fudge by cutting a link short and hiding it. I've seen Eduard photo etch track for the PzKpfw III Ausf M and the Cromwell. It looks interesting and the multifold deal with the panzer tracks looks cool.