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Academy Tank Tracks - Help

I have a Panzer IV which has individual track links. The instructions are almost entirely in a chinese-style language with the old english word here and there to describe key parts or paint colours.

This is the first time I have encountered individual track links and I had imagined that they snapped together to form a flexible track, but it seems that they must be glued together.

The instructions show laying them against a steel rule to keep them straight but that's about it. So I have lots of questions:

(i) How do I glue them and get them round the wheels without them either falling apart or setting hard before I can position them. (ii) How do I know how many to use - is it just half of them for each side or are there spares included (iii) How do you paint them - in the past I have painted the tank and the rubber tracks separately. I have then fitted the tracks and applied weathering. Can't see how I could do that with these (iv) I can't imagine that the tracks could possibly move when fitted - I don't care about that, but why do academy go to the trouble of fitting poly caps in road wheels and sprockets when the end result couldn't possibly move.

Any tips or pointers to useful sites would be most welcome.

Cheers,

Nigel

Reply to
Nigel Heather
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This archived document (.doc format) might possibly help you get started:

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Reply to
Greg Heilers

Nigel Try this site. Look on the right side under "techniques"

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Ron

Reply to
pipesmoker

Thanks very much - it even uses a Panzer IV as an example!

Cheers,

Nigel

Reply to
Nigel Heather

the directions here will work for you. i did it this way on a luchs and they look very realistic.

Reply to
e

Use Testor's cement in the black (sort-of) triangular bottle with needle applicator. Inexpensive and has just the right amount of viscosity to hold the links together but allow movement. Still requires some care of course. Do the straight lengths first, then wrap the portions around the sprockets. Leave the ends unattached so you can remove and install them. Allow to dry, then paint, weather, etc. Reattach and cement the ends together.

Trial & error. There are usually spares- also depends on how tight you make them.

Actually, some people do just that. They say it makes the entire undercarriage easier to paint. It also allows you to "blend" all elements together when painting and weathering.

No one knows.

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Like a lot of areas in modeling, there are many techniques for tracks. Hope this helps. Curt

Reply to
Curt

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