Tips or help required...

[Alan P]

Hi folks,

Started on the slippery slope to armour building!

I've started a Dragon King Tiger but geting a bit frustrated with the track links. Can anyone explain a good sequence for attaching them to the tank?

I've built a couple of sections flat, but need a bit of advice how best to wrap them around the drivewheels and tensioners - do you attach them chunk by chunk. or mould them around the wheels and then glue the various sections together, or build one long track link and then try to mould it around the whole chassis without breaking any links, then glue it, or...what?

Help!

Alan

[AnonymousDFB1]

I take it that it's all individual links Al? Not done one of these myself only link and length, and rubber band type. I believe the guys make them up in sections, I'm sure one will be along in a mo to put us both straight.

Oh and Welcome to the dark side

[Alan P]

I take it that it's all individual links Al? Not done one of these myself only link and length, and rubber band type.

Yep all individual track links, and they don't like to remain attached to their neighbours if you move them unless you attack them with Mr Tamiya's liquid cement.

[Tigerausfb]

Hi Alan

1: Build enough links to go from the centre of the front roadwheel to the centre of the rearmost along the bottom. You can leave these to set solid if you want.

2: Build enough to go from the bottom and around the drive sprocket, likewise with the sprocket at the back. Let the glue go off for a bit and then, while the runs are still malleable, bend them into position around the sprockets. Keep the sprockets free running and. if possible. the tension arm at the rear, as you may need to adjust.

3. Make up the top run while your waiting for the glue on your sprocket runs to go off and add this after adding your sprocket sections.

4: Depending on the AFV use a combination of those yellow expanding foam ear plugs/lolly sticks etc to push the run down towards the top of the roadwheels (but not touching, on a TII).

Actually, I glue the bottom run early in the assembly process before I set the suspension up. Then when adding the roadwheels you can lay the track underneath, check for fit and hopefully avoid the unintentional one wheel up in the air look.

I also glue the whole of the top run and around the sprockets in one go.

'Porsche' or production turret TII?

Regards - Andy

I just nipped home from work and added these to show what I mean by the use of some form of wedge to set the top run of the track. Maybe not so applicable for a TII but anyway.....a StuG IV as an example

Leaves you with a nice tensioned run along the top but, with the way I've positioned the wedges, a slight dip between the return rollers.

Edited September 11, 2008 by Tigerausfb

[Alan P]

Just what the doctor ordered.

Thanks a lot Andy

Al

[smuts]

Hi Paul here's my Dragon K T, first I measured & run some links for the road wheels don't glue the link on to the last wheels, add enough links to get over the wheels but only glue the links to each other you'll need some movement when you come to start building round the drive wheels.....

use tamiya extra thin as its quite flexible & will allow you to form around the drives, one thing if its not to late don't glue the idler wheel mounts in place

just tack them so you can get the right setting for your sag & number of links..........I learned the hard way.

Andy.