Dragon Track Woes

[Pete H]

A day or so back I unpacked a couple of Dragon kits that I had got so far with and ran out of steam.

This isn't unusual for me and I tend to regain my enthusiasm for certain kits somewhere along the line and get them finished.

However, these two kits may be heading for the dustbin and I really don't have any clues as to what has happened.

Both of em (one is an Israeli M50 and the other a Sexton) have the tan coloured one-piece tracks in the kits (DS plastic?). Both had been painted and partially weathered before I lost the will to finish and were packed away.

Both have now suffered terminal failure of the tracks in as much as the tracks have started to fall apart and are secreting an oily substance over anything they touch. The drive sprockets have become brittle and are falling apart before my eyes and I am desparately attempting to wash this gunk from the running gear but seem to getting nowhere fast.

It has also started to affect other areas around the lower hulls.

Anyone have any ideas how to stop this "leakage" or am I doomed to restart both kits?

I used my usual Humbrol enamels which I have never ever had any problems with in the past on any kind of plastic or vinyl tracks. So what I am doing wrong?

Any help will be much appreciated AND if anyone has any suitable track (preferably one piece, but I ain't choosy) plus some suitable drive sprockets, please drop me a line and I will see if my meagre budget can accommodate.

Many thanks in advance for any and all help in rescuing this worrying situation.

Regards, as ever

Pete

[oz!]

sorry mate but there isn't much you can do about the tracks' i had the same problem with the same tracks and the only way around it i found was to use acrylic paints, i used enamel paints to do a vinyl figure once and they basically sucked the oils from the vinyl and the whole thing was binned, i have also suffered with brittle parts on some of the thinner components of the tank kit, its as tho the enamel is acting as a solvent on the finer parts of the model, hopefully someone had a fix for your problem, i never found one myself.

good luck oz!.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

This sounds like a job for Gemma: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234942186-dragon-spare-parts/?hl=gemma#entry1637451

Give it a try, she sorted my track issues in 48 hours.

PS - Track-Rot is a known problem with DS-100.....It's not down to you.

PPS - Gemma can only help with Dragon.....Not Cyber Hobby.

[Pete H]

WOW! Thanks chaps for speedy replies.

Sorry that your stuff ended in the bin Oz,,,,, kinda hoping that after all the graft I put into getting the Sexton something like (fit issues, etc. etc.) it might be salvageable,,, but we shall see.

Sarge,,,,,, ta muchly,,,, will contact Gemma and see what we shall see.

Thanks also for the reassurance that it wasn't me that cocked up. Surely if these problems are widely experienced Dragon ought to be putting a word or two of warning on the things,,,,,,I shudder to think of the hundreds? of poor souls who have also ruined what are expensive kits through no fault of their own.

Regards

Pete

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I suspect the aftermarket track manufacturers are rubbing their hands with glee.....Dragon apparently couldn't care less!

[oz!]

I suspect the aftermarket track manufacturers are rubbing their hands with glee.....Dragon apparently couldn't care less!

hmm isn't that the truth!!!!

regards oz!.