Replacement 1/72 or 1/76 Tank Tracks

[JerryS]

Hi, returning to the hobby after number of years and in the process of refurbishing a number of 1/76 and 1/72 tanks. These all have the awful poly tracks (Airfix, Nitto, Fujimi and Matchbox) not surprisingly some have started to disintegrate with age (happens to us all, eventually!). I can find sources of 1/35 scale metal / plastic replacement tracks and am wondering if there are any similar for 1/72 or 1/76. Can anyone help, please?

[Sgt.Squarehead]

How much money do you want to spend?

Small scale tracks are available in several media from a number of manufacturers.....OKB Grigorov do superb flexible resin tracks, Extratech and several others offer them in etched brass, CMK do some in vinyl, while injection L&L can be had from MaCo and Unimodel. You can also get them in resin or white metal from a number of the smaller aftermarket manufacturers......So it's a pretty broad yes to your question.

If you could give me an idea of the vehicles you need to fix I can narrow things down a bit.

[GrzeM]

I have my own question - who makes good tracks for Shermans? I mean typical for 1944 Normandy, with chevrons.

Like this:

Or with metal chevrons.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Those look like T48 Rubber Chevron to me, so assuming you want 1/72.....The only source I can think of off hand is Mirage Hobby.

If you find some for sale, please let me know, because I have no absolutely idea where to get them from.....Mirage Hobby are a bit like that.

Superb T54E1 Metal Chevron can be had from OKB Grigorov: http://shop.okbgrigorov.com/product/235/tracks-for-m4-family-t54e1.html

[JerryS]

Sgt.Squarehead: many thanks for your reply and my apologies for the tardy reply - the day job has been very insistent of late!

I will investigate the manufacturers you listed, it's amazing how much the hobby has changed since I was last involved.

I notice that most after market accessories seem to be for 1/72. Most of my refurbs are 1/76 (I cut my teeth on Airfix), so I am wondering if 1/72 tracks for, say a KV1, can be used on a 1/76 model. How much difference is there at that scale?

[Graham Boak]

Well, if no-one else is going to offer comment I'll suggest that the difference will be a link or two (or maybe three). It should be possible to wrap 1/72 track around 1/76 sprockets because of the very small sizes involved. But like all things, give it a go and see.

[JerryS]

Graham

Once again, many thanks for your comments. I've pretty much convinced myself that the only way to find out is to "suck it and see". I've got two King Tigers and several KVs that have tracks that have perished to the point they shatter if I breathe on them. Nitto is the worst culprit, both for deterioration and poor quality. At least they don't melt the plastic, like the old Airfix tracks that needed several coats of varnish for protection.

I have been looking at OKB Grigorov tracks and will give them a test-whirl soon for one of the KVs, I'll keep you posted.

Regards

Jerry

[TeeELL]

I have several sets of OKB Grigorov tracks: Early Brit M3/M4 the double I and a set for a Stewart M3 because the original tracks had perished and were totally unusable. The current range is staggering and you will need to take a little time to find the correct tracks. I am certain your Nazi armour will be catered for.

[-Neu-]

Those look like T48 Rubber Chevron to me, so assuming you want 1/72.....The only source I can think of off hand is Mirage Hobby.

If you find some for sale, please let me know, because I have no absolutely idea where to get them from.....Mirage Hobby are a bit like that.

Superb T54E1 Metal Chevron can be had from OKB Grigorov: http://shop.okbgrigorov.com/product/235/tracks-for-m4-family-t54e1.html

Sorry for the thread hijack, but I have a similar question and didnt think it warrant a new thread.

So I'm kinda confused and I need a bit of help on this. I have two T-34 kits in the stash I'd like to build: a UM 1940 version F-34 and a Trumpeter T-34 mod 1942. I'm pretty sure I'd like to replace the Wheels and tracks on the UM 1940, and perhaps just the tracks on the Trumpeter '42. I'm intending to d the UM 40 as part of the counteroffensive around Smolenk, and the 1942 as part of Operation Uranus in December.

There are four possible options.

#1: Pavla <- no idea what they represent but seems as if its the most reasonable.

#2: OKB <- Too many options to know which one represents what I want.

#3: ACE <- PE ... I don't know how they look. Seems inexp

#4 Sgt. Mess <- Cast Metal, seems inexpensive.

So what should I do? I'd like not to break the bank on going both with OKB, but the options are really varied and no idea what is the proper ones to get.

Are there others? Anybody with any experience with them or know which ones might be appropriate?

Edited January 2, 2016 by -Neu-

[Sgt.Squarehead]

PM inbound.

[BallsBuster]

Sorry for the thread hijack, but I have a similar question and didnt think it warrant a new thread.

So I'm kinda confused and I need a bit of help on this. I have two T-34 kits in the stash I'd like to build: a UM 1940 version F-34 and a Trumpeter T-34 mod 1942. I'm pretty sure I'd like to replace the Wheels and tracks on the UM 1940, and perhaps just the tracks on the Trumpeter '42. I'm intending to d the UM 40 as part of the counteroffensive around Smolenk, and the 1942 as part of Operation Uranus in December.

There are four possible options.

#1: Pavla <- no idea what they represent but seems as if its the most reasonable.

#2: OKB <- Too many options to know which one represents what I want.

#3: ACE <- PE ... I don't know how they look. Seems inexp

#4 Sgt. Mess <- Cast Metal, seems inexpensive.

So what should I do? I'd like not to break the bank on going both with OKB, but the options are really varied and no idea what is the proper ones to get.

Are there others? Anybody with any experience with them or know which ones might be appropriate?

If I remember correctly the tracks on the UM early T-34s are wrong type. They should be the early wide and flat type, while the kit provides for a later narrow waffle pattern. ACE does the correct early t-34 tracks in photo etched format. And you could probably use UM tracks for the trumpeter kit.

The wheels on the UM seem to be correct for the early type... at least I do not remember complaints on that except the usual "tyres melt plastic" stuff. The latter is easily addressed though.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

The UM vinyl in their T-34s is hideously corrosive.....Stick your rims in a ziploc with some sprue and see what happens in a month or so. Much better to replace the wheels and the tracks (personally I'd go OKB Grigorov for both). The tricky bit is getting all the right parts on the same model, T-34s really are every bit as complex as many people imagine Shermans to be.

[FZ6]

Voyager do some photo etched T-34 individual track links in 1:72. I have a set and they look impressive bit I imagine they are tricky and time consuming to assemble.

http://armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=187141

I just need a 1:72 T-34 to put them on now.......

[TeeELL]

Sorry to state the obvious, search the internet for a photo of the AFV you wish to model, take a close look at the tracks (and compare with other photos of the same vehicle) from that you might have a better chance of matching the appropriate OKB G set. I had a challenge finding the correct set for a particular Sherman, but I got there in the end.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Couple of useful pages for those interested in Sherman tracks:

http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/tracks/vvss_tracks.html

http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/tracks/hvss_tracks.html