echen Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 (edited) Joking (and panic) aside it looks like you've a good handle on sorting the tracks. The colour looks good too. I wonder if, when you come to the end of the track fitting, you might find they all join up ok in the right order? The links alternate between ones with guide horns and holes and links without. Edited September 23, 2020 by echen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Model Mate Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 I'm fairly new to these link and length types having done three so far (all 1/72), but it's got MUCH easier each time and I've found this works pretty well: Glue the instructed number of links onto the drive sprocket (before it's attached the the hull) Glue the instructed number of links -1 (i.e. if there are 7, glue on 6) to the idler, again before attachment. attach the sprocket and idler, but let them spin - no glue. work along the top from front (sprocket) to back, with the lengths - bend as necessary for sag and glue the last connection to the idler link. This stage fixes the position of the sprocket and idler. do the bottom run, deciding if you need the last link on the idler or not - I found on my recent wirbelwind that it wasn't needed, even with track sag. There's usually a single link called for somewhere on the bottom, and I work from either direction towards this. This single link goes in last, trimmed if necessary. All very handy - after the event! - sorry... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alloydog Posted September 25, 2020 Author Share Posted September 25, 2020 19 hours ago, Model Mate said: Glue the instructed number of links -1 (i.e. if there are 7, glue on 6) to the idler, again before attachment. attach the sprocket and idler, but let them spin - no glue. Too late! 😩 🤣 Thanks for the tips, I shall try you rmethod next time I come across similar tracks. Fortunately, the next model in the production line is a Sherman V Firefly from Plastic Solder Company, so the tracks are solid and in just two pieces 🕺 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted September 25, 2020 Share Posted September 25, 2020 I'll have a go at the tracks method for my Tiger II so thanks to Model Mate for the tips. The PSC kits are indeed much simpler but they have a lot of potential for detailing. I've currently got 2 x M4 and a Firefly from PSC at the gloss/decal stage. Too late for a WIP but there might be a RFI in the not too distant........................🧑🔧 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alloydog Posted November 24, 2020 Author Share Posted November 24, 2020 Well, it has been some time since I sat down with this. Things went from not good, quickly through bad and onto horrible! A combination of poor planning and thick fingers. The poor planning: When I was a kid and gazed in wonder and awe through the pages of Military Modelling magazine, I'm pretty sure I remember that most folk painted a lot of the parts while still on the sprue. Flash forward to my twilight years and watching videos on YouTube, it seems that now people practically build the model complete, then paint it. I went for the former method. Then found that things like the tiny lugs on the track pieces don't fit, as they have a layer of paint and the recesses they are supposed to fit into are also filled with paint. 🙄 I ended up cutting off the lugs. Next are my sausage-fingers. Those tiny track pieces are a nightmare to handle - a decent pair of tweezers are needed. I am not even going to bother posting pictures of the mess. I never thought it would be a work of art and I'm only using it for solo wargaming, but I would like it look neat and tidy. I am seriously considering removing them and somehow starting again. My question now is: Can any one recommend an after-market set of rubber tracks for the 1/72nd scale Tiger II? I did a google, but only 1:35 scale parts came up. I seriously could not handle individual links. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alloydog Posted November 24, 2020 Author Share Posted November 24, 2020 On 25/09/2020 at 11:10, echen said: I'll have a go at the tracks method for my Tiger II so thanks to Model Mate for the tips. The PSC kits are indeed much simpler but they have a lot of potential for detailing. I've currently got 2 x M4 and a Firefly from PSC at the gloss/decal stage. Too late for a WIP but there might be a RFI in the not too distant........................🧑🔧 I too have the PSC 3x 1/72nd Allied Sherman M4A4 and Firefly Tank set, along with the 3x Allied M4A1 Tank set.: They are still work in progress, as I decided to stop and finish the Tiger II first. I've done some minor modding - I found a photo of the 44th RTR in Normandy - there was a line of Shermans along a road. It seemed like every tank was a different version! Some were loaded up with lots of supplies, with the rear parts of their side-skirts cut off and rewelded on to the rear as stowage racks. My platoon will be Sherman IIs with a Vc. I don't know if it's courting disaster, but I'm tempted to try and remove one of the Sherman II's single piece transmission housing and replace it with a 3-piece one from the M4A4 kit, just to mix up the batch even further. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 (edited) 44 minutes ago, alloydog said: Those tiny track pieces are a nightmare to handle Something to look forward too then😅........................ Still haven't worked up the courage to tackle the KT tracks and have been unsuccessfully trying to complete a Diamond T Tank Transporter in the meantime. Edited November 24, 2020 by echen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alloydog Posted November 24, 2020 Author Share Posted November 24, 2020 I've found one resin set of tracks, but I'd prefer rubber or preformed hard plastic. I think this week, I'll crack on with the Shermans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Where did you find the KT resin tracks? (In case I chicken out on the link & length ones...................) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 On 25/11/2020 at 09:47, echen said: Where did you find the KT resin tracks? (In case I chicken out on the link & length ones...................) Try OKB Grigorov. Not cheap but worth every penny! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alloydog Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 Well, disaster struck... The tracks just didn't go together at all. They looked horrible. I then had the idea that if I could get another set of tracks, maybe even from another kit, then I could rescue it. The only tracks I could find were from OKB Grigorov (http://shop.okbgrigorov.com/search.html?phrase=tiger+II+tracks+1%2F72). But, before I ordered then, I popped into the local games' shop. They had the Zvezda Tiger II kit. The guy said the tracks were one piece and flexed well - he showed me pictures of the one he had built. The whole kit was cheaper than the mail order tracks and postage, so I went for that. because the Zvezda was labelled as "snap together", I figured I wouldn't feel to bad about buying it and using the tracks on the Revell Tiger. I could use the Zvezda Tiger as an objective point in a game. Before I opened the Zvezda box, I started to remove the track bits from the Revell one. Wheels started coming off. AAAAAargh! Anyway, I then took out the Zvezda kit from the box and... ... I would say it's as good as, if not better than the Revell kit. So, this kit is being pushed to the side now and I will build the Zvezda instead. At least I have the lessons learnt fresh in my mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted December 14, 2020 Share Posted December 14, 2020 (edited) I've got the Zvezda T34/85 and SU100. Both kits seem to be accurate and the tracks work well. Will you continue this WIP for the Zvezda Tiger? It would be good to see how it goes. I still have the delights of the Revell Tiger II tracks to deal with.......................................... Edited December 14, 2020 by echen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alloydog Posted December 14, 2020 Author Share Posted December 14, 2020 I'll put this one hold and start a new topic - I'll come back to this later... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted December 14, 2020 Share Posted December 14, 2020 Looking forward to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alloydog Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 OK... I decided that rather than start again from scratch, I'll merge the two kits. Keeping the main hull and turret of the Revell kit, I'm going to use the side hull parts, wheels and tracks from the Zvezda kit. I can also use other parts, such as the MG mount - the part from the Revell kit got broken a while ago. So, here we go again... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 Go for it! Atb Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 Sounds like Revell still haven't sorted out the instructions for their Kingtiger tracks....So take heart, it really wasn't your fault. The tracks actually go together really well if you approach them in the right way, but Revell screw you from the start by telling you to use the wrong number & sequence of parts around the sprocket (IIRC, it's been a while).....I used to have photos of the correct assembly sequence (which is actually quite simple, if a little time consuming) but PB ate them (along with everything else). 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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