Dragon DS tracks. Que?

[Evil_Toast_RSA]

Bought a M46 Patton today on a whim, and upon opening the box I was confronted by these. I'm going to dance out a limb here and assume they're not vinyl type tracks? Can anyone shed light on these? Can't see anything in the instructions so assuming you stick them together with CA? 

[Roman Schilhart]

From my personal experience, Dragons rubber band tracks can be glued together with Cyanacrylate.

I've done this many times on my 72 scale tanks.

 

 

[Mike]

I think they're supposed to be able to be glued with standard glue.  I've not used any yet, despite having a few sets in the stash.  If it doesn't work, you've not lost anything

[Stef N.]

I haven't ever used them but have regularly read comments about them and never a good word said. Depending on your money situation it may be a case of looking for aftermarket sets.

[Orso]

Yes Dragon DS tracks was meant to be glued with ordinary plastic glue but recently I have read reports of them cracking and splitting

[Dads203]

They have a tendency to split and crumble, they also don’t like weathering with mineral spirit based products which can accelerate the issue. Best option is to bin them and go the AM route. 

[Evil_Toast_RSA]

Well, thanks everyone! Not exactly the answer I was hoping for but definitely something to think about! 

 

Sigh. Think AFV Club and Bronco make replacement tracks, anyone else? 

 

[EDIT] - an unexpected stroke of luck,  can get the AFV Club set/s locally! But which ones for a early 1950's Korean tank, the T80E1 Steel type (AF 35036) or T84E1 Rubber type (AF 35037)? 

Edited December 20, 2021 by Evil_Toast_RSA
Info

[Kingsman]

The AFV Club ones are rubbish.  They don't fit, fall apart and are full of sink marks. Bronco do an appropriate set if you can get them. You really want the steel tread T80s, not the rubber T84s - although these were around by the time of Korea they are hardly ever seen.  Dragon no longer offer the DS tracks because of the problems and are gradually re-issuing all the DS-track kits with plastic link and length or similar.

Edited December 21, 2021 by Das Abteilung
addition

[Evil_Toast_RSA]

@Das Abteilung, if you had to choose, would you go with the DS or AFV Club tracks? 

 

(I'm not having much luck finding the Bronco set here, got 1 shop left to check but need to go in and I'm sure I saw a track set there last time, and I hope it was for a Patton...)

[Kingsman]

Definitely Bronco if I had the choice. 

 

I've had several sets of the AFV Club T80's for the M4 - same track, different guide horns - when they were the only show in town.  Reviews are all less than favourable.  I struggled with one set after tons of filler in the sink and ejector pin marks and ended up binning them in exasperation after trying to assemble them.  I've replaced them all with the infinitely better Rye Field offering, but RFM don't do the E1 version for the M26. 

 

Whether you could use the Dragon guide horns on the RFM links is an interesting question to which I do not know the definitive answer.  But looking at the parts pictures I can't see why not. The forked horns both fit onto the the central connector, although RFM use a peg and notch for positive location and I can't see that Dragon do.

Edited December 22, 2021 by Das Abteilung
correction