Takom Chieftain tank tracks

[AKRoast]

I am working on the 1/32 Chieftain kit. See attached photo of the extent of their link style track instructions. It basically just says "make 97 each side" and then shows them installed. What a joke.

I have done a Tiger I kit with link tracks that at least had a little bit of hints and was designed with rotating wheels and drive gear sprockets to ease installing it. It also had pins connecting the links. Still was a PITA, and became a super glued mess in the end (thank goodness for weathering!)

Also did a Leopard 2 kit with link-length, and a Bradley with rubber tracks. That is my extent of tank models since I just started up in November.

The rubber tracks are by far the way to go in my opinion. I know some people don't like them, but better than a mess that takes way too long to make and install.

Anyway - this Takom kit is the worst so far.
a) The links friction fit together, with no pins, and don't even really "snap" together. That means that even the slightest movement makes pieces fall apart.
b) None of the wheels/sprockets are designed to rotate, so you can try and leave them loose for track install but they easily fall off unless glued on.
c) no instructions on how many links for each main section (top, bottom, front, back) and no diagram of sequence of installation.

My track building solution so far was to do ten pieces at a time (about as many links as I could keep together before links fell off when trying to install additional links), then applying two strips of foil tape along the track. Seems to work ok for now, but not sure how I am going to install then get the tape off, and I need to paint tracks before installing. I know one solution is to measure the top and bottom lengths and then glue those into the equivalent of "lengths" in the link and length method, but the curved front and back parts I am dreading doing. I am thinking I can leave the strip of tape on the back part and only remove the front one, after I measure and test fit. and once front and back parts are in place, glue them all solid.

There is no conceivable way I have the ability to paint, then install these tracks, without them falling to pieces, unless I have something like the tape in place. Any hints?

 

[BarleyBop]

Any hints

Sounds like a nightmare... I've next to no experience with tracks, so eyeing those kits in my stash with some trepidation now.
Hope to pick up some pointers too!

 

[AKRoast]

I am looking at buying Takom aftermarket tracks on Sprue Brothers or Amazon but neither has photos or description of the actual product, so I can't tell if it just upgraded or replacement links, or rubber tracks. They are only $13 plus shipping ($6 to AK)

 

[locomotive]

Like Barley I'm no expert on tracks but if it were me with this nightmare I'd do same as you in making lengths.
But I'd use Plastic weld glue instead of tape. A small dab on each connection point would secure in seconds. Using a straight edge to work against to keep it aligned.
The inevitable PITA parts as you go round the sprockets I'd tackle by placing the constructed lengths when they go. Glueing them on. Then using a wax pencil for holding the link in place, apply the plastic weld again with a brush.
Then with your third hand….

 

[Jakko]

I'm not a fan of link-and-length track, largely because of what you also mention: how to paint everything with the tracks on?

The best way to build them, is to glue them together with slow-setting cement into one or two lengths that are sufficient for the model, then wrap them around the wheels before the glue sets. It's probably best to do it in a top run and a bottom run: fit the top run first, and when that's dry, make the bottom run so it fits against the top one. There's no need for tape: put a link at the end of the track and flow glue into the joint, then do the next link.

If you leave the sprocket and idler loose, you can remove them and the tracks again for painting, then glue them on permanently after you've painted the model. Alternatively, do glue all wheels and tracks on, and then spray the whole suspension, lower hull etc. in a mud colour. It's tricky to get it everywhere it needs to, though — you can usually see more than you can reach with an airbrush, let alone a normal brush.

However, because this is a Chieftain, here's a handy tip: You can skip the top run entirely Because of the deep bazooka plates that will go over the suspension, you can't see anything at all of the top run. Just building a bottom run, far enough to go over the drive sprocket and idler will be enough and save you putting together about one-third of the track.

 

[Rob]

Am I missing something here? Where's part E1? I don't see anything that looks remotely similar to E1 as you're building your links

 

[AKRoast]

E1 are the 97 rubber track pads per side that you have to cut off sprues (at least the links were in a baggie loose) and glue on the road side of the track. They glue on each link, they do not tie links together at all,

 

[AKRoast]

I'm not a fan of link-and-length track, largely because of what you also mention: how to paint everything with the tracks on?

The best way to build them, is to glue them together with slow-setting cement into one or two lengths that are sufficient for the model, then wrap them around the wheels before the glue sets. It's probably best to do it in a top run and a bottom run: fit the top run first, and when that's dry, make the bottom run so it fits against the top one. There's no need for tape: put a link at the end of the track and flow glue into the joint, then do the next link.

If you leave the sprocket and idler loose, you can remove them and the tracks again for painting, then glue them on permanently after you've painted the model. Alternatively, do glue all wheels and tracks on, and then spray the whole suspension, lower hull etc. in a mud colour. It's tricky to get it everywhere it needs to, though — you can usually see more than you can reach with an airbrush, let alone a normal brush.

However, because this is a Chieftain, here's a handy tip: You can skip the top run entirely Because of the deep bazooka plates that will go over the suspension, you can't see anything at all of the top run. Just building a bottom run, far enough to go over the drive sprocket and idler will be enough and save you putting together about one-third of the track.

I like that option, ignore top lengths all together. I had noticed it wasn't visible in the instruction painting illustrations. Going to give the people who love to model hidden things a heart attack, but nobody with any knowledge of models or military equipment looks at these in my house.

 

[Rob]

I'm no expert but couldn't you lay down 10 or 15 of those spread thin cement on the top and wait a bit and it's still flexible and stick it on the the tank where it goes or wrap it around the wheel and let it sit there. Just do it in sections to where you can take it off and paint them after they dry

 

[Edbert]

I used the white metal tracks from Friul with a cut-this-wire-for-pin approach recently. They are really heavy for a plastic suspension, but I thought they went together well and they look great.

 

[AKRoast]

I used the white metal tracks from Friul with a cut-this-wire-for-pin approach recently. They are really heavy for a plastic suspension, but I thought they went together well and they look great.

Thanks

 

[AKRoast]

I'm no expert but couldn't you lay down 10 or 15 of those spread thin cement on the top and wait a bit and it's still flexible and stick it on the the tank where it goes or wrap it around the wheel and let it sit there. Just do it in sections to where you can take it off and paint them after they dry

In theory yes, in my reality no ;-)

 

[Jakko]

nobody with any knowledge of models or military equipment looks at these in my house.

Even if they do, why should they care that you didn't build things that will never be seen? I wouldn't I never bother with lengths of track that will be completely out of sight:





The model in the first photo has workable track, so with the sprocket and idler left to turn freely, I could just slide the track around so that the sewing thread I used to connect the ends, is hidden by the mudguard you can see on the left of the photo.

The tank in the second photo has deep side skirts much like your Chieftain. With those on, you can only see the missing track by looking up from underneath, which will never happen as long as the model is the right way up You may notice I also didn't put on the return rollers, for the same reason. (You can see a kind of square pillars sticking out of the hull side with a little axle on the top: that's where the return rollers were supposed to go.)

That last one is a destroyed M113, where the side you can see lies flat on the ground, so only the bottom run of the track was visible. (That's also why the wheels are the wrong way around: you're looking at the side that was supposed to go against the hull, but the other side looks better, so that's the side I kept visible.)

 

[Steve Ski]

Who makes this 1/32nd kit?

 

[Jakko]

It's 1:35, it must be a typo

 

[AKRoast]

Correct 1/35 Takom, not 1/32 as I wrote.

 

[Edbert]

Hey man, when crazy people start making aircraft in 1/35, why not armor and figures in 1/32. Seemed legit when I read that

 

[Jakko]

1:32 was the "large" scale for armour models initially — both Airfix and Monogram released tank kits in that scale around the time Tamiya introduced 1:35, both in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Tamiya's choice won out, probably because they released a lot more kits than there ever were in 1:32.

So why did they go for 1:35? Apparently, that was because Tamiya determined that this was the scale needed to fit two C batteries inside the hull of a Panther tank. Chance decisions like that can have very long-term results. (Another example: why is the hole in a CD or DVD the size it is? because when the engineers at Philips were discussing it, one of them took a 10-cent coin out of his wallet and said "About that big.")

 

[Edbert]

That is the kind of thing that should not surprise me.