Painting Plastic Tracks

[TimDarrah]

My friends, I'm working on the Techmods T-50 Russian Light Tank in 1/35th and it has plastic link-to-link tracks. In the past when I've had to use tracks like this, I pre-painted them on the sprue then glued them together then mounted them onto the kit. Well, I wanted to try something new. So I'm building the tracks and hoping to be able to remove them for painting. In MMiR (I think), I've read that guys installed the tracks then painted them installed on the kit. Not to be stoopid, but how do you do that and get paint in the nooks and crannys? Any ideas?

 

Thanks,

[Kip Rudge]

Hey Tim,

 

There are a couple of methods.

 

1. assemble the track in sections and do not attach them to the road wheels. paint then and then attach tothe vehicle and weather. A variation on that is to assemble the complete track run on the road wheels, but don't glue the road wheels together. pull off the outer road wheel/drive sprocket/idler and the complete track run should pop right off.

 

2. Another way is to leave off the upper hull and paint the lower hull first. generally speaking the fenders are attached ot the upper hull and won't interfere if you keep them seperate.

 

Hope this helps

 

Kip

 

 

[TimDarrah]

Kip,

 

Thanks, I'm using option #2.

 

Tim

[Mark Aldrich]

Tim,

Don't feel stupid, it took me forever just to leave the BII on a kit and paint it after the base coat. I used to add it after. I can't imagine leaving things on like track and painting it attached. Randy finished his Stryker and I can't wait to see how he handles painting it all with that slat armor added.

[Mike Delano]

Tim -

 

I use the technique described in the below article by Andy Herbert. I substitute Tamiya Extra Thin Cement for Testors Liquid Cement that his article calls for. This technique works wonderfully!

 

http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=mod...e&artid=127

[TimDarrah]

Mike,

 

Thanks for that. I'm printing that out right now for future reference. Unfortunately, on this T-50, all of the running gear is already glued on, but I'll use this technique in the future. And that "Optional" items is a definate requirement.

[Mike Delano]

Tim -

 

You might actually still be able to use this technique even if the running gear is fixed (I've done itbefore with Panzer III's and IV's) - especially since T-50's have one guide horn per link. Since there should be a good bit of clearance between the idlers, sprockets and return rollers and the fenders, you shouldn't have any problem wrapping thetrack around them in place - just dont glue the track ends together - i usually work it so the opposite ends of the track lentghs meet at the bottom of the running gear below the roadwheel closets to the middle. Once dried over night, you should be able to carefully work the track back off of the running gear without a problem, get them painted and weathered and work them back on (carefully).

 

Mike

[TimDarrah]

Yea, it might work. I'll give it a shot & if I dork it up, I always have more glue

[skysoldier46]

Yea, it might work. I'll give it a shot & if I dork it up, I always have more glue

 

getting track links on the model has always been my big hangup. I've tried gluing them together then adding to the model but now I know to leave the top hull off until the track is positioned correctly. It sucked living in a cave for so long. Thanks also for this tip.

[Pappy]

Hey Tim,

 

I just got done building a old Tamiya SU85 and I used some seperate track links from AFV Club. I was under the impression that these just snaped together. Boy was I wrong. So this is the trick I used and seemed to work. I looked at the tracks as four sections Top, bottom, and two sides that went around the idler drive boggie and closest bottom boggie.

 

I assembled the tracks with Tamiya masking tape on the inside and curved them into place around the running gear.

 

Then I figured out where I needed to disassemble the tracks to get them back off of the vehical in the four sections and marked these areas with thin strips of tape so I would not glue these links together. This external tape will hold the un-glued track together.

 

Then I glued them with Tamiya extra thin cement and let them sit over night.

 

Wha Lah! the tracks came off in four sections. Took off the tape and the tracks were riget enough to paint.

 

I air brushed my tracks with Tamiya Acrylic XF-9 Hall red / Washed the tracks with Testors enamel 1785 rust / dry brushed Vallejo 70863 Gun Metal Gray This looks good on Russian tanks. Give it a good used look.

 

Then I put the four sections on and worked them into place and supered glues the tracks to the boggies.

 

Well I hope I did not confuse you to much.

Pappy