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AFV Painting & Weathering
Answers to questions about the right paint scheme or tips for the right effect.
Track question?
flyers42
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Alabama, United States
Joined: November 23, 2014
KitMaker: 62 posts
Armorama: 60 posts
Posted: Thursday, October 03, 2019 - 11:10 AM UTC
I have an old tamyia iv70 lang kit , about 30 years old, that im making, going smoothly until I get to the tracks, they are the old rubber ones that you heat the pins with a screw, the problem is I can not(for the life of me, Ive tried 50 times) get the pins through the holes, any suggestions?
TankManNick
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California, United States
Joined: February 01, 2010
KitMaker: 551 posts
Armorama: 543 posts
Posted: Thursday, October 03, 2019 - 12:33 PM UTC
Cool the pin side in ice water and the hole side in hot water?

It's a suggestion - I haven't tried it! But you want the pins to be more rigid and the holes to be more flexible, so it seems logical. Just make sure the hot water isn't TOO hot. You don't want melted tracks. (Voice of experience with a 1/72 Hasegawa Tiger!)
flyers42
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Alabama, United States
Joined: November 23, 2014
KitMaker: 62 posts
Armorama: 60 posts
Posted: Thursday, October 03, 2019 - 02:03 PM UTC
thanks, i figured it out on my own by heating up the hobby knife and making the holes bigger, it worked, im still not happy with these kit tracks in general, what are guys doing today for tracks?are they using straight from the kit?Does tamiya new kits have single link track?
petbat
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Queensland, Australia
Joined: August 06, 2005
KitMaker: 3,353 posts
Armorama: 3,121 posts
Posted: Thursday, October 03, 2019 - 02:10 PM UTC

Quoted Text

thanks, i figured it out on my own by heating up the hobby knife and making the holes bigger, it worked, im still not happy with these kit tracks in general, what are guys doing today for tracks?are they using straight from the kit?Does tamiya new kits have single link track?



Tamiya still does rubber bands but has forayed out into indy links and link and length. Yes the 30 year old ones suck for detail, but hey that what was it was back then.

Lots of replacement options out there, I just can't say if they fit the Tamiya sprocket or not. Google them or search your online supplier.

You may even find that if you put up a post here asking if anyone has Dragon indy links that you can buy cheap. A lot of guys use metal ones and not the Magic tracks in the kit (steer clear of the Dragon DS single piece tracks... lots of posts here about dubious quality of the tracks and them falling to bits)
RobinNilsson
Staff MemberTOS Moderator
KITMAKER NETWORK
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Stockholm, Sweden
Joined: November 29, 2006
KitMaker: 6,693 posts
Armorama: 5,562 posts
Posted: Thursday, October 03, 2019 - 06:29 PM UTC
There are some alternatives out there
BUT
they cost more than that old kit so I would not
spend good money on an old and outdated kit.
Those old Tamiya tracks are just as bad or good as the rest of that model.

I use sewing thread (black or very dark grey) to stitch up that track joint to prevent it from slipping apart.
If you mount the side skirts, only needs one on each side if you don't want to mount all of them, you can hide the track joint behind a side skirt.

/ Robin
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