HI Guys,
I'm building Tiger 131 from Dragon. I've never used DS tracks before.

The instructions show three settings for the tensioners. I don't want to find myself struggling to get the painted DS tracks over the road-wheels and drive sprockets. And I really don't want the glue joint on the DS tracks to fail.

And after all that I want to put some sag on.

So, what glue will hold the track ends together without dissolving the DS tracks themselves?

I'm going to paint them with artist acrylics which are very benign. Hopefully they won't dissolve in the near future.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Gaz

Hi Gaz, after some disasters with DS, because I use enamel to paint them, I paint with acrylic paint and use CA to glue the tracks.

Regards from the south
Álvaro

For DS tracks, I throw then in the track bin, and buy a set of AM track. I usually tend to go with Master Club, but you can find some cheaper alternatives in plastic, like Bronco or AFV Club.

So DS is an abbreviation for Discard Straightaway?
/ Robin

Gaz,

I used Tamiya Extra Thin to put the Churchill DS tracks together, and used some as well to depict the slight sag I saw from a period pic. My shameless plug:



I had no issues and it has held in the last couple of years. Now am thinking it must have worked because the tracks are 1/72 scale, so CA may be a better option for your Tiger.

Cheers,

Tat

Alvaro,

Did you use a primer beforehand? If so, what type / brand?

Cheers,

Tat

The instructions don't show 3 positions for the idlers, they show the full range of allowed movement for the idlers.

I don't intend to use the DS, FWIW.

David

Hi Tat, no I use X-9 Tamiya brown paint directly over the tracks. Before I wash it as the rest of the kit.

For the kit itself, I use Now spray paint , flat black, from Sherwin Williams. Works fine to me, but when apply it over the DS........the disaster appears.

Regards from the south
Alvaro

Thanks Alvaro.

Guys,
Thank you for your answers or shameless plug. Looking good Tat. Nice sag.
I had originally believed this to be a SpzAbt 501 Machine, but have discovered to be in error. It's an SpzAbt 504 machine. So, the Friuls is originally bought for it will be saved for the Tamiya Initial that I have yet to buy.
So, I'm going to use the DS tracks come hell or high water.

Thanks for the help.

Gaz

You seem to be planning an accurate 501 Tiger, so I will post a word of warning; Tamiya's Africa Tiger has many problems with accuracy.

David

David,
I've referred to your site on a previous Tiger. I appreciate the lengths you've gone through to share your knowledge with us.

While the Dragon 6608 looks a better kit, It seems to be double or higher than the cost of the Tamiya kit in most places I've looked. Stull I have a long time to shop around.

Thanks for your help!

Gaz

I grabbed this opportunity to read throught the excellent summary of the faults and issues with Tamiyas Tiger I that David has provided. All of the issues should be fixable with a little bit of work. There was no mention of size, shape or dimension issues. A fair amount of details that need to be modified or moved but nothing major.

Use your modelling skills or spend double the money for a Dragon kit?
;)
/ Robin

How does the Rye Field kit compare in price?

David

Wouldn't the Rye Field tracks be a somewhat reasonably priced alternative to the kit DS tracks? Are there fit issues?

Price survey (my favourite plastic dealer, other sources may yield different relative prices)
All prices in Euro's

Tamiya 35194 Tiger I mid......................39.95
Zvezda 3646 Tiger I early............. .......29.50
Academy 13314 Tiger I late....................46.50
Academy 13264 Tiger I early...................32.50
Tamiya 35227 Tiger I Afrika...................43.95
Italeri 286 Tiger I E/H.......................26.50
Dragon 6683 Tiger I H2........................54.95
Tamiya 35216 Tiger I E, early.................40.95
Dragon 6252 Tiger I initial (3 in 1)..........69.95
Dragon 6624 Tiger I mid, zimm.................72.50
Dragon 6406 Tiger I late (3 in 1).............69.95
Tamiya 35146 Tiger I E late...................47.50
RFM 5005 Tiger I, Fehrmann................ ...49.50
AFV Club 35079 Tiger I latest.................33.50
Dragon 6650 Tiger I Feb 44....... ............79.50
Dragon 6820 Tiger I s.Pz.Abt 504... ..........64.50
Dragon 6730 Tiger I early M. W................79.95
Italeri 6507 Tiger I E mid, zimm..............33.00
(old Dragon?)
Academy 13287 Tiger I mid, 70th anniv.........49.50
Academy 13229 Tiger 1 early. interior.........49.50
RFM 5003 Tiger I early, full interior.........69.50
RFM 5001 Tiger I initial, DAK.................49.50
Dragon 6600 Tiger I initial, 502 Leningrad....64.95
RFM 5020 Tiger I mid Otto Carius..............69.50
Dragon 6608 Tiger I initial, 501, Tunisia.....74.50
AFV Club 35S25 Tiger I E late transport mode..38.50
Dragon 6253 Tiger I late (3 in 1).............69.95

TESTOR's red tube glue is thick & strong...bonds/welds Dragon tracks permanently.

whats your opinion on that kit David? For accuracy.

Rye Fields kit builds up well from the box. I had some minor fit issues here and there, but nothing that kept it from being accurately completed

If I recall David's assessment correctly, the kit can accurately replicate three of the 501 Tigers from the box.

Rye Fields tracks are tedious to build but look marvelous when completed.

G

Rye Field's Africa Tiger has a few troublesome errors, and its detail is a little less fine than Dragon's, but overall it's a good representation of the subject - in plastic.

Their decals are not a good match to the plastic. In fact Rye Field's Tigers consistently had misunderstandings of Tiger versions and detail differences, until the "mid" which you can't really mess up because every existing kit and drawing shows the same version.

The paint plans are even worse. Like most of us Rye Field don't know exactly what colours the Tigers were, but they don't even know what possible colours the Tigers could be. The bright yellow box art of this kit is inexcusable after Bovington figured out the Tunisian Tigers many years ago.

What exactly is wrong with the Rye Field Initial Production kit.

David