Is it just me or do Revell's 1/72 tank treads really bite? So blinking fussy, and the slightest mispositioning puts the whole nine yards out of kilter. I was just about to fire the whole thing in the garbage last night, I was so frustrated. (Mind you, my tolerance is at a low point right now...) Is there a reasonable alternative that's easier to work with?

I'm hoping so, because the smaller scale will make the hobby a lot more budget-friendly; and that's really the only comlaint I have about it at this point.

Which kit are you working on that gives you all this trouble?

regards

Sven-Åke

I find w/Revell's L & L they're hit and miss. I have had no problems w/their Warrior and German APC's and M60A3 but, had problems w/the L&L on their Merkava III. I do however, have problems w/Revells wheels on their wheeled vehicle models. I personally perfer Dragon's DS tracks over L&L tracks.
Ch

Hmmm... I have Revells Leopard II waiting at the top of my stash for the farther and son campaign. Is there something I should be especially aware of when building the tracks of this one? Is this kit one of the hits or misses? It also has L&L tracks.

Thanks for the heads up

I had a melt-down with the links positioned over the sprocket on my Leopard II. It took so much fussing (and impatience on my part I admit) and regluing to get the tracks to stay striaght on there that I ended up with the sprocket teeth melted into the tracks.

so yes, do be careful with that one

I have built a few of Revell's 1/72 kits with L&L tracks. I find them easy to assemble and I'm just happy I don't have to suffer from rubber tracks.

Lewis, I try to tell you how I do them. The most complicated parts of the track are the one link L&L sections around the idler and the driving wheel. First I put down two links on the table as I see them on the instructions so I won't get them wrong. Then I put glue on the joining surfaces. I mean I put a _very_ small amount of glue on both surfaces. Then I wait maybe 15-20 seconds to let the glue soften the plastic, after which I carefully join the parts. A few seconds later I put them on the driving wheel so they will have the right curve. Then for the next link I take the track off the wheel and glue it to the ready section just as I did with the first two links. Then put it back on the wheel, maybe wait a minute so the curve will be kept.

At the end I will have the full track as a separate part to paint. I don't glue them and the wheels to the vehicle until everything is fully painted. To me it's much easier this way.

The wheel itself will not melt during the track-making because I use just the right amount of glue at the right place. I guess it's one of the most important things to use as small amount of glue as you can. It's better if two links fall apart and you have to re-glue them than melting the plastic. Sometimes (rarely) happens to me that one bond comes apart at the painting stage, but it can be fixed easily. Tracks sticking to wheel is still more rare and that's my goal.
The other important thing is to have patience. You can do that.

Note that there's an error in the instructions of their King Tigers' tracks, if you are building one of them, I can help you out.

Thanks for the heads up, Ralph. I will try to use Peter's approach and see if it works out. Otherwise there is always the maddy way

Thanks, Guys

only ever had problems with Revell's sherman

every other revell kit tracks always work out perfect using a similar method as peters

tip never glue the sprocket or idler wheels before the first length of track is glued to road wheels (ground)

Sven: it's the Tiger I PzKpfw VI Ausf E (Kit number 03118).

Peter: Thank you. When things settle down around here again, I'll give that a whirl. Sounds like it will actually work... when I have the patience again!

Charles: What sort of troubles have you had with the wheels? Just so we've all got a heads-up?

Thanks, guys!