Karl Logan (thedoog) provides a step-by-step tutorial for his method of assembling, painting, and installing indy track links using the DML Sturminfanteriegeschutz 33 auf Pzkpfw III kit as an example.

Indy Track Links Tutorial Feature



If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

This is a great read. Always like seeing how other modelers tackle challenges like this.

Plus the weathering on that panzer is gorgeous. I really like the very subtle rain streaks. I'm always afraid I'm going to over do that step so rarely try it.

Nice tutorial, I'm sure it will come in handy and help quite a few people.
Thanks Karl.

Great tutorial! Thanks for putting it together and to Bill for posting it.

this will prove to be quite helpful

Excellent article- Thanks Karl.

Yes it's easy to do indy links, just takes patience.

Now, where are those indy (new) M1A2 links from DML?

I have a question, what glue would you use for resin tracks that will allow working time before it sets?

Hmmm,

nice article but i have a remark/question for any moderator

it is a while that i did it, but i like the article and want to print it so i can ceep it in my file cabinet.

But .. when i press print i only get the text but no pictures??

First, thanks to al who have enjoyed the article and commented favorably; I'm relatively new to the site, and its nice to make a positive "first impression"!
Scott, that's a real tricky question there--and unfortunately, I can't say that I have a proper answer! ... I really don't do resin tracks; I find the plastic kit tracks adequate, so I don't really have the experience in working with the resin offerings. What I might attempt would be to salvage a spare hull from another kit, and build it up and use it as a template to assemble the tracks in situ, and then just use slower setting CA glue...? Don't some of those resin sets snap together pretty tightly? Maybe you could get away with just fixing them in place and then hitting each joint with a fine applicator tip of CA glue?

The setup on the site has the photos in a separate application for the slide-show viewing, if you are printing the page it's just grabbing the text. You can always do a Print Screen to grab the photos along with that and then print it, not sure if there's another way around that to be able to print them all together, haven't tried it to be honest.

Thanks Matt! It's not quite done here in the photos, but I'll post a photo in the forums when I get it all together--you can see that I still haven't added the big box on the back or a spare track rack on the front...just forgot that ???
Rain streaks aren't hard with oil paints; just dip the brush in a thinly diluted puddle of raw umber, and then touch it to a paper towel to lose most of the thinner, and then drag what's left on the brush down the side of the model. No need to fear overdoing it; just re-wet the brush and pull a little more down--you can even swab it all off if you don't like the way it looks. That's the nice thing about oils; they take so long to dry that you can manipulate them many different ways til you get what you like!
Try it! Good luck!

Thanks for the article. I'm trying to get back into military modeling after a 12 layoff from the hobby . This is a great help.

Thanks again, Robert!
I just finished the Sig, and thought I'd post a photo or two of it, so here it is!

Great instruction, I have always had a rough go in working individual track.

Excellent article and model, Karl. Look forward to seeing more from you.

Thank you Jim and Andrew! Glad you enjoyed the article, and always glad to be of help!

Thank you for the article it was a refresher on how to build tracks forme...I just so happen to do my tracks while reading your article and it was a snap!
Thanks again.
By the way your build looks great!

Would the Testors cement that comes in a blue tube work for this.

Thanks.

Hi Sam
If you're using tube glue, I wouldn't recommend it. Tube glue is notoriously unreliable in the way that the amount you use can drastically affect the strength of the bond between parts. Plus, models built with tube cement have a tendency to break bonds a lot easier after a few years, sometimes without handling. I know guys who have seen their sprockets come right off from the pull of the rubber band tracks.
Of course you don't really have that concern here, but with several hundred individual little bonds between links, you would only be asking for heartbreak, IMO.
But the real problem you would have would be the time it takes to apply the glue and set the bonds--you need to use liquid glue, because you need to have the link bonds set up within relatively short times of each other in order to have the ENTIRE track bonded enough to be both pliable enough to wrap around the sprockets, and yet not SO set as to not allow you to set sag. Tube glue just does not bond as quickly and with the same strength as liquid glue to allow you to handle the tracks and form them around the sprockets You might also have problems with the tube glue oozing out from between links and then bonding the tracks to the wheels prematurely--you wouldn't be able to remove them then from the tank as I have.
All in all I wouldn't recommend even trying this with tube glue. Use liquid glue and ONLY use Testor's. Fast-setting glues like Tenax R7 and ProWeld actually set up TOO fast, and make the tracks hard to work with.
Good luck!

Ingenious! Great tutorial.