Ok, soon enough my review of the Master Club T-80 tracks will be on this website and I wanted to let you know that there is already a fix...but first, the problem:

Quite simply, the Master Club tracks will only fit on the DML Sprocket, and the DML Sprocket will NOT fit on the SKIF Final Drive Housing. And the SKIF kit has far more potential to be properly upgraded to real T-80 standards. Are you seeing a pattern?

So I have spent the past 48 hours looking over my resources and fiddling with the SKIF, DML, and SP Designs sprockets to find a way to get it all to work. All my "research" led me to one simple conclusion...nothing currently available will work without major kit-bashing..so that is what I did to make masters for casting a selling. Yup, I made a model master. Wow.

Anyhow, here is the result:







They are not TOTALLY accurate, but they are a LOT better than even just basic pieces. Also, they allow you to use the MC tracks on the SKIF tank with only the need to cut off a small portion of hte Final Drive Housing on the SKIF kit.



And with some work they could be made to work on the DML kits if you wanted to.

I am sending them off to Sergej to get them cast up through SP Designs and hope to get some back soon.

Yeah, that might work as well. Do the sprocket teeth match up with the MC tracks though? I have not checked on my T-64 kits, I will try to do that later today.

I had several reasons for doing it the way i did:

1. I wanted to come up with a quick fix with parts that I knew worked and that would involve the least amount of pain. While the T-72 interior sprocket and Final Drive Housing are a good idea, they may not match up with the road wheel spacing on the SKIF kit. And Gary, if you are working over the entire lower hull and suspension...hey man, more power to you. That is a monumental job and I tip my hat to you if you are.

Also, the T-80 guide tooth guide on the Sprocket, or whetever it is called, has 12 lightening holes (To the best of my knowledge) which the DML piece has correct. The Tamiya piece only has 10.

2. I never thought of using parts from the SKIF T-64 sprockets and Tamiya T-72 Sprockets. I thought the T-64 Sprockets would be like the SKIF T-80 sprockets, but I did look them over earlier today and you can tell SKIF is/was getting better...the T-64 sprockets are a LOT nicer than the T-80 ones...less heavy-handed. But far from perfect and NOT a direct swap for the T-80 parts.

3. Honestly, the DML Sprocket ring is better detailed and I know it already works with the MC tracks. It has better detailed and correct teeth than on the SKIF T-64 ring, and also has the teeth over the ring rather than coming up out of the ring. The Tamiya sprocket arm detail is better than the DML ones by far, but I think I captured the look of the arms and hub in my work.

Maybe the best way to do it would have been to put the DML sprocket rings (Ground off the sprocket piece of course ) on the Tamiya sprocket but at least something will be available for all of those who do not want this headache.

Gary, please let me know how the mounting of the Tamiya Final Drive Housing and sprocket goes lining up with the SKIF suspension. I, in my lack of intelligence, am thinking of doing master work on the SKIF lower hull if it is not a total rebuild job...but I think it will be and I DO NOT want to do that job.

Well, I looked over all the information tonight, I finally had enough time AND all the pieces in one place and I have to say, good catch onthe sprocket ring size Gary. It seems that while the DML Sprocket has some good detail, it is about 2 - 3mm too small in diameter. Teh MC tracks work on them, no doubt at all, but they will work BETTER on the Tamiya sprocket once modified.

I think I may go a different route and try shaving the teeth off of a DML Sprocket and add them to a prepared Tamiya T-72 sprocket. I will also take your word on the wheel spacing of the SKIF kit and adopt the Tamiya Final Drive to the SKIF hull.

I hope to get a full set of photos, and even some better masters, out maybe tomorrow depending on how crazy my family is acting up...

Ok, where were we?

Looking over what Gary said and looking at all the pieces involved that could make a good, accurate T-80 Sprocket, I thought that maybe there was a better solution for a master. I was happy with what I had done with the DML sprockets, but it was still bothering me that those DML sprockets were indeed undersized. So I did the best I could, I made new masters.

I shaved the DML sprocket teeth off and glued hem to a prepared Tamiya T-72 Sprocket. (Prepared by grinding down the sprocket ring detail.) I then added the destroyed bolt detail and came up with this:



You can see the DML piece on the left side. The interior sprocket got the DML interior sprocket teeth as well, which had no detail, but since this was not going to be seen it was ok with me. It also allows for a better overall solid piece.

The Masterclub Tracks fit PERFECTLY around this sprocket and seem to actually fit better over the slightly larger diameter sprocket.



Another nice thing about this version of the master is it allows the use of the T-72 Final Drive housing SP Designs already produce's to make the SKIF kit look a lot nicer with those spiffy new tracks. It takes a bit of surgery to lop off the old FDH, but once the new piece is installed, it is like night and day.





And as Gary said, the tracks line up with the roadwheels just fine. Another nice thing is that you can put the Tamiya plastic inserts from another kit inside the cast sprockets and place them on without glue, just like on the Tamiya kits, if that is your preferred method.

All in all, a better master.

And it can be added to the DML kit as well with minimal adjustment for a better looking DML kit too, if you go that route. Oh, and they work with the SP Desings tracks too. And looking at George's Review of the Modelfixer tracks, they should work as well (no promises though until I get my hands on some.)

I will be sending these sprockets off to Sergej next week so they should be available soon.

Yeah, well, without your help it would have come out awkward and possibly less than usefull. With it you made a valuable contribution to Soviet model building in general, although I had to cut the H#$L out of my thumb when scraping off those DML teeth, so I could write up the patent in blood.

Also, you can still get a step up on me...I am leaving the center guide with 10 holes...I have no desire to make a 12 holed guide and Sergej already has molds for the 10 holes version. Good enough for me.

But thanks again for the idea Gary, it really does look a LOT better and the ease of build is many times greater than with what I started with. Shows my inexperience.