Hi Guys, I'm working on an Alan Panzer II Auf C for a dio I'm making and it has very small delicate individual track links. This is something new for me ,always painted the rubber band type first and then put them on. Whats the best way to paint individual links ,on the sprue, after assembly on the kit or a combination of the two?

Don,

Not sure about everyone else, but for me, I do not paint before hand. If I am using set or fixed individual tracks (i.e., your Pz II from Alan) then I want a good bond for the cement. I will place a few links together, sement, wait a couple of minutes and then form the track piece to shape. I do not completly close these tracks, leaving some kits with two un-glued gaps. This facilitates the removal of the tracks (once dry) for painting. If you are using the movable tracks (i.e., ModelKasten) construct, then paint.

HTH,
Dave

You know,thinking about Model Kastens,if I plan ahead,I will leave them workable,to put around the roadwheels.Then when the sag is right,i might try "freezing them' in place with applied drops pf glue,leaving the removal gaps.Then I can remove them,and airbrush my base color on.
I think this may be the way to go with very tiny track,like on a PZ II.
(++) (++) (++) (++)

Not sure if this will help, but...

I paint rust first, then I airbrush any rubber areas ( I know, not applicable here). Then I heavily drybrush on gunmetal, and then normal drybrush on panzer grey, followed by a light coat of silver or aluminum. It really catches the eye well. Now Most of the time I will do this to links on the tree when the link are Link and length...not sure if this is what you have. If you have all individual links I like to just paint the links rust, then drybrush gunmetal, then glue. It offers a nice base...I only use acrylics, and they do not bother the cement...I always get a nice tight bond. Then touch up as needed and drybrush for wear....

Hi Don!
That's my way to work with separate tracks. At first I assembly the lower hull first -- with all the wheels, ilder etc in place. Then paint it and make the "first stage" waethering (it's difficult to reach some places after you'll put the tracks in place so it's better to place the firs part of weathering before). Then tracks itself. I make two subassemblies per side -- the upper and lower parts. Use the slowcuring glue for this job and make the tracks in form of stripes. Let the glue to dry a little bit (to the stage the "trackbelt" didn't falls apart but stay movable enough you'll can bend it to the shape you'll preferr) then place it to the model and form the necessary shape and let them dry in that position.
Now you'll can remove them from the model and start to paint them. Be carefull! The tracks at the real AFV aren't rust! I don't know do you have some hatches (for water or other communal systems) at the streets in your country. If yes -- look at them: that's exactly the colour of tracks at the real vehicle, dark brown with some purplish shade... Humbrol had really nice colour for it -- H173 Track Colour but it's out of production for some years But ypu'll can use the H98 Chocolate with a tiny drop of navyblue -- it will work good too. Then you'll need to show the metal nature of the tracks. It's present in two types. The bright shining of the track's thread where it touches to the ground (I don't know the right english word for that part, sorry) and the "ridges" at the other side. I use the Revell's #91 Steel to do it -- in form of drybrush. Another type if the soft, almost polished "runway" -- where the roadwheels touches the inner side of the tracks. I use Humbrol's Polished Steel metalcote (but I thihk any buffable metallik will be good too -- but it myst be a steel colour -- not the aluminium or something like it). Now you'll have the metal-like tracks and can reproduce the dirt. I use pastel chalks pounded to the powder and mixed with the turpentine. This mixture come to the deep places at the track's tread and stay upper places uncoated. So you'll receive the nice looking tracks with shiny metal rising places and dirty, dust-filled depressions of the track's pattern. The only thing you'll need now -- just to place the subassemblies to the model.

Cheers and happy modelling!
Dennis

I don't know the kind of tracks you're working with. This is how I do:
- workable tracks (like Model Kasten, AFV Club, Friul)
a) I take them off of the sprue and "clean" them
b) I put them together for the whole length leaving the last link open
c) I paint them
d) I put them on the model, close the last link and then paint the tvo connectors left

- individual track links (not workable)
a) I take them off of the sprue and "clean" them
b) I put them together in sub-sections that I glue with a tiny quantity of CA glue (I use a pin an applicator) directly on the model, being careful not to glue them to the wheels
c) I paint the sub-sections
d) I put the tracks on the model glueing then as mentioned above
e) I retouch the paint if the glue spoiled it or it's too visible

Ciao

HI there

There are several articles on building tracks on the site in the Features area (including mine #:-) ).

I assemble them, then pop the run of tracks off the running gear, and paint them. I add them to the vehicle and weather the tank as a whole. The little fiddly links aren't a problem when they are assembled.

Cheers
Andy