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Dragon DS tracks disintegrating/splitting?
C_JACQUEMONT
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Loire-Atlantique, France
Joined: October 09, 2004
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 05:52 AM UTC
Hi all,

I don't have much experience with Dragon DS tracks, only Tamiya flexible plastic track sometimes breaking, generally due to washes with agressive thinners but those were repairable.

I've used the DS tracks from Dragon's Stug III F8 smart kit on a Tamiya Stug, and after a few months on the model (still unfinished and unpainted) they broke on one side (not at the connecting point, which held). I tried to make repairs with cyanocrylate glue but it didn't work too well, the tracks kept on breaking in various points, while they are still flexible I notice some areas have become very brittle and fragile.

I was wondering if anyone experienced similar problems?

In any case I'm going to use Friulmodel metal tracks on this project now.

Cheers,

Christophe
maxim37
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England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 06:13 AM UTC
Hi Christophe,
Yes ive had a few probs with the DS tracks.I was doing a DML Tarawa m4a2 and the tracks split in two places without much in the way of stretching on my behalf.The tracks were wrapped lengthways on a piece of card so maybe due to storage they got bent out of shape a touch.Other m4 kits have the tracks flat in polythene bags so im hoping the next ones i use work out ok..Im not a fan of cuttinh links off but most are very long.
Cheers from Richard
jwest21
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Pennsylvania, United States
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 06:18 AM UTC
I had a set of spare Pershing DS tracks in a box with some other items. I found them recently in about 5 separate pieces...I have no idea what happened.
mrgrumpy
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Scotland, United Kingdom
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 06:58 AM UTC
My experience is that using enamel paint on DS or Tasca tracks causes them to disintegrate after a few months. I had to replace 18 sets a couple of years ago with after market sets - an expensive problem.
chumpo
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 09:26 AM UTC
Send them back to dragon and ask for a failure analysis .
Tojo72
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 09:46 AM UTC
So far so good, I have some builds at least 4-5 years old and no problems yet.
iowabrit
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 09:46 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Send them back to dragon and ask for a failure analysis .


ROFL.....They'd probably say it's Trumpeters fault
mparham02
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Oregon, United States
Joined: September 02, 2010
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 09:57 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Send them back to dragon and ask for a failure analysis .



If Dragon actually cared about what we as model builders thought then they would fix the other issues with thier kits ie: instructions and fit issues.

Hey Dragon bring back the Magic Tracks!!!!

AFVFan
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 10:27 AM UTC
Well, this is a piece of news that's rather upsetting. I'm glad I know about it, but it doesn't make it any less unsettling.
Namabiiru
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MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS
#399
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 11:09 AM UTC
So I know what DS tracks are, but I have never heard or seen what DS actually stands for. Just curious....

Grauwolf
#084
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Quebec, Canada
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 11:15 AM UTC
DS stands for "Dragon Styrene" as cross between polystyrene and vinyl.

Cheers,
Joe
Headhunter506
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 11:52 AM UTC

Quoted Text

DS stands for "Dragon Styrene" as cross between polystyrene and vinyl.

Cheers,
Joe


If any of you remember Mattel's Creepy Crawlers, it's obvious that



Dragon Styrene is Plasti-Goop!!!!!!!!

Plasti-Goop was a polystyrene/vinyl concoction. All those great bugs you made in the Thingmaker also had a tendency to become brittle and break apart after a while.
CMOT
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ARMORAMA
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England - South West, United Kingdom
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 11:55 AM UTC
Are you talking about shaker maker?
easyco69
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 11:55 AM UTC

Quoted Text

My experience is that using enamel paint on DS or Tasca tracks causes them to disintegrate after a few months. I had to replace 18 sets a couple of years ago with after market sets - an expensive problem.


thx for the info
Headhunter506
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 12:10 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Are you talking about shaker maker?


No. The Thingmaker was, more or less, a hotplate where metal molds filled with Plasti-Goop were placed. The Thingmaker heated the molds which, in turn, heated the Plasti-Goop and solidified it.


Namabiiru
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MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS
#399
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 12:31 PM UTC
Joe, thanks for that reply. Curiosity sated.

BT BT


Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Are you talking about shaker maker?


No. The Thingmaker was, more or less, a hotplate where metal molds filled with Plasti-Goop were placed. The Thingmaker heated the molds which, in turn, heated the Plasti-Goop and solidified it.



I remember those. Like so many of the coolest toys from that era, that has "litigation" written all over it...

Headhunter506
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 01:00 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Joe, thanks for that reply. Curiosity sated.

BT BT


Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Are you talking about shaker maker?


No. The Thingmaker was, more or less, a hotplate where metal molds filled with Plasti-Goop were placed. The Thingmaker heated the molds which, in turn, heated the Plasti-Goop and solidified it.



I remember those. Like so many of the coolest toys from that era, that has "litigation" written all over it...



Speaking of which, I wonder if Mattel ever looked into possible patent infringement by Dragon for the formula used to make DS. All of the pics of DS stuff I've run across still indicate "Patent Pending".
Giovanni1508
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 01:21 PM UTC

Quoted Text

My experience is that using enamel paint on DS or Tasca tracks causes them to disintegrate after a few months. I had to replace 18 sets a couple of years ago with after market sets - an expensive problem.


Hi William, thanks for the info.

Maybe the material is changed during the time.

I have Tamiya kits built 25 years ago, with plastic tracks painted with humbrol enamel, still good.

C_JACQUEMONT
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Loire-Atlantique, France
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 01:24 PM UTC
Tamiya 25 years ago still used vinyl tracks. They started switching to flexible plastic tracks in the early nineties.

Cheers,

Christophe
GeraldOwens
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 03:55 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

My experience is that using enamel paint on DS or Tasca tracks causes them to disintegrate after a few months. I had to replace 18 sets a couple of years ago with after market sets - an expensive problem.


Hi William, thanks for the info.

Maybe the material is changed during the time.

I have Tamiya kits built 25 years ago, with plastic tracks painted with humbrol enamel, still good.



The gluable soft plastic track Tamiya introduced in the 1990's is very allergic to mineral spirits and lacquer thinners. It will dry out and crumble shortly after exposure. It must be painted only with acrylics. The older vinyl track, which had to be welded with a heated blade or nail, is apparently indestructible. I had some tracks from the 1960's that were good as new.
Haven't had any problems with the Dragon DS stuff as of yet.
TankManNick
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California, United States
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 04:37 PM UTC
Darn right about the Tamiya tracks. I managed to totally mangle some Centaur tracks with enamel paint and/or thinner (can't remember which!). However, even the replacement tracks painted with nothing but acrylics - and Tamiya paint at that - still broke. I gave up and ordered some Modelkasten tracks. Really the best medium for tracks is hard plastic like the rest of the model, but articulated is best. It can be hard to line up individual links or even link 'n' length. Of course, the most SATISFYING are the metal ones (Fruil) but work best for the chunkier tracks. So far only built a couple with Dragon DS but have several more waiting!
leonhzy
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Shanghai, China / 简体
Joined: August 12, 2013
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 05:05 PM UTC
I heard metal primer with keep DS track to stay in one piece longer than usual. But there is nothing u can do if it's already broken.

Metal tracks will be ur only solution.
Beastmaster
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United Kingdom
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 05:30 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Send them back to dragon and ask for a failure analysis .



If Dragon actually cared about what we as model builders thought then they would fix the other issues with thier kits ie: instructions and fit issues.

Hey Dragon bring back the Magic Tracks!!!!





Agree. Bring back the Magic Tracks and also I wouldn't trust a lot of this vinyl/rubber stuff not to disintergrate over the years anyway. There's been a few cases of vinyl degrading and I've experienced it myself.

I had some old tanks made up and when I went to look at them a year or two back the rubber/vinyl tracks had stuck to the bottom of the box. I wouldn't trust DS either.
chumpo
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Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2014 - 06:16 PM UTC
Just to be spiteful dragon releases individual magic tracks made out of DS material .
Biggles2
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Quebec, Canada
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Posted: Monday, November 03, 2014 - 02:45 AM UTC
Might just be bad DS batches. I've got Dragon models on the shelf and all are still OK.
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