Hey all!

I'm a long time reader but only recently joined the forum; I really want to improve my skills but it's been a long time since I've finished a model (past 20 years I keep starting them but my quest for perfection leaves them ruined/unfinished).

I decided to start slowly and finish a few completely - no matter how bad - and hopefully see an improvement over time.

(Plus I'm dying to do some weathering and especially playing with oil paints)

So I started with the cheapest kits I could find - Tamiya's M3 and M41. I've built the M3 to the point I'm ready to paint and did the lower hull of the M41 (I decided to start trying PE on my second kit so I stopped building after the lower hull).

(I have to paint outside and I'm waiting for the weather to improve)

I also did a set of AFV Club tracks for the M41 (T91E's). Things went pretty good except only about 30% of the parts were flash free and somehow I ended up with 14 or so less links than were supposed to be in the kit. So I ended up a few links short to finish the set (I'm going to buy another set of these tracks because someday I hope to do a M42).

While I was waiting for the M41 PE to come in I figured I'd try a set of Bronco T16's that I bought (thinking to upgrade the kit).

What a disaster! I think I've made every mistake in the book on these and ruined a dozen or so parts before I started making any progress. Honestly next time I will pay the $20 premium and buy a set of Friulmodel tracks - I'm old and in poor health and it will take me a month to build these Bronco T16's (plus me having to buy a second set!).

Life is too short - especially for me. Unless of course someone can convince me the Bronco tracks are somehow better :-)

I really want to build Meng's M2A3 or one of their M1's and Trumpeter's Patriot and M1078/M1082 - the list goes on and on.

I'm going to keep slogging away at these Bronco tracks (I'm pretty sure my technique has improved - at least I'm making different mistakes now) just because I think they will help me improve my skills but my fear is that my inability to build these means I wouldn't be able to do justice to any of the newer kits.

Am I doomed? Can I build a decent M2A3 even though I failed on the T16's?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger (or at least wiser). "You know, those kit tracks don't look so bad, now". Actually, Tamiya's M3, M5A1 Stuart and M3 Lee and Grant tracks are truly horrible.

I have been working on a set of T16s from AFV Club for several years. Every time I think of finishing them, I cringe a little and find something else to do. About half the track blocks have a slight depression that I am having to fill and sand.

I am fairly certain that the members of this forum could assist if you could describe the problems you are having in more detail.
There are many ways to ruin small plastic parts, from cleaning up flash, via glueing to final assembly and painting.

/ Robin

Sorry you are having issues Brad. Some pictures that clearly show your problem may help us help you.

I sure hope so :-)




You know I'd forgotten I got a set of these tracks as well. I'd put them aside because ALL the track pads had ejector pin marks (shallow) on one side and a sink mark on the other.

To Gary and Robin - I think I've finally gotten assembly down. I'm struggling trapping the track rods between the pads - it's easy to send the parts flying.

Plus I need to use a different glue I think. I've been using Tamiya Extra Thin cement and it's really easy to get some glue sucked into the track rods.

I guess this is what some reviews refer to when they say "fiddly bits"?

Regards,

Brad.

Ive found that Bronco Tracks are HORRIBLE !! I wont buy a bronco track Vehicle again ! Im up there in age( with arthritic fingers) too and find the track links too tedious ! this is supposed to be fun !

I have built several sets of Bronco Tracks - The AS90 (Leopard 1) set, a Sherman set, M1A1 set etc, but unlike the AFV club sets, they are usually free of sink marks and ejector marks.

The sets for the M3/M5 light tanks are naturally going to be quite small compared to the Sherman ones, but I find if you use a simple jig and setup the parts correctly, they go together easily.

Do not fit the track pads to the skeletal frame first. Attach the end connectors to the skeletal frames. Find a piece of Evergreen square rod or wood that fits between the track horns and place double sided tape on that. Stick the skeletal part on that so when you fit the end connectors to it the point runs down the side of the jig. This means all pieces will have the correct uniform spacings. Once they are dry, take them off the jig, then fit two inner track pads to the tape. Place the skeletal part across them both, and it will be held in place snugly agains the side of the jig. Apply a little glue to the track pad and then put the outer face pad on top of the pad to secure the first two links. Do that as a string of links until you have the last pad to do. Just loop the last link back to the first link that you did, and fit the last inner and outer pad across the first skeletal frame you did and the last one. Voila. You will be surprised how easy it is

The Bronco tracks with which I have worked were very fine sets, albeit very tedious to assemble: As many as FIVE tiny pieces per link! And they do require a technique to do well.

As someone said, if you can describe the difficulty you are having (maybe even some photos) perhaps we can help.

That said, if time is an issue and money is not: Friuls all day!!

A piece of, possibly unwanted, personal opinion:
I remove most of the difficulties by skipping the "workable" part of "workable tracks". I glue them solid and shape them in small sections before the glue sets completely. Most of the total length of a track is straight, nearly straight or curved very slightly anyway. The short bits around the sprocket and idler needs special care but that is easy compared to avoid getting glue where it shouldn't be.
/ Robin

This is a quite reasonable approach but it has implications come painting time so plan ahead.

I've built the AFV Club T16s a number of times and while the sink and pin marks are a bit of a pain, they are not too hard to manage.

When putting the new tracks on be aware that they do not fit properly over the axles for the return rollers. In real life the tops of these were flat to allow the end connector teeth to pass smoothly. The Tamiya kit has a fully round axle posts and the tracks rid up a tad, not fitting directly on top of the roller.



Here you can see the Tamiya M5 kit on bottom and the AFV Club kit on top. Note that the Tamiya M5A1 kit does not have the flats that the AFV Club kit has. The Tamiya M3 kit is similar.

HTH or at least allows you to understand why the track might not be sitting on the rollers.

Paul

I found that when I was test-fitting my T16s onto the Tamiya M5A1 and wondered why they were riding up. So, I ended up using the kit tracks instead just to be done with it. I figure I will use the AFV Club for a future build of an Academy M3 Honey.

Absolutely !! Painting requires planning!

I usually manage to build the tracks as one large section (think very very deep U or a hairpin) and one small section, three or four links over the sprocket to close the U.
The "hairpin" starts at one or two links/teeth onto the sprocket, goes across the top of the roadwheels or return rollers (depends on the type of suspension), around the idler, down under all the roadwheels and up to the sprocket with one or two links onto the sprocket. This section is formed to fit and since the first and last links are onto the sprocket the remaining little curve only has to fill the gap over the remaining teeth. Depending on the shape of the sprocket wheel it may become necessary to make two curved sections to make them removable. With a little care the sections can be painted before mounting them on the suspension. If necessary the "hairpin" can be divided at the idler.
/ Robin