TOS Moderator
...
But PLEASE don't tell me that you'll buy the mix with crappy frosting just because it says Dunkin Hines on it!
Bob
TOS ModeratorI have wondered if Dragon changed the formula for the DS tracks along the way? I have kits with DS tracks that I bought in 07,08 and the tracks look okay, no oily residue in the package and some I got in the last couple of years that show signs of deterioration. Its a shame that they dont last, as I do like them.
This thread intrigued me, so I went and checked through some of my Dragon stash. So to be fair I looked at three Dragon Tiger I', a StuG IV and a Panzer IVH and a Sherman III, all of which have the DS tracks and all of them were okay, in good shape. Most of my kits are stored in an outbuilding with limited climate control so they experience a pretty wide range of temps. Hard to speculate what might have occurred with your tracks.
Lucky you! I feel greatly for those whose DS HAS died. And I'm glad that I have largely avoided getting any into my stash! 
...NOBODY here actually KNOWS exactly what set of environmental conditions lead to better longevity and stability versus worse. IF you / we did KNOW this, we could all presumably attain "success" with the DS tracks.
But WAIT... There is another UNKNOWN tossed into this swamp of technical ignorance leading to "my special case" reporting and SPECULATION about what is actually happening... As raised by at least one poster here, there is that other question of "Has Dragon CHANGED the DS formula over the years?". That possibility just further muddies these waters!
IF there was but ONE formula, it is conceivable that folks could arrive at a sort of understanding about what set of temp, air-quality, gas-and-vapor exposure, contact exposure with other materials, light, etc. (the environmental factors that can affect a chemical compound) lead to best DS survival...
Quoted Text...
But PLEASE don't tell me that you'll buy the mix with crappy frosting just because it says Dunkin Hines on it!
Bob
Išll buy it.
The inlaws are coming for dinner and I promised to bake them a cake
I take it that reaching out to Dragon/DML customer service for replacements is just as bad as posting this thread on their Facebook page?
Cheers
in their plastic bag and had no flex at all - broke up when I flexed them.I wonder if it could be a reaction to the mold release agent. I've built one DS track kit a PZ. III and it wasn't an enjoyable experience. I used the old square bottle testors liquid and the few links I glued came apart like yours. Obviously too hot so I went to micro weld which did the job, barely.
Quoted TextI wonder if it could be a reaction to the mold release agent. I've built one DS track kit a PZ. III and it wasn't an enjoyable experience. I used the old square bottle testors liquid and the few links I glued came apart like yours. Obviously too hot so I went to micro weld which did the job, barely.
According to what the sales staff had told us, and what I've about read further, the problem is in a chemical stabilizer used to make the DS products soft yet glueable with styrene cements. Too much of this chemical or too little in the mixture either causes hardening or complete breakdown. The problem affects more than just tracks-- the Cybermodel line of ME109Es uses a DS plastic insert in the wheel wells, the Soyuz spacecraft in the Apollo-Soyuz kit is one solid hunk of DS. Some of the accessories in a number of their armor kits are also DS. And some of the components in the Dragon 1/32 aircraft line are also DS.
To be fair, I believe Dragon when they say they have caught the problem, and have checked their QC. But, it doesn't help you folks who have already put those kits in your stash with these problems. For me, I steer clear of Dragon (other than the few kits I already have). But not just because of DS. It's a compilation of issues-- their announcement about concentrating on their toy line (at the expense of the hobby lines), their spotty record of customer service, their pricing policies, and their recent lapses in kit accuracy, have put them in a position where they don't compete well against other companies.
All this is a shame, as they used to be great. They still have some of the greatest kits out there, sadly, many of their recent releases are overpriced and some inexcusable innaccuracies (M106, Hawk, Lance, M48 series, etc.). And they don't seem too concerned about it.
VR, Russ
And that is what we are seeing across the many reports here and elsewhere concerning people's experiences with DS. 
The problem affects more than just tracks-- the Cybermodel line of ME109Es uses a DS plastic insert in the wheel wells...
I built a Dragon m-48a3 with DS tracks last summer and placed it on a glass shelf.
Upon reading about this problem, I checked all dragon kits that I have.
I found that when i lifted the M48, there was an oily residue left on the glass.
I wonder if the gun mantle covers will melt away too. Same stuff.
. IF you already have some possible break-down evidence after less than a year, your sample of DS may, sad to say, be headed south sooner then some others. Again, NOBODY KNOWS - NOBODY can actually say when and what will happen with any specific sample (kit and DS parts) being stored under any particular set of conditions. 
TOS ModeratorBob,
It's no surprise to me that chemistry is likely to blame for this; I binned an old Italeri kit because the vinyl tires ate into two sprues under them. Really you see this in other plastic/vinyl products over time as well, as they all eventually break down. You can't be hard and flexible at the same time without paying a price.
/ RobinQuoted TextBob,
It's no surprise to me that chemistry is likely to blame for this; I binned an old Italeri kit because the vinyl tires ate into two sprues under them. Really you see this in other plastic/vinyl products over time as well, as they all eventually break down. You can't be hard and flexible at the same time without paying a price.
Go hard
or
Go bust
Quoted TextQuoted TextBob,
It's no surprise to me that chemistry is likely to blame for this; I binned an old Italeri kit because the vinyl tires ate into two sprues under them. Really you see this in other plastic/vinyl products over time as well, as they all eventually break down. You can't be hard and flexible at the same time without paying a price.
Go hard
or
Go bust
I was hoping that the complaining about the "DS Tracks" could be "put to bed", but I see that that is not going to happen.
FOUR WHOLE PAGES OF RAMBLING BELLY-ACHING!!!
If you guys have problems with "DS Tracks", FIX THE PROBLEMS BY BUYING SOME A/M TRACKS, FOR PETE'S SAKES!!!
 |
