I just finished the Friulmodel Tracks on my New Dragon King Tiger.. I LOVE the way they look when they're done, but Jeeesh..I HATE doing them..
My fingers are sore and feel like a pin cushion...

one of the reason why I love rubber band tracks just stick the end together and they are ready to go, ugly, but done :-)

yeah they do tend to get to be a pain in the rump but the outcome is sooo worth while... for a real challenge check out the halftrack sets man those are a bad nightmare...lol hated doing those and I had 10 sets to do... come to think of it I still have 5 more to go...
but the reg tank tracks are a nice set to build



Chris

I've been using the plastic individual links for years. Some are easy most have a degree of difficulty. The only bad part is joining the last pieces together. I can't imagine playing with the metal ones, and their price is prohibitive to my planned bdget. I am seeing the rubber band ones improve considerably in accuracy and detail and for my money, it looks like the way of the future for us lazy folks

I second blaster's comment...I was VERY impressed with the rubber band tracks in Tamiya's M1A2 kit, other than feeling, there isn't a whole lot of difference in terms of looks between them and the AFV Club tracks, plus they come with the kit, and take next to no time to assemble.

I have to 3rd Blaster and Grasshopp12. I admit I haven't built a independent link track of any kind yet. I'm just too cheap to buy any and haven't started any kit yet that has them. I'm biased doing mostly American or British vehicles that don't have the track sag most German vehicles need. For me by the time you add the rust, dirt, mud, and such to the "rubber band" tracks they don't look half bad. I do realize the tracks in the Tamiya Stuart are noticeably wrong, and the tracks in the Italeri Priest are really hard to work with, so someday I may have to bite the bullet and go indi.

Tip: Use a small drill bit in a dremel to open up the pin holes. Your fingers won't be as sore when you're done.

Been there did that..lol
What sticks me is the "little" point left after clipping off the excess from the link..

Well, I've got to say that I actually like putting the fruil tracks together (weird, yes I know :-) There is just something so satisfying about a complete set. I have considered using the rubberband tracks, but mold lines and seams are my biggest pet peve in modeling. After spending months of hard work on the tank, I just can't bring myself to put a set of tracks on that have a mold line runing down the side. It just ruins the whole model.

Just my two cents

I'm about 3/4 done with cleaning up the ejector-pin marks on the tracks for the new Dragon T-34/76 m1940. By comparison, I'd much rather be doing Fruil track. 76 links per side, each with two pin parks and two attachment-points that need cleaning. That's 304 pin marks and 304 tree-nubs to clean.

(Before you ask, I'm slapping it together as box-stock. If I add Fruil track, then I have to add p/e, and start correcting minor details, etc.)

I must be the last guy on the planet left who likes or will admit to liking the old Fruil pinch link system.
This pinned thing would be great if they would actually supply #$@@#%@!#$% handed tracks.. but having one whole side run with pin ends showing turns me off..
I know, they are hardly visable, but I KNOW that they are there...

So if anyone wants to dispose of their OLD fruil pinch together link to link tracks for a fiar price for Panthers, M113's or modern Soviet armor, drop me a line. I'd love to take them off your hands.

As for the new pinned links. I have two tips that help me.
1) get some brass rod/wire of the appropriate diameter from the LHS or floral wire from the craft dept at Walmart. It's straight and I find works better.
2) like an old issue of FSM showed, build a jig and spent wire catcher to quickly clip wire bits to lenght. I use some evergreen grid square sheet and an L beam. Slide the wire in the channel and clip it off at the edge. The wire then drops into a catchbin underneath. It's easy to make quite a few very quickly that way.

MD