Hello guys!
I know this was discussed in others topics, but I'm stucked with a problem....
I'm building an Italeri Pz IV ausf G 1/35, and I decided to replace their tracks for the DML link to link tracks, this is my first time with this kind of material and I really don't know what to do, I read the article here at Armorama about making indi tracks but I confess I couldn't replicate this, I don't know what is going wrong, so I think maybe another one could fill me with a new or diferent techinique....Any sugestions?
I also would like to know if you paint it on the place or if you take it off to paint, anyway I'd like to know how do you make it ( both cases!).
Thanks on advance!
Cheers

Hi Paulo,

I will try to take a stab at your question, since I had built s a number of DML armor and found the indi. links to be easy to work with. (Used to really scared of them as well)

What I do is follows:

1st. You assemble the lower chasis, torsion bar and all. But try not to glue the Driving Sprocket in place, so it can rotates a bit to let the teeth bite in the tracks

2nd. After you cleaned up all the track links, I usually make 4 sections, one for wrap around the driving sprocket, so you need just enough length to have it around the sprocket. You can use regularly model glue then glue the links together. And the glue won't dry for maybe 30 to 45 minutes, you can still flex and wrap around the sprocket. Other sections one section around the idler, and one at the top, and another at the bottom.

3rd Once you got these 4 sections made, you can glue them together.

4th Comes to painting, I do the painting with all the tracks on. My cheating philosophy is if the airbrush can't reach you probably can't see.

So that's how I do it, HTH.... Have fun with the tracks and armor.....

best way Paulo is to set up a metal ruler on table clean your links. Using a little thin liquid cement such as Tamiya thin apply a little to links while keeping run up against ruler to keep straight wait a little bit to glue begins to harden and do next run make your bottom and top runs . Now for sag which can have you pulling hair out gently apply runs to top while still soft and get your sag worked in allow to dry and remove. Now for the idler and drive sprocket this is best to do off of tank some people do it on but to much glue will suck them on their. make a run to go around drive or idler using ruler again wait until it begins to set take and bend around wheel. Should mention have your upper and lower runs in place so you can see how they join. Hope this helped a little

Hi there.

Here's what I do:

A.

I cut all links off sprue and put them into a film container. Much clicking of the snippers to drive the wife nuts!
 
B.

As I'm building other stuff and taking breaks I clean up the links, removing any sprue attachments and cleaning up ejector pin marks. Ejector pin marks that are recessed get ignored or I put a little white-out in them. Cleaned up links go in another film container. I have a little stockpile of links on the go all the time. It's easy to clean up 20 links a night for a couple of weeks at a time. It takes a few minutes each time, rather than going nuts doing them all in one tedious, long session.
 
C.

Assembly of the links happens when I know I have about a half hour of modeling time (uninterrupted, so pee first!) and the running gear and lower hull are fully assembled. I have a long piece of wood (about 100cm by 20cm) with a thin piece of wood nailed onto it (about a cm wide, and half the length of the board. This is one straight edge. I use a metal edged ruler as the other straight edge. I place a half dozen links together, then brush the joints lightly with Testors liquid glue (comes in the glass bottle). I add a few more links, repeat until I get a length that looks about right (95 links or so for a Pz. III chassis in this case).
 
D.

That completed length of track is allowed to dry for about 10 to 15 minutes. I test the state of the track by attempting to pick it up. If links fall off, it's not ready! Once ready, the length of track is flexible, but won't fall apart with gentle handling. I then put the length of track around the running gear. I don't glue the run together, but I make sure there is a nice join under a road wheel (or in the upper run if that part is hidden).
 
E.

For the Stug, I sagged the tracks between the return rollers a bit by pressing down gently with my finger. As always, I seem to end up with too much sag compared to the vast majority of photos, but it's very hard to get just a little sag.
 
F.

I get a short run of tracks and put them under the opposite bogey wheels, and leave the run of links to dry overnight. So I do one run one session, and the other side another time. The short run of links for the other side prevents the tracks from going askew when drying.
 
G.

After the glue is dry, I pop the whole run of tracks off the running gear so I can paint the tracks/running gear separately before final assembly and weathering.

This is taken from my article about building a stug IIIB.
https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/77

I have some pictures I took of the process, that I plan to upload soon. I hope to do that this week.

The only tweak to these directions, is that for some DML tracks, it's necessary to file or sand the place where the links join up. You need about 96 links for each run on a Pz IV. I file the connector ends in one session before assembly. Boring, but it's easy to count out 100 links, clean them up and pop them in a film container. That way you can have tracks prepped all the time.

I've never tried making several runs of links and putting them on. The one long run of links has worked for me every time (DML Pz III/IV links, DML Bishop, & ICM Luchs links).

Hope this helps.
Andy

I agree with the others in that it is best to use regular plastic cement rather than something like CA glue so that the tracks remain workable for a while. I build them in a way very similar to the one Bob describes in that article, making runs of about ten links and, beginning with the sprocket wheel, building the track. I have tried brush painting the tracks after they were put on the model and the rest of the tank was painted, but airbrushing would look nicer. If the tracks and suspension are going to be dirty, then it's a lot easier. You just spray the tracks brown, not worrying so much about overspay. If you could get it like in the article where you can take the tracks off to paint, though, that would be the best, IMHO.

Does anyone have any tips for doing the DML Sherman tracks, though? They are different in that they have three pieces per link.

Nic

Thanks guys for the help, in my try and error method, I have already made the upper portions of the tracks with the sag on already....so I´ll try to make the lower portions and the iddler and sprocket portions then....everything apart, so I´ll paint them and add to the kit later...
I really liked the Andy suggestion, I´ll try this on my next project (Tiger1)..
Thanks for all attention!
Cheers

Hi Nic

I believe the use of a more complex jig helps with tracks that have end connectors. I've not built the DML 3 piece links yet, but there is an article/review on them on Track-Link that is helpful:
http://www.track-link.net/reviews/279

Don't be fooled by the title, Cookie describes what you need to do to build the tracks and reviews them. DML released the set under a goofy name.

If you are building the tracks for the HVSS suspension, I don't recall specific tips.

Cheers
Andy

Thanks Andy, I was wondering if I would be able to make them semi-workable like that.

Nic