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Working with Tamiya rubber tank tracks


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Hi, guys. I have never worked with Tamiya rubber tracks before. I’m going to be making my M4A3E8 Sherman tank. Any advice, tips and tricks on installing, priming, clear coating and painting would be much appreciated. I’m getting a bit of mixed opinions on the internet, so I thought I would ask you guys here. Thank you! 
 

btw, I’ll be working with Ammo of Mig paints, Microscale clear coats and Stynylrez primer. Thanks guys. 

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Oh man, I've not worked with those since the kits were motorized in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Have to admit, the motors allowed for instant realistic weathering, just go run the thing through a mudpuddle! 

😁

Where you say "rubber" tracks - do you mean the flexible ones which need to be joined at ends? Or the actual rubber continuous loop tracks like the steerable Hunting Tiger my Dad gave me in 1975 had? 

 

Where instructions show peening the pins over with a hot/warmed screwdriver blade that works and works well.

Use a small flathead so as to allow quick heating of the screwdriver and precision application.

 

Tape tracks to a board when you do that.

 

As far as paint, there were rather fewer options back then than now.

Testors, Pactra, enamels; and PollyScale acrylics were it, period.

(Humbrol enamels were available, but not locally where I was)

Any given one worked sort of okay on the I think vinyl tracks which had the pins to be joined.

 

Painting the actual rubber continuous loop tracks the steerable Hunting Tiger had, forget it.

Edited by southwestforests
added an important process item
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On 11/21/2020 at 11:02 PM, southwestforests said:

Where you say "rubber" tracks - do you mean the flexible ones which need to be joined at ends? Or the actual rubber continuous loop tracks like the steerable Hunting Tiger my Dad gave me in 1975 had?

@southwestforests, they’re the ones that need to be joined at the ends of them. Would you recommend primer on them? Would you paint them before they go on the tank? I’m not going to lie. The stories I have heard are a bit intimidating. I appreciate any and all feedback. 

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one piece of advice is that you do NOT use tamiya extra thin cement. It is too hot for them and they break at the joint.

most newer tamiya tracks are made of a rubber that can be glued which also means that most tamiya paints will stick.

I have a mix of nato brown 95% red 4% and nato black to taste. thinned with Mr color leveling thinner.

I usually lay them flat to paint and weather. you will of course have to flip the tracks over a few times.

 

leave either the drive sprocket or idler off to aid with attaching the tracks, they will stretch a bit as well.

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6 hours ago, Historybuff said:

@southwestforests, they’re the ones that need to be joined at the ends of them. Would you recommend primer on them? Would you paint them before they go on the tank? I’m not going to lie. The stories I have heard are a bit intimidating. I appreciate any and all feedback. 

I'd go with what dylan's current experience says, Tamiya appears to have changed materials since 2 decades ago, the pin to join tracks of my era struck me as not rubber but more of a vinyl-ish material.

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There are two types of "rubber" or vinyl tracks, those you can and those you cant use glue on to join the ends together, the type in has in the box will be noted in the build instructions, if you have the older type then you will need to melt the little post to stick it together, oftherwise any model glue will work on them.

 

Painting is a problem no matter what they are made of because nothing likes sticking to them.

I use an etching primer on them when I have to use them, but any primer you put on them will stick in most places but in general it will flake off over time, especially if you touch it and bend it.

 

Once you have primed them then paint and weather as normal and hope for the best.


They are in general the worst option of all the track options but they require the least amount of work to get them on.

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What ElectroSoldier said.  Honestly and truly, if you have another option, use something else! The good news, if any, is that the Sherman had tracks that did not sag, and are tight around the road wheels and return rollers/skids, so the 'rubber' tracks can work.  I would use a primer like Stynylrez, then whatever paint you like to use, get them on your tank, and then don't touch 'em!  

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry for the long wait in responding. Dang COVID struck a lot of my family. 
 

In any case, thank you for the responses. It seems like it will be a pain but I’ll try using my Stynylrez primer and then hope for the best. If worse comes to worse, I’ll buy some better tracks. Fingers crossed. Thanks again guys! This will be interesting. 

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