Hello, and sorry if this is the wrong place to ask such a question
but I am just wondering, what is the best method to attach a tank tread to the road wheels
i have a Tamiya 1/35 scale Walker Bulldog kit thats almost done and all it needs is to attach the tracks
Help would be much appreciated on how to do this
The advice I give here presumes that the kit still has the old tracks that are supposed to be joined by melting little pegs with a heated screwdriver.
When I built this kit I followed the instructions and then I used dark sewing thread and a needle to reinforce the joint.
The track will be stretched tight since the kit was designed to have an electric motor and be able to move (toy) so you don’t need to “glue” the tracks to the wheels.
Question: will a heated spoon work?
And also, how to heat it?
The heated tool needs to be narrow to avoid melting other details on the track,
a regular spoon (or table knife) will be too large.
Heat with a small candle, the soot from the candle will help prevent the track
from sticking to the tool.
Sometimes the instructions recommend using the head of a nail.
Hold the nail with pliers or mount the nail to a sturdy stick or piece of wood.
The nail needs to be at least 3 inches long to avoid the heat from burning into the stick/wood.
Also question: how do you avoid the snapping of the road wheels from trying to rubber band fit the tracks?
Install the road wheels after installing the tracks.
The return rollers, the idler and the sprocket (the one with teeth)
are installed first, then the tracks and last the road wheels.
The three center road wheels can be installed before the track.
Remember that the kit is designed to be motorised so the wheels
and axles are strong enough to handle the force from the tracks.
Sorry, but I don’t have a nail pin or screwdriver with me
Any other good alternatives?
I suppose the hardware stores in Perth are not open on Sundays?
Fair enough
i can always go tomorrow to Bunnings
A small cheap screwdriver, one of those mains testing ones will do the job.
If you get a small cheap “flat” screwdriver (the size used for screwing electrical fittings) it will stand you in good stead. I tend to use the gas cooker ring, holding just the tip in the flame, then pressing onto the track nub to smoosh it like a rivet. Reheat between nubs as it cools down fast.
Those Tamiya tracks won’t be too tight (built one a while back!) so no need to worry about the axles snapping. Other kits from the likes of Italeri are a different matter - they tend to be a bit too tight in my experience.
You can save them and build one of these instead
Bunnings is always a good option but it’s also very dangerous as you go there for one item and leave with loads of things that you “really need”.
if you don’t want to buy a screwdriver, you could try a stapler. That can hold the two ends of the tracks together.
Kalau ada pertanyaan lagi, silahkan mas!
The staples will be more visible than dark thread
and OP might not own a stapler yet
true, I don’t have a stapler
Take your hobby knife, pull out the blade, flip it around, stick it back in, and you have a kinda wonky screwdriver.
Two staples parallel to the rubber track length, then a black Sharpie to darken the staples so they won’t stand out, and mounted with the join on the top run where the fenders help hide them, especially with vehicles that have side skirts to hide the join even better.
a modellers best friend …
