Definately not a good day on the Leopard modelling front.Went to put,Well attempt to put the tracks on my Italeri 1A2.The return rollers broke off and tracks wouldnt mesh with sprockets.Some bright spark said heat tracks together and fit.Yeah ok and so tight the axles did the offski.Was going to paint all in one go but i reckon i should have got hull tub together and painted it along with wheels and tracks.Too say i was pd off is an understatement with bin 1 and leopard nil.Seems my skills have gone backwards after a long time out.Anybody any tips
Richard, if this is the A2 you’ve got side track covesr - ergo you don’t need a whole run of track; you may have felt like using them all but you don’t actually need them (ditto return rollers) - so an easy enough fix I should think - Superglue, and bit of holding together why it all sets - and job done.
If you have an axle problem ie weak plastic not doing the job - just replace with some stout brass rod - and more Superglue of course(!)
The Italian 1A2 i was doing didnt have sideskirts sadly.I think some of the kits plastic is on the brittle side unfortunately.The return rollers dont seem to sit right as well.Think i will do the hideyaway trick with skirts and waft the CA and activator around.Lets just say i was so pd off the hull was smashed into oblivion.Blew me top big style and hours of work down the drain.Keep thinking id be better off using Tamiya A4 and detailing it up with Italeri roadwheels and tools.
Indeed fella.The tracks are as tight as a drum and axles are weak.Hoping some get done in 3D sometime.Did try gluing and clamping with wheels on but axles and idlers snapped so end of the b thing.
It’s always the same factors that conspire against one isn’t it? The decals that don’t take, the tracks (not necessarily in this case) that don’t stick despite being advertised as “glueable”, or the varnish that doesn’t take properly? Or even the figure that you forgot to check actually fitted within the turret ring?
Even trashed axles/idlers/sprockets can be be eased apart and brass rod inserted.
Personally? A stiff gin & tonic, consign the components to the bin (apart from the useful bits perhaps), and review the stash. Perhaps consider a Cent, or even an AMX 30 - all Cold War contemporaries of the early Leos.
Oh yes the Suns over the yardarm so crack open the Gin!!.Ive got some Meng links so i might tackle these buggers and do a run and hide a multitude of sins behind her skirts.Afv Club do Leo 2 tracks but ive read the sprockets arent great fit wise with these.Id rather do the Tamiya kit as they fit ok.Thought about using the Italeri wheels on Tamiya and detail away.Ive still got about 6 or 7 Italeri A2s and A4s.Think im going to start a Tamiya Gepard tommorow to keep my sanity intact before more A4 nightmares.Dreading doing the tracks on my.Italeri 2A4
I’m not too sure that your sanity will be assuaged by tackling the Tamiya version; I haven’t got one, even in the stash - though I do dabble in Air Defence model: I recall that the stash contains a Chaparral, a Vulcan, an M24 (Tamiya original of course) a ZSU-23-4, an AMX 13/DCA, and the Panda Tunguska - all naturally crying out to be built; there’s the gap in the wheel spacing although here’s how one modeller dealt with it:
And also if a Bundeswehr version, no side skirts apparently. I recall reading somewhere that an after-market etch set is quite valuable, but then again, I might be mixing up my memories. Anyway, it’s a fearsome looking beast once built, so good luck Richard!
The Tamiya 1A4 isn´t detailed as the Italeri one. I would always go with the Italeri one. Tracks can be replaced with PSM printed ones. If you do like another try, I do have some Italeri 1A4 in stash to go. Have built several of these and I must admit I like these.
Eduard do an etch set for Tamiya Gepard.Might consider one as the area around the turret race isnt moulded great.Solid holes instead of perforations for starters.I saw some on a Youtube video in a whitwash scheme which is something to consider.I dont want to get a Takom one and bugger it up.
Im going to try some Meng individual links i think.Got to be better then Italeri suspension breakages with the far to stiff tracks.Ive still got a few Italeri leopard ones in stash and PSM ones would make the builds far too costly shipping to uk etc.Learn by my mistakes which has cost me 2 trashed hulls.Got sooo angry and stamped on the hull which is not like me.
Aside from moving the axles a hair when you glue the rollers back on, you could always do an incomplete run (as suggested for vehicles with side skirts) and simply cover the gap with a tarp hanging off the side. Tarps are your friend when stuff needs covering.
Thankfully better day today phew.I got my Italeri/MBK Leopard 1A4 kit out and thought lets try again.So i drilled through the idler mounts and pushed a length of brass rod through and Epoxied it.Same with the Sprocket.I looked through my Leopard spares and one set of tracks werent so stiff.So i gingerly fed the tracks around and left 2 wheels off and heated the track join and sealed the pins.Bingo i did it!!!.I know the tracks are on and no paint but i shall be lazy and build up a mucky colour to look like the wheels and suspension are covered in dry mud and dust.In future i will paint hull as i go along and pin the idlers and Sprocket.3rd time lucky!!!.I just bought a Revell 1A1A1/1A1A4 kit which looks quite good.
And now you may have to do it again on the Revell kit …
