I’m working on my first pair of Friul tracks. So far I’m very happy, I find them much faster than plastic Indy link. My question is the pins (wire cut to length) provided in the kit is smaller diameter than the hole it goes in. This means you can “stretch” the tracks a bit. Right now with 60 of 100 links done, the track length is 19.3 cm compressed or 19.7 stretched. This difference is approximately 1 track length for 60 links or 1.5 for 100. My question is do I build the tracks so they fit snug or do real tanks tracks have a bit of gap between each link?
It’s an archer so they’ll be valentine type tracks
Here is how they look snug
And stretched
Obviously a tiny difference but over 100 links it changes the length by about 1cm. If it helps the valentine manual says to add track tension at the idler until minimal appreciable sag occurs between the return rollers
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I went back through some photos of my last few visits to Bovington and the following might help a little.
Not necessarily the best angle for the tracks but to my eye looks fairly snug?
Also found the following which whilst not the archer is a Valentine so the same tracks and might be a better view. Please ignore the small lunatic in the photo (included only for scale 
) it’s the only photo of the Valentine I have.
Arguably also looks fairly snug maybe. I guess may depend on how much sag is caused when stretched given little track sag on the archer in reality, or the Valentine for that matter.
Great pics thanks! The kit calls for 101 links of the kit tracks. I might do 95 and then add tracks until I get a natural fit with minimal sag, using trial and error
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Since when was the Valentine that big!?!?
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Might be that you could hide excessive sag to some extent behind the side skirts a bit if needed as well. Assuming you’re not planning on modelling a bit of damage in that area of course.
wonder if that would be an acceptable build for the next build a photo campaign?
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I won’t be using the side skirts, the vehicle in question doesn’t wear them, but I am probably over thinking this one
Assuming I understand correctly…
I would go for slightly snug with the Archer. However, the number of links used would be based on the how they fit.
Some Fruils are slightly over scale so if 100 is called for 98 or 99 might give the correct fit. I’d check at 90 links assembled and add links until desired fit is achieved.
Typically, I’ll cut the last pin to assemble the run long so it’s easy to remove tracks etc after establishing the correct track length.
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Cool I’ll go with trial and error. Is it common for Friul tracks to have a bit of play?
The narrower the track the more slop Fruils seem to have in my experience.
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It can be, as you noticed, the wire included is a bit small. Some people substitute a thicker wire, I have seen some people even use staples. I would put a few links together and see how they fit around a drive sprocket. That will tell you if they need to be tighter or looser, to mesh with the teeth properly.
Ken
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Defintley not bad but they have a bit of play, I defintley like them over Indy links they seem to go together faster
If you are obsessive over accuracy then the tracks will be tight in some areas and stretched in others. Track links going toward the drive on the return will be stretched whereas the links after the drive will be tight up to when they leave the ground on the start of their return.
Presumably since it left the shop in Montreal 