Several sets of metal tracks I have bought come with a roll of steel wire which you are supposed to use to join them, having to cut the wires to size. An extremely difficult job with unrealistic results, and I know there must be metal pins or rivets than can be used instead, but who makes them and where can I find them?
I don’t know if there are presized pins but you could buy brass rod.
When cutting the wire what I do is drill a hole in a piece of wood slightly deeper than the pin length needs to be. Insert the wire into this hole and snip flush. I cut all of the track pins I needed for a set of tracks last night in about 10 mins doing this. All of them exactly the same length. I have about 0.5mm extra that I file/trim flush after.
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Lot of tracks need clean up to get flash out of the holes so the wire or pins will slide in without binding. A small drill bit in a pin vise is usually ideal. I typically use about a .4mm or .016 inch bit to do that.
Two other solutions besides metal pins.
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Staples, straighten, break apart slide, slide in place & cut nippers to cut flush.
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The key to dealing with the tedious cutting the aluminum or brass wire in my experience is to use a cheap chopper like this one.
I cut one track pin wire to length. Use it to set the white styrene block the right length or just a hair shorter. Tape blovk in place. Feed in wire and chop away.
It’s a cut and easy task to cut the pins. #2 is how the wire pins for these were cut.
It a hassle but worth it overall I think.
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I do it the same as Mead93. Easy, quick and effective. I have a Handy Chopper somewhat similar to Armor_Buff’s but i don’t use it for this application.
Some of the track sets that R-Model makes come with pre-cut pins but lately they seem to have switched to the roll of wire as well.
Maybe dress-makers pins, or sewing pins? They already have a head.
https://www.amazon.ca/AIEX-Straight-Dressmaker-Jewelry-Projects/dp/B08NJ664HZ/ref=asc_df_B08NJ664HZ/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=490871697064&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9004558556855227113&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000376&hvtargid=pla-1061446626143&psc=1
They’re also useful, when you cut off the heads, to spike a figure to a base, and the cut off heads can double as door knobs.
I went just now to Michael’s and bought a box of sequin pins. They fit perfectly in the holes for the LVTP-5 aftermarket metal tracks!
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What brand of tracks are you doing with those pins and what size are they…you might be on to something…
Just look for the smallest size of sewing pins, dress-maker pins, or sequin pins…they’re all the same. Like Long Tom said - he got his at Michael’s. Also available at some arts and crafts, dress-maker shops and stores where they sell material by the yard/meter. Even dollar + stores carry them.
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Are they exact right length? Or they fit diameter wise? You might be into something good if they are the right length!
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It’s the diameter. Yes, they definitely have to be cut to fit.
They are R-model LVTP-5 tracks BTW.
Are they a better fit than the wire? I’m not sure I understand how this solves the issue of having to cut the pins?
Not trying to be rude, just wondering if I missed something. Any cheap and easy to technique thay can save mdoel time is invaluable
The pins have the advantage of having to cut only one end, plus they are conveniently small and straight and you don’t have to deal with that unwieldly and harder to cut roll of wire. Also you have a neat head on one side of the pin instead of seeing two roughly cut wire ends.
Ah gotcha! Makes sense! Thanks
Further news: I bought a set of bridal pins at Hobby Lobby. Thinner and of better quality in head shapes!
Did you get the ones with flowery ends? 
The teeniest ones don’t have those. Bigger ones have T-handles and such though.
T-10 Heavy Tank - WalkAround - English (net-maquettes.com)
This is a T-10M walkaround-and the pins suit the Masterclub tracks perfectly.
I don’t quite follow what’s being said in the bold?
With Fruil, Sector35 etc only one end of the cut wire or pin would show. Normally that cut side will face inward to the tank’s hull and almost be obscured from view. Unless someone drills all the way through the track link during clean/deburring the track pin holes etc in which case two ends of the wire would be exposed ie on both sides.
BTW - the track wire rolls are easy to cut smoothly in my experience of doing a dozen plus sets.
YMMV
That’s better than what I could do. In any case, some tracks need pins with heads. Like the T-10M I described before.