AFV M113 tracks; How to assemble?

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Bluepen - 31 Jul 2006 16:23 GMT

I am at the point of finishing one of my M113's and got my AFV tracks
out the other evening. How are these assembled? I should say, how do
they stay together? They seem to sort-of clip together, but do you
then glue them? How else would they stay put? Any help would be
apprciated.

Thanks.

Lance

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RobG - 01 Aug 2006 03:41 GMT

Are you using the vinyl (rubber) tracks? If so, use a source of heat,
like a heated screwdriver blade or X-Acto knife blade. Use the heat to
mushroom the ends of the pins after they have been inserted into the
holes.

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Bluepen - 01 Aug 2006 04:02 GMT

Thanks for the response, but no, the separate track links sold by AFV.
http://www.squadron.com/ItemDetails.asp?item=AC35064

This is the item I have.

Lance

>Are you using the vinyl (rubber) tracks? If so, use a source of heat,
>like a heated screwdriver blade or X-Acto knife blade. Use the heat to
>mushroom the ends of the pins after they have been inserted into the
>holes.

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Gerald Owens - 01 Aug 2006 05:52 GMT

> I am at the point of finishing one of my M113's and got my AFV tracks
> out the other evening. How are these assembled? I should say, how do
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Lance

The set you showed is a soft plastic band track. Some manufacturers use
vinyl, which has to be heat joined, as it does not respond to solvents
or most super glues. The little prongs at one end are pushed through
the mating holes in the adjacent link on the other end, and a heated
blade tip is pressed onto the pin to soften it. Then press the warm,
softened plastic down with your fingertip to form a soft rivet. If this
fails to hold, staples can be sustituted.
More recent releases from Tamiya and AFV Club use a styrene-vinyl blend
for the soft plastic tracks which can be joined with ordinary liquid
cement. Test the cement on a piece of scrap sprue to see which type of
plastic was used in your set.
WARNING: If it is the glueable soft plastic, use only acrylic and other
water based paints and washes on it, as enamels, lacquers and mineral
spirits will cause it to dry out and crumble within days.

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Gerald Owens - 02 Aug 2006 00:01 GMT

> > I am at the point of finishing one of my M113's and got my AFV tracks
> > out the other evening. How are these assembled? I should say, how do
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> water based paints and washes on it, as enamels, lacquers and mineral
> spirits will cause it to dry out and crumble within days.

The most recent AFV individual track kits are workable. If this set is
like the set they did for the M41 tank, the links just snap together.
If they are like the German halftrack links, the track pad is separate
and traps the pins inside the adjacent link when it is glued in place.
Once assembled, you can leave them loose, or install them and "freeze"
them in place with small amounts of liquid cement. The styrene used in
these track sets is delicate, so beware of using "hot" thinners for
washes during the weathering stage. Lacquer thinners will simply
dissolve the track pins and they will fall apart.
If you have non-workable separate link track (like that from Skybow),
press-fit them together using plastic or wooden strips as a jig to keep
them straight. At this point, you can apply a slow-setting liquid
cement like Testors and immediately attach the run to the tank, bending
the still soft links around the idler and drive sprockets. Some prefer
to do two half-runs with an unglued link at the front and back so they
can be removed for painting.
Alternatively, you can press-fit the links as before, then use a strip
of tape to hold the run together while you drape it around the running
gear. Using a fine brush (and keeping clear of the strip of tape) add a
drop of cement in each joint. Once set, pull the tape off.

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Model Forum / General / Models / August 2006

AFV M113 tracks; How to assemble?