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Modeller Build Logs
Sherman III Early in North Africa |
| By James Wechsler | | Started: | Aug 13, 2005 | | Updated: | Sep 25, 2005 |
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A couple of weeks ago I wrote up a review here on Track-Link of the Legend Sherman III conversion set (LF 1096). I really liked the set and couldn’t wait to start on it. So I thought, why not do a blog to show how the build-up comes together? So here it is.
Up Next: What items am I going to use? |
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| Chapter 22 - Just the Tracks Maam | Sep 8, 2005 |
I decided to use the excellent RHPS WE210 Double I Bar Tracks for this project. Of course the T51 Rubber Block tracks (also available from RHPS) would have been appropriate too. So why did I use the Double I Bar tracks? Because they look cool! Honestly, that’s the only reason. I don’t have any reference material to say one was more right than the other.
I really like the RHPS tracks. They are injection molded and the molds are setup so there’s no ejector pin marks on the parts. Also, where the parts are attached to the sprues is designed such that you can simply clip them off with a decent sprue cutter and no additional clean up is required. My kind of effort. The parts are setup so that the end connectors can be pressed on to the links and the whole assembly ends up flexible and workable so you can paint it off the vehicle. Much easier.
One note, sometimes I’ve found that the press fit is a little loose. This problem is fixed by dipping the pins on the track link into Elmer’s Glue (white glue) before pressing the end connectors on. The track is still workable but the end connectors stay on better. A side note. I’ve used the technique of dipping the pins into white glue on the Dragon link to link tracks (like those in their Firefly and M4A3(76) kits) and those can actually be made workable enough to paint off the vehicle as well!
Normally, I would snip all of the links and end connectors off, assemble the tracks and then paint. However, I was thinking that it since the Double I Bar tracks are rubber on the top and bottom, I’d probably paint the tracks in a rubber color and then have to go back and hand paint the end connectors in a metallic color. I’ve done this before and it’s pretty time consuming.
Being lazy, I got to thinking that maybe I could just paint the links and the end connectors before I even snipped then off the sprues. As I noted above, the links and the end connectors are attached to the sprues in a way that they can be removed by a simple snip from the sprue cutter. I thought about it a little more and decided that I wouldn’t even need to touch up the paint. It seemed too easy but I just couldn’t figure out a reason not to try it. So I did.
I decided to paint the links in Testor’s Model Master Dark Drab which has about the right color for rubber tracks in a desert environment. I painted the end connectors in Testor’s Model Master Magnesium which is shiny but a little darker tone that either their Steel or Aluminum colors. I wasn’t subtle. I put on a latex glove, opened up the airbrush to a wide spray and let loose. The whole painting job took about 30 minutes for both colors.
Up Next: Please Maam, just the Tracks |
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