SPA Modeler

That is looking great so far! EXCEPT... for the track mold alignment issue. That is the main reason I do not care for indy link tracks and prefer link and length tracks for the ease of assembly combined with final appearance. Especially when they engineer in proper sag. If anybody wants to get fancy and articulate the road wheels and suspension arms over rough terrain, they can go by replacement after market tracks. I’ve built too many kits where you have to do serious clean up work on each track link...

But, all that aside, this is looking real good to my eye so far.

Maybe this helps, Kari—it’s my favorite online article on the subject. I am still figuring out how to glue what to where????

https://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/ ... 1track.htm

Thanks Carlos & Bruce!

For some reason I found it almost therapeutic to sit and sand those small track pieces... But if I would need to do this perhaps too many times... well, then I think I would look for other options... :-)

Thanks Bruce for the link, great stuff!

I don't have any missing sections, I just have not glued the "pad" or whatever it's called on the tracks. It was just a... test....
I noticed it sanding, if sanding too much from one side makes the track to bend a little bit, so now I sand then even more carefully. Nothing will really be visible, when those pads are added, they hide everything.. And the final color, perhaps some dirt will definitely hide any "mishaps".. :-)

Need to start to google for detailed instructions how to paint the the tracks... I guess before they are added on..


- Kari

Have been "working" with the tracks... Now I should have all the tracks to one side ..
8 pieces missing from the picture... one row of 8 was mysteriously pushed outside the picture...
These are all loose pieces, those pads above need to be glued in between, but that will happen in a later stage.



Regarding the "pads", cannot really figure out a formal or better name for them.
They all have this small, sort of "dimple", looks like such !

My question is, should I try to fill them, if then with what... at least those which will be visible.



- Kari

Added the nicely detailed engine... Sort of sad, but as I will not leave any hatches open etc, no more work on the engine..
The engine is almost a kit of itself, 19 pieces in total !
If I ever make a second Zvezda 251/1 (which I doubt), then I will certainly put some effort in the engine compartment!





- Kari

Kari, those portions of the track are indeed called pads. At least in official US Army nomenclature. The metal portion that the pad is attached to is named a shoe. But is also referred to as a link. We never had any all steel type tracks on vehicles that I crewed, so I don’t know if that type, or the type with the rubber padding built in, such as the older rubber chevron type used by the Patton family of vehicles, were called links. Seeing how there was no separate shoe for the pad. By the way, we also nicknamed the sausage patties served for breakfast in the mess hall as track pads. If you saw how the were cooked sometimes, you would agreee.

You could fill those dimples on the road contact surface to represent newer pads, or sand them down and ding them up to represent those that have seen use.

And, last but certainly not least, your work is looking great so far...

Thanks Carlos, that was very interesting in-depth information about tracks!

Very funny story regarding the sausage patties! can imagine!

And thanks for the great idea! I didn't even think of sanding them down, to look used!
That will be my approach!

- Kari

Oh HELL yeah!!! All these half tracks are very cool. First a 250 and now this! Awesome!!!!

It's really cool that you have a build like this from your youth Kari! Great examples of where it all came from and where it all started.

Thanks Joe !

- Kari