Tips and helpful suggestions

[Commander Waffle]

Originally Posted by razorboy

Thanks for the reference LT, I do love my Celluclay! Next diorama base I do I'll document it for posterity and this thread! Celluclay is like a Panzerfaust ...... You can get good results with it but you've got to be careful!

razorboy

Like firing it from a tree?

[razorboy]

Originally Posted by Commander Waffle

Like firing it from a tree?

Ja, Like firing it from a tree!

[Tom Houlihan]

Okay, after looking at that nice T-34, and reading the comment about slack tracks, I'm going to put up a tip that I had posted on another forum.

Loose tracks can be a pain. The rubber band type are harder to display as loose. Using individual tracks makes it easier, but not always. So, here's a solution. One of many possible, I guess...

Basically, you're tying the track to the return rollers. Because the loop of thread will go around the axle of the roller wheel, it's hidden. However, I will admit that it takes a little dexterity, and it can be awkward as hell!

You put the track on, and figure out where it needs to sag. Use a long piece of thread, you'll need the slack even though you'll end up cutting most of it off.

One way is to loop the thread through the track, and then tie it off to the return rollers. The other way is to tie one end off on the axle of the roller, then loop it up through and around the track link. Use white glue and put a coupla wraps around the roller axle and let it dry.

Fairly straight forward, but a little confusing to explain. Any questions?

[Commander Waffle]

Originally Posted by Tom Houlihan

Okay, after looking at that nice T-34, and reading the comment about slack tracks, I'm going to put up a tip that I had posted on another forum.

Loose tracks can be a pain. The rubber band type are harder to display as loose. Using individual tracks makes it easier, but not always. So, here's a solution. One of many possible, I guess...

Basically, you're tying the track to the return rollers. Because the loop of thread will go around the axle of the roller wheel, it's hidden. However, I will admit that it takes a little dexterity, and it can be awkward as hell!

You put the track on, and figure out where it needs to sag. Use a long piece of thread, you'll need the slack even though you'll end up cutting most of it off.

One way is to loop the thread through the track, and then tie it off to the return rollers. The other way is to tie one end off on the axle of the roller, then loop it up through and around the track link. Use white glue and put a coupla wraps around the roller axle and let it dry.

Fairly straight forward, but a little confusing to explain. Any questions?

At the beginny part..and the endy part..and somewhere in the middle too.

[Tom Houlihan]

Originally Posted by Commander Waffle

At the beginny part..and the endy part..and somewhere in the middle too.

Well, as long as I didn't totally lose you!!!

[McCoy]

It's difficult to tie down the tracks when there's a lot of open space between the return rollers. In that case it's still possible to get some trackslack with rubberbandtracks by using pins in the hull on the upper side of the tracks that presses down the track. They are easy to hide when paintin' the tracks later on.

I've used that method on this one,

[lufttiger]

I've used both of those methods, and they work well. I've also tried super glue, but that failed. For some reason super glue hates rubber.

[Lemm]

First I have to say LT that dio of the downed aircraft in the ocean if blooming beautiful and I hate aircraft (not really just cant do em). Seriously that is a real gem.
I use the pin in the hull method everytime with the rubber band tracks and you cannot see them. They look pretty good too I feel (oh yeah I hate individual track links too for the same reason as the aircraft).
My PZ III is an old tamiya kit with rubber tracks and I think the pins did a good job on the track sag.



Not the best of images to show what I mean but you should get a rough idea.

[Jim O]

The tracks look pretty good to me Lemm. In fact the whole thing looks good.

[Geek44]

I had a dream about that crashed plane dio. LT. It was 1/1 and over at Paul's place. I was showing it to my partner.
Verlinden has a similar dio...actually two. In the one with the PBY, a wounded crewman is being circled by sharks...
There isn't much separating your and Verlinden's dios here LT. I love it.