Project Patton

[reserve]

Thanks B1J keeping colors the same or at least similar is quite important to the whole "It looks right" concept. I recall not doing so in the past a few times and the results were not good at all.

So, AFV club tracks arrived, soon's I got the box open I knew I was in trouble. Very fragile track blocks and indy guide teeth that need to snap together along with end connectors that fall off the assembly immediatly when the run is picked up. I broke three out of ten blocks just trying to cut them from the sprue, and accordingly, the set now resides in the garbage bucket. Fruil has discontinued this type of track, and they did ont give you enough in a set to complete two runs anyway. The only other alternative is Bronco which is an even more horrible mess. Since I do this for fun and not self torture the M-46 is now on the shelf 'till I can think of a reasonable alternative for track.

I have in the stash an M-60A1, A2, and A3 that were purchased for this series. They're all AFV Club kits; a fact which I find disturbing after the recent debacle with this manufacturer's products

Regards,
Mark

[Beekster]

I was afraid you would run into that with the AFV Club tracks, Mark. I have run into the same issue with their T80E1 and T84 tracks for HVSS Shermans. I too have given up on HVSS projects originally slated for AFV club tracks for the very issues you describe. The only way to get the track shoes off cleanly is to use a razor saw with considerable care, then clean up with a scalpel. But that doesn't solve the real problem: The track pins are too small, which makes them too fragile. The box instructions tell you to snip off the end connectors in five-block sections and build the track that way. I suppose that if you actually glued them together to make what amounts to a link-and-length arrangement you might eventually fight your way through it.

I haven't tried building them yet, but the Rye Field T80E1 tracks look like they require concentration and a light touch with glue to assemble but should be more durable than AFV Club for Sherman subjects. This doesn't help your immediate problem since the tracks aren't the same size.

[JED]

Bad luck and a shame about the tracks Mark,hopefully something will turn up in the not too distant future

[BUCKY]

Very nice work, Mark!

[rustybaer]

I've got a box of those AFV Club tracks myself, less about three links..... I keep thinking I'll take another stab at them one day, and then I remember what a pain they are. I wanted to use them on a Tamiya M-26, just have to wait for something else. For your model, I wonder if Takom sells the link and length tracks from their M-47 kits separately? I did the Italeri M-47 a couple of years ago and used DS tracks on it, still flexible. I just have to remember to use nothing but acrylics on them, otherwise they harden and break. One more random thought: the Tamiya boxing of the Italeri M-47 has the same rubber chevron tracks (T-84E!?) as previously, but they're now molded in Tamiya's very good glueable plastic. I've been pondering buying one of those kits just for the tracks. They would have to be shortened a few links to use on the M-26, no biggie.
Greg, I have a set of the RFM T-80 tracks on a shelf, earmarked for an M-50 on the long hull, just can't quite man up and try them.... yet. I tried the Kaizen set, lost more pieces then I got together so those are boxed up too, right next to the AFV Club monstrosities. They're pure evil.

[reserve]

Yeah I've been battling with the idea of picking up the Italeri or Tammy kit, my problem is I'm cheap. It pretty much does seem to be the only option tho. Takom would be out since I need a track that can articulate; a job not possible with length and link. Or at least a job I'll not tackle anyway

Thanks for the thoughts

Regards,
Mark

[rustybaer]

I've got lots of thoughts...... And yeah, I'm cheap too, and the Tamiya kit is not, big problem. I'm hoping that once shows start back up I'll snag one from a vendor's table at a reasonable cost. I can always use the rest of the kit for some other project.
Maybe another one of these, using DS tracks:
IMG_0581 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

[reserve]

Found the Tammy/Italeri M-47 in the LHS and purchased it a couple days ago, my paint skills were not up where they are now when I did the '47 a few years ago so why not do another I sez. Now have 2 sets of appropriate tracks.

Guess this one's back on; am 2 kits away from having to start AFV Club stuff

Aggghhh

Regards,
Mark

[JCON]

Whoo hoo, you go Mark!!!

[Steve Ski]

I like that camo pattern, looks good!

[reserve]

Right, then the Tammy tracks fit well, just a bit loose



which is a problem easily dealt with

Changed the plan for the model's final attitude on the base so I had to extend it in one direction



and once dry I'll fit things up again and lop off the excess. Love this styrofoam base medium; you can change horses almost all the way thru the stream and no one will be the wiser once it's filled, textured and painted. Sure couldn't do that with wood and celluclay

Regards,
Mark

[reserve]

So I came to the part that I thought might get a little skeechy, the friction snubbers which were gonna need length adjustment since the suspension arms are no longer where they are supposed to be



got the parts in front of me



sawed the snubbers off at the diameter change and drilled a .095" (.005" clearance) hole in the large portion of the part



and now have adjusted length parts.

I

Went much smoother than I thought it might.

I set it on the base where it's gonna be mounted with the road wheels and track on dry, weighted it with a couple paint bottles, and LPC'd all the joints. It's now fit to the base, no turning back with a bright idea now.

I've been previewing the T/I M-47 and two things stick out. It's smooth and slick so I'll have to do a light texture (something I did not do to the last one) and I found that  Tammy includes a couple new sprues, one of which features a mantlet cover. Trouble is that if I use the mantlet cover assembly I'll not be able to fit the gun in the travel lock, and the irony is this is the one time since I started building tanks I'd planned to have the gun in the travel lock.

The irony is not wasted on me

Regards,
Mark

[dogfish7 (R.I.P.)]

Nice work.

[BUCKY]

Ahhh....the fiddly bits!

[reserve]

Having been away for a week it was necessary to step back from the M-46 and think about it so as to get back up to speed. While my noodle was thinkin my hands did this





Trying to keep it lighter as I'll attempt to make it look faded and splotchy and old for a change. The kit was alright...a gem for its time but rather so-so by today's standards

Regards,
Mark

[BUCKY]

Great way to keep the fingers nimble!

[JCON]

Looking good to me!!!

[rustybaer]

Got a question? Are the tracks in the Tamiya boxing of the M-47 actually made from their current material, soft and glueable with regular cement?

[reserve]

Yes they are, I goobered them up liberally with LPC and clamped them overnite, they've stayed together with a very solid joint.

It's finally rained here so I've been visiting the PD's while I can. I've also been working on the Ford that I mentioned elsewhere, the salvage engine has been installed and it runs well. It is, however, giving me OBD II codes P0102 and P0113 which are for the MAF/IAT sensor combination signals not being received by the PCM. This means I'm spending alot of time tracing wires.

I WILL get back to this someday

Regards,
Mark

[rustybaer]

Thanks Mark. I'll be keeping an eye out for that kit, I want the tracks for a Pershing project and the turret for something else.
And remember, when tracing wires, NO distractions. I used to build complete harness for engine swaps and such, and one little distraction and I had to go back and start at the beginning of that particular circuit. Disclaimer: I'm maybe a wee bit OCD anyway.