I've constructed two sets of Friul and it took hours. I love the technique, the way you explain solutions to possible problems and the fact you shared. Viva the Usher Method :-) Thank you.
Someone in my local hobby shop told me about using dress pins, steel type, which are more resistant to bending. I've been using them without fail for about 2 years now. But I must say your use of the 'hold n fold' is pure genius. Patent it - NOW!! 👍
Thank you thank you thank you 🙏 I’m a huge fan of metal tracks and now it’ll take me one tiny fraction of the time it used to take. I love this easy, genius, super cheap ideas
Way to go Mr Usher. What a fantastic way to assemble these friulmodel track sets. I have been using staples to connect the links but I never thought to put them together in a photoetch bender, Thank you very much for sharing your great idea. Take Care....
Just wished you'd carried on and made more videos Peter. I think they would have been excellent and it would have been nice to see how you make your excellent models and dioramas
I just used your method last night, it worked perfectly! This is my 1st shot at these tracks for a Tiger 1 and couldn`t imagine drilling each track out! Only thing I did differently was use regular sewing pins, which worked just fine. Thanks so much for posting this method, it`s awesome!
Excellent idea! I've just started to buy these tracks, but being curious how the wire was fitted delayed my decision as I wanted realistic results in all areas of the build. Kudos to RU-vid and yourself for these tutorials!
Very inspiring video and method Peter! I adapted it somewhat, cause many pins got bended. Manually pre-inserting the pins through one side of all tracks, then connecting them, thus pushing through the resistance of just one track, reducing chances of bending. Finally cutting the protruding pins with a Dremel cutter. Great fun, thnx again!
Another impressed viewer Peter, just got 6 sets of these. Had used the other make with resin pins, too much drilling and pins snapping. This method looks far better, thank you. Off to order those pins 👍. John
I think everyone over thinks this. I use the supplied wire and a cutter only. I jam the wire through the hole, without cleaning it up, snip flush. Repeat. Super fast, no idea why anyone drills them out. If anything the material in there helps hold the wire.
I have decided to fit metal track to a 1/35 Chieftain. Having not used this type of track before, I had no idea of what a time consuming pain in the arse it really is. Thank you for uploading this video and sharing your discovery/
If you use slightly shorter pins, the heads will look like the track pins so no need to cut them off. Love the idea of the hold and fold, I'll be using that where I can.
Simple.........but brilliant, thanks so much for sharing "The Usher Method", I just bought my first set of Friul's and this is by far the faster & easier idea.
Great idea I think that will work on some of the plastic types to I have a etch mate I think it would help a lot just to keep the track parts straight thanks for sharing
Hi Peter , welcome to our fab community ! You need any help or anything at all give us a message !! Hope you and the family had a great new year ! That panther book I've got it's excellent !! Really great !! Great idea matey ! Another really quick way is staples !! They work a treat !!
I use bridal & lace pins, nickel-plated steel and 0.5mm in diameter which is closer to what the recommended drill hole is. Did you have any broken track links using the 0.65mm Prym pins?
I thought about getting some pins instead of using the supplied resin pins. This solidifies why I should get them. Thanks for moving my decision forward into not only the actual realism but not spending hours cleaning and pinning. Ever try burnishing fluids?
I assembled friulmodel's track only once but almost without driling. Wire is harder than white metal so, in most of the pieces, it was enough to push the wire hard into the holes to get through.
I'm struggling to assemble Master Club's T26 tracks which have 0.4mm resin pins (one for ech side of each track). I've ordered some 0.4mm brass rod and hope this will do the trick. Great idea about using the hold n fold - could be the last piece in my particular jigsaw! Great tip and I like your presentation style so I'm subscribing now. Keep up the great work!
Excellent idea Peter. I have two concerns, which hopefully you can clarify. 1). Do you ever hammer the pin through the other end of the link? 2). After completing the assembly, you place the links in a bath of fluid to turn them dark. Do the pins discolour also?
I'm putting together m18 hellcat tracks just now and there so brittle they would just snap doing this and the sanding is just rediculious! There kinda like same shape as a panzer 4 the 3 track pin holes are not as well protected like Panthers and tigers! One of the track heads was snapped off in the bag there and the 4mm drill bit took the front of a bite hole off another so hopefully there is a couple spare they have throw in the box for issues like this!
The issue I have is that my 1/35 King Tiger tracks are something like 24mm long but my 0.5mm drill bit isn’t long enough.....I am now going to try this method and just stick the pins in and saves me from drilling out every one
So the BEST metal track sets are from MASTER CLUB. they have alittle more details and they are crisper.Plus I've yet had to drill any holes.as these sets come with super detailed resin pins for both sides.and the great part is no glues needed.yeah ...so far I've put 4 sets together.burshed them .painted /weathered etc.without glue.two pins backed out but that may have been on me for not setting them in enuff.they are about the same $$ as fruils.
I'm sorry to say this, but the method is flawed - and for one simple reason - the track pinhole is 5mm, so trying to jam a .65mm pin through it just doesn't work - well it didn't in my case. I tried the method exactly as you suggested and the first link bent, buckled, and broke - because I was trying to force a .65mm pin into a 5mm hole! After that I bought some 5mm pins, slid them in, put a drop of super glue on and then cut off the excess - no problem.
THAT. Is THE most complicated and tedious way of making a simple task of assembling white metal tracks I have ever seen. I had, using the brass provided in the box, both sets of tracks assembled in 30 minutes. By simply cutting all the brass wire to the required length, using a single drill in a pin vice that went the full distance through the track link without punching through the other side, rolling each pin on glass with a steel ruler to get the pin dead straight, then adding a dab of super glue to one end and slinging the track on the model. 30 Minutes. SIMPLE.
K COX what have you build a Panzer 1, fuckin idiot this method is by far the best I've ever seen it took me five hours for both Panther tracks and I worked very fast
30 minutes to build 2 X 88 link tracks? Just to measure, cut and straighten 176 brass connecting pins would take 30 minutes (assuming each takes on average 10 seconds, which is reasonable). Simple maths suggests that your claim is dubious.
lol this is a very british/ russian ec down to earth method common sense method every other video on this invloves a drill of some kind and still takes ages ... your method - smash the pins in with with a fucking hammer hahaha probally not too far off how track pins are inserted in reality if i had to guess tbh
