How to Build Individual Tank Track links [ Quick and Easy Tutorial ] Plastic models 

An option is to glue the wheels to the track but not to the vehicle. Then you can work on the whole running gear separately and then simply press them onto the vehicle at the end.

This was very informative. Now, please do a video on how to paint the whole thing with the tracks in place, seems daunting.

Very nice video Andy. Being a retired 20 year Army veteran with most of those years on tanks, I did want to point out that what you call drive wheels are actually called support rollers. Just an FYI.

This is exactly how i do them! A metal straightedge can be helpful to make sure the tracks are straight.

For years, I thought Andy was saying "Link and Link" tracks!! Now I know.

I have been building 1/35 armor for about 1 year and have been avoiding tanks with single track links and have gone for the rubber band type. After watching this video I have started my first single track build. I have put the tracks together and they worked great. Opened a whole lot of more models to build. Thanks Andy.

I would really like to see how you paint track when it is then glued on to the road wheels. That is very tricky and why I have been hesitant to buy individual link kits!

Gah, my first Sherman Tank model had these piece-by-piece tracks! It took forever, but I was happy with how it came out.

For years, I would always toss individual track links in kits. I would spend a ton of time on the 'rubber band' tracks to make them look good. Or, buy metal metal tracks You've made it look so easy. Thanks.

Finally, you're back with an instructional video.

Thanks for this video, Andy. I got the same tweezers and cement you mentioned and I'm now working on fully individual link tracks for a German Grille. Slow going with such small track links but it's working! Cheers...

As always, a great instructional video. Thanks for posting. Andy, you never fail to deliver the goods.

Good tip and easy to follow instructions. Glad to see you still enjoying armor.

Congratulations Andy. I really like your videos. They are simple and easy to understand.

Currently while watching this, I’m building a Tamiya halftrack! Love your videos, keep up the good work man!

Just built up the tracks on the 38(t) using your technique, worked perfectly. Yo may want to do a short add on for tanks without return rollers like the Panthers and Tigers to get the right sag off the drive sprocket.

I just finished building Tamiya's Panzer 38 (t) and that was the first model I built which has the link and length track. I watched your video of you building it at least 3 times for tips on how to build it and using the knowledge I got off of your other builds with the same track style, I was able to throw the tracks together with little issue. Thanks, Andy and keep up the great work.

13:16 that is cool looking glue holder

Very timely tutorial. I am just about to attempt a tank with link and length tracks for the first time. That is a great help 😃👍

Great presentation of the building kit !🙂👍

Great vid Andy ....great instructional video ....finally Outstanding video Andy...i was going through withdrawls 👍👍😄😄😄🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

I enjoy building those tracks and they seem to be the norm in tamiya 1/48 kits which are really good

Thanks Andy. A really helpful video. Look forward to more of these (when you get time of course!)

Lovely, simple and straightforward. great tutorials and not an assesory in sight.

Nice job I do my tracks like this the panzer 3 is a nice kit hope to see you do there stug as well 🇬🇧

Perfect timing! I was planning to do the tracks on my Takom M47 tonight!

Very informative video Andy and enjoyable and useful Steve 🇬🇧

This is perfect. I have a Dragoon M1A1-HA and it has the individual links. I have always avoided them with other models, time to give it a go. Thanks for the video.

Am building the Takom Hetzer. Your video was totally helpful. Thanks Andy for sharing your expertise.

Great video Andy, keep them coming!!!

Awesome Andy! Will be coming by your shop in September.

Thank you ....I just built an AMT/Esci T-72 in 1/35 scale ....it had link and length track ....it was the first one I've done and succeeded at ....patience ....that's THE key ..... now I'm going to tackle an Italeri Type 59 Chinese tank and maybe Trumpeteer .....👍❤🇺🇸

I just ordered Rye Field Models new Panzer IV J Sd.kfz. 161/2 with full interior and clear parts. I can't wait to build it

Thanks for this video. We all needed this.

I assemble mine on painters tape, keeps them in place and straight. It also allows you to bend them around the drive sprockets.

Excellent video, Andy!

Just started a track for the dragon panzerfahre in 1/35. All individual links. So far I'm doing what your showing and it seems to be working out.

Black Testors Glue with the surgical applicator is the best glue hands down to put any tracks together, you glue the run together, let it dry for 45 minutes and you have a crap ton of time to mold the tracks perfectly. Just sayin, great video still Andy

I'm glad you made this video I was building a kv-220 kit back and January but got deterred by how the tracks where supposed to be built

This guy is a legend i try for the first time straight ahead good tnx a lot

Thanks. RE : Trumpeter's KV 5 . Follow the instructions and you'll be 4 links short and wrong on the bends. .. But you get enough links so just plan ahead and change the lengths and you'll be fine.

Very useful, cheers Andy.

Hi Andy, this is a wonderful instructive video, im about to put tracks on a Tamiya 1/48 Sherman, 1st time doing amour, brilliant cheers.

Great Tutorial!

Thanxx a lot for this very usefull video. Will use your technique for my next build.

great advice, thanks andy 🙌👌

Tamiya makes THE BEST link and length tracks of any kit manufacturer IMO. They are a joy to build compared to other companies' products.

Nice video Andy!!

That’s great, thanks Andy 👍🏻

Great video Andy!!!! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Great vídeo thanks you save my day

Thanks Andy!

Andy, thank you for doing this very helpful video. Like others I have been having problems doing link and link tracks. I watched this video and used the same method today to do the tracks for a Tamiya 1/48 Panzer iii Ausf N. It worked great. Now I paint the tracks separately. I also would like to see a short video on how you paint the tracks when they are already on the model. I have learned a lot from your videos.

Damn now I have to buy a PzIII and make a glueholder out of it. Looks perfect :D

Would you do a video on rubber tracks sometime? I gave myself the challenge of having my first tank kit to be a Dragon kit, so I have rubber tracks. Could use tips/an instructional video on them...

Great work! I've found that kits by Tamiya & AFV Club with Indy link or link & length tracks usually go together easily. I have however run into kits from hobby boss & trumpeter where the Indy tracks just refused to align or in the case of my trumpeter BMP 1 just would not stay together No matter what glue I used, I suspect the dye used in the track link plastic caused the issue, it was a pale tan while the rest of the kit was gray.

Nice work...but I prefer metal type tracks from fruimodel which can be more realistically weathered with etching solutions i.e. AK interactive which I have had great success with. In any case..,great video's Andy..! Keep them comming especially all the news on up and comming new products..

Thank you!

you make it loom so easy. When I do link/length tracks it's like trying to put snakes in a sack.

Cool vid. I'm just starting to put together MiniArts T-60 (r) track together, they're fiddly as fk but now I know how to tackle this tricky part of the build. BTW, it's a fantastic kit!

Thanks for sharing, so after you glue the track and wheel together how can you paint this part?

I need a fix. I preshaded/black basted my 1/28 or 1/48 fokker tri plane red baron kit, well since it's been 20+ years since I last put a kit together, well I painted over all that work. No more preshading, etc. I got some tamiya smoke, but it isnt what i wanted. So in the future how do i correct the mistake i made? Thinking next pay period I'm going to order something online from you Andy. Thanks for all your hard work.

Beautiful job Andy ! Any chance of a similar video on drilling out non slide moulded gun barrels ! Edward

My FIRST 1:35 model... is a DRAGON Panther D 🙈🙈 yes, its ALL single link tracks haha hence why I'm here 😂

love from australia

awesome

I have a question about mixing tamiya paint for airbrushing. What's the amount of thinners you need to mix with .I can't remember which video it was in . Thanks.

Where’d you get the stand for your glues? In the first few minutes, you’ve got your tamiya extra thin cement in it

Good video!! Now try building Bronco OR Meng individual tracks!! you got to build an entire track shoe: pads, end connectors, guide teeth, sometimes pins. Definite exercise in patience with those kits. Built the REAL thing while in the military, so why would I want to build an entire shoe in modeling?!?!!?

Andy please show us how you paint and weather the tracks.

I made my own track jig from ice cream sticks. Works wonders for this type of track. Usually I would put each link on the jig and glue them together. The jig helps line them up nice and straight. Once I have the suitable length for a curved section, I'll start bending the entire piece against a sprocket or idler wheel while the cement is still drying to form the shape. When done, the section should curve around the sprocket or idler nicely while the ends touch the return roller or road wheel to form a continuous section with the larger track pieces. Edit: From personal experience, I'd say the normal Tamiya cement(cube bottle with white cap or hex shaped with orange cap) works best. But as shown in this vid, the extra thin version works too. Also you will really need a track jig for KV/IS Russian heavy tank style tracks. They don't have any groves or surfaces to line each up by their connecting rods. The only surfaces that can vaguely help straighten the alignment is the teeth and the inner flat surface, which if you don't have a jig will be difficult to line them up.

Can you do a video of how to paint with them in place please?

I feel like professional as beginner now I made a tracks with my pure hands

How do you get the individual parts to stick so well? When I do it I can leave the cement to set for a whole day and parts will still fall off when handled. I use Tamiya extra thin cement

I haven't yet managed to do these type of tracks satisfactorily.

That appears smooth I tried the zvezda bmp1 tracks messed up the kit

Just like I do except after gripping track link in tweezers add - Squeeze too hard, track shoots off bench...spend 10 minutes on hands and knees searching for said piece...harking for the good old days of 'Rubber band' tracks where you needed superglue..staples, a hot nail and clamps.

And how do you paint the tracks? Now they're on the model?

How about a novice doing 1/72 link and length tracks

Where can I find the tweezers you mentioned?

Funny, I was just thinking you were a smart aleck for making this look so easy on other videos. Maybe I won't throw that 1/48 scale T55 away after all. And please teach me to get halves, fuselage, bomb, drop tank, hull to match. I end up with a step between halves EVERY TIME.

Been a A.F.V. modeller for years and assembled a lot of individual track links and l can honestly say it is the one part of building a model which l don,t enjoy , bores me rigid and l hate doing . l,ll admit they look realistic and accurate but there,s a part of me that misses the old rubber band tracks from the past . Am l unique in this ?

Thanks for the help, I'm building an old Dragon Nashorn, and the instructions for the individual tracks are basically none...

I hate individual tracks. Recently I started with after market workable tracks, and I love them.

I like rubber tracks if I built a modern Afv cause almost modern afvs has side skirts covering the upper tracks and you could not building all track parts one by one if it provides only individual tracks. 😁😁😁

I’m confused as to color of road wheels and tracks. Do u always paint black borders, I guess designated and rubber surface or paint the wheels color of vehicle and tracks and base metal before weathering. I find this the most daunting part of armore.

What's the status of the RC wrecker build Andy?

Guess I should start making some more tanks, once i added my videos back up...

Now do a video on Meng's Panther tracks. That will drive anyone away from an armor kit.

Next how to paint track without separately

Does your online store ship to canada?

I bought a Tamiya Tiger 1 late version and I have to build the track with 100/99 small track parts 🤦🏻‍♂️ This is my first modell building

what kin a tank is this andy

I couldn't handle the dragon sherman firefly tracks, I had to buy others.

The problem here andy, more advanced modelers would want to wait with the tracks untill the model is painted

The time it takes must be very time consuming

Takom Panzer.III Ausf.M👍👍👍👍👍👍

I hate it so much but finish is good sometimes

Apologies to all who like link and length, but I absolutely despise them. I will always buy metal tracks if available. Hasn't limited kits I can build yet.

What, no intro? Who are you and what have you done with Andy??? Next up, metal link tracks and how to get paint to stick to them...