Friulmodel track assembly > step by step

 

 

 

 

FRIULMODEL TRACK ASSEMBLY PT 1: Here are the basic elements to assembling Friulmodel's metal track links using .020 (20 thousandths) brass rod instead of the wire supplied in the track set. .020 brass rod is available from most general hobby stores. The supplies shown above are: the model for reference (due to scale limitations, the link count may be off by a few track links so it is good to have the semi-completed model/chassis as reference), the correct Friulmodel set, plenty of brass rod, and some basic hand tools.

Here are the tools I use for this process. From the left: your standard hobby (X-Acto) knife, mini-drill (pin vise), flush-face cutters (shears), and most importantly good small pliers. The knife is for clean-up of the flash. The mini-drill is used to clean the holes out. The cutters are to trim the rod when done. And the pliers are to hold the rod securely as you push it thru the holes.

The first step is to pre-drill (or clean up) the holes. Even though I am showing a half-completed run, the process is the same when starting with the first link. I highly recommend when first trying this method to pre-drill the holes. Once you get the hang of the technique you can by-pass this step to help speed up the process. Sometimes the light tanks with their small links may still need to be drilled as they are very delicate and damage can result otherwise if too much pressure is used.

 

 

Once both links are cleaned-up and pre-drilled you can put them together to insert the brass rod.

Next is to grasp the brass rod with the pliers. I like to hold it with just a little longer rod exposed than needed to go thru the holes of both links. VERY IMPORANT: hold the rod with the lower edge of the jaws so that you can apply pressure horizontally thru the holes and not downward. You will bend the rod otherwise at it hits the links and not the holes. It will still happen occasionally, but this way keeps that problem from happening too a minimum. After doing a couple of sets you can almost avoid bending the rod altogether.

Start by gently putting the brass rod into the first hole of each link. You feel slight pressure as it begins to go thru the series of holes in both links. I hold the tracks firmly down with my left hand and nearly lay the pliers flat on the work surface as I apply the pressure with my right hand. If the holes are lined up properly the rod will slide thru easily with minimum fuss. Sometimes they are a little off and it requires a little more pressure, but use finesse and don't try to manhandle the rod, it will bend. Push until you feel it stop at the far end of the holes. You will feel the difference as it does not want to go any further. I add just a slight bit more firm pressure to push the brass rod into the soft metal of the end of the link which is sufficient to hold it place. Careful not to push thru the other side (quite hard to do, but some of you guys/gals might not know your own strength!) and hit your fingers - it will hurt.

If the links are difficult or you are having a hard time pushing thru all of the holes, it can help to lift the link along the axis and it will line the holes up a little better. If that still does not work, re-drill the holes and try again or use a new link. Friulmodel supplies plenty of spares so don't be afraid to grab a fresh one.

Once the rod has been set in place (you can verify this by visually inspecting the gaps between the holes and actually see the brass rod in place), use your flush-face cutters and clip off the excess rod. Hold onto both ends as it will fly away across the room in utter frustration and descriptive expletives. The final step is to take the end of the pliers and gently push the rod in again to make sure it is set in place. Viola!! Once you get the hang of it, a complete set for a medium size tank will take about 2-3 hours.

 

 

When you have finished the construction of the tracks, it is now time to fit them to the tank to make sure they look correct. I like to cut the final track pin extra long as this helps to make installing and removing of the tracks very easy. This helps a lot when you need to take in-progress pictures or, more importantly, remove them for weathering. I hide the pin underneath the chassis and have flipped the model over and set it on a foam pad to prevent damage as I install the final pin. You can always trim it off after the final installation.

 

Friulmodel/Blacken-it solution > step by step

 

  

   

  

To me one of the main advantages of using Friulmodel is that they can be weathered chemically rather than being painted. I find this gives a tremendous level of realism to the final model and is quite convincing when seen in person. I use a product found in Model Railroading shops called Blacken-It. I lot of Friulmodel distributors are now becoming aware of it and I now get my supply from Mission Models. It is a simple chemical solution that instantly weathers many types of metal to give them an aged appearance. In the case of Friulmodel tracks the result is a very nice dark brown/black coloring. It also adds a little texture to the tracks as well which makes it all the nicer and comes in handy later when I show the next stage in the weathering process.

 

 

 

Here is my set-up for applying the solution. I like a medium size plastic container that is about 3-4" deep and is easy to clean-up. I highly recommend the use of latex gloves and safety glasses for this part of the process. I use an old stiff brush (an old toothbrush works well also) to help get the liquid in the small holes, and a large pair of tweezers to help pull the small pieces of spare track links out of the container.

 

 

 

Now that I have the tracks ready to go, including any spare links as well - I pour the Blacken-It directly over the tracks. As you can see, the process begins immediately as this photo was taken seconds after I poured it in. Depending on the track size I usually pour around a 1/2" deep (about 1cm) level to begin working. The process takes a few minutes to get really going and I like to start using the brush to begin working the solution into the tracks. Move all of the pieces around, turning them over frequently to ensure even coverage. This first application should last around 10 minutes or so. The liquid will turn a muddy brown color indicating all of the solution has been used properly. I haven't found any advantage to leaving them in any longer unless you want the tracks to turn black. I prefer a browner color as this a little more consistent with actual colors seen on armor. In the end it is up to you what you want so work accordingly. Experiment first with different lengths of time on some spare links to get a better idea.

 

 

 

 

 

VIOLA!! >> pull them out and lay them flat on a paper towel to dry thoroughly.

 

Results from Blacken-it solution…

 

Here are the tracks after 24hours of drying time. This coloring already looks great and is perfect for heavily rusted tracks commonly found on abandoned vehicles or desert conditions. As you can see there are still some bare metal spots showing - this is normal. I have heard that presoaking the tracks in vinegar or washing them first can help alleviate this problem. But the second application usually covers them when using a brush to work it in the small crevices and holes.

Here are the tracks after a second soaking the following day. Again I let them dry overnight. As you can see the bare metal spots are mostly gone and whatever is left will be taken care of with the next process. This photo is a little over-exposed, but you can still see the various color shifts and intensities. I personally love this, as it adds that much more character to the final model and gives some nice variations as well. Now the tracks are ready for their final weathering and I can begin the next step of applying washes and pigments.

 

 

 

 

The first soaking usually creates a nice rust brown base color. A second soaking in a NEW batch of Blacken-it (it is not reusable) will create a far darker black-brown color.

 

 

 

 

OK, with the "basecoat" finished I then applied a wash of mud pigments that were used on the model these tracks were meant for. Next, I brushed on a heavy oil wash of dark brown/black color to get the look you see here. Experiment with wash recipes using raw umber, burnt sienna, and black. You can control the final outcome by varying the level of each color. However, you must wait until they dry completely to see the ultimate result - use a hair dryer to speed up the drying time.

 

Friulmodel > final weathering  

 

 

 

Now that the tracks are etched with the Blacken-it process and are a suitable base-color, it is time to move on to weathering. What follows is an explanation using the main tools and supplies that I like to work with for adding the final ‘look’. First I use an oil wash, usually a black/rust combo to tint the tracks accordingly (again work towards the look you want for your subject), and then I apply pigments for the dust and dirt. To finish them off I lightly brush the surfaces that receive contact both with the ground and the running gear with steel wool followed by the sanding sticks, all of which are fine grade. Unless you plan to display the model in heavy mud, the inner track surface will wear from contact with the road even when they are rubber.

Here we can see the variations to the Churchill tracks used for my example. The main tracks were first given a very thin rust colored wash. Next I applied some earth and dust colored pigments (pastels work very well also) dry with an old brush and then airbrush Humbrol thinner over them to seal them in. After that I took a small piece of steel wool and went over the main cleat surface and the inner contact area to develop the bright spots. I followed that with the sanding stick on the outer cleat surfaces only, just enough to show the bare metal of the Friulmodel. The spare track links were given a heavy wash of black and burnt sienna oils and then I applied a light coat of rust and dirt colored pigments before gluing them onto the model.

Here are the final spare tracks after being glued to the model and given one last coat of dust & dirt colored pigments. I treated each set a little different to provide some variation to

them, for instance, the tracks glued to the front of the turret next to the MG were given another rust colored wash and then some more pigments before I was satisfied with the

result. This is where the pigments really come into their own, as they provide such subtle tone variations it becomes a lot of fun to create these effects.

The main tracks were fitted back onto the nearly completed model and then given a light dust coat of pigment to blend them into the rest of the colors I was working with. I always try to keep in mind what the final result will look like and try to work towards that goal. You can also see the effects of bringing out the worn metal spots with the steel wool and sanding sticks - very easy and effective. Note how heavily dusted the front spare tracks became in the end; their location dictated this look especially on a Churchill. I achieved this by using the lighter dust colored pigments and brushing them on dry.

Here are some more variations achieved with Friulmodel tracks using the same technique just described.

 

(A) These tracks were given a wash of dark black/brown and then followed by another wash of rust color only in between each link. I brushed a thin coat of earth pigments and light sanding to finish them off.

 

(B) Jagdtiger tracks with a wash of light brown and rust colors, and then some rust colored pigments were added.

 

(C) I went for a heavily worn and dirty look for this Russian heavy tank. Washes were more in the brown and rust tones and then went over with Europe dust and Russian earth colored

pigments before a very light sanding to just hit the high spots.

 

(D) For a more intense rust colored set on this German light tank, I applied only a light rust color wash followed by rust and dirt colored pigments. A good sanding was done to really bring the bare metal thru of the outer cleat surfaces for some nice contrast. Well there you have it, my method for building and finishing Friulmodel tracks -