New Tracks From Old Strapping

Many of the Battlekings that I have  acquired over the last six months have been missing their tracks, so I have started experimenting with a technique I have used with other kits of using plastic strapping (such as is used to strap up cardboard boxes) to make new tracks.

A selection of tools and materials used to track the toy tank.

I have improved on the normal method I used of just putting a band of strapping around the running gear by cutting small bits of strapping and gluing it around the curvature of the tracks at front and rear.

Despite losing the commander's head and both tracks, the original paintwork is disturbingly intact.

Strapping goes round running gear, small bits placed at curvature of track to create illusion of more detailed tracks.

 Ideally the small bits created should be uniform in size. I used the THAR  (That Looks About Right) method to achieve this.

Toy tank and lens cap

The next step is to decide on a suitable head to place on the tank commander body, and then paint the tank up.

More tanks.

Other tanks acquired recently have included two of the tanks from Hornby's military train set, and a Playart diecast Chieftain tank. (More on this to  follow  later)

Hornby Tank and Matchbox Chieftain

The Hornby tanks are quite interesting as they seem to based on an impression of what features a modern tank should have, rather than on an actual vehicle. Given that I plan on using them in imagination moderns games, this allows me to give them stats that not overbalance play as they will be used to represent a tank that has been produced by a commercial interest to be marketed towards the lower end of the market.

Side view and bottom view.

They will require a bit of work as the running gear appears to be modeled backwards, and the wheels on the bottom prevent the tracks from sitting on the ground.