Is printing your own tracks feasible?

[Jib]

Hey for people with ArmorTeks and the like, is 3D printing your own track links feasible? As in, do they hold up?

I was watching the latest video on the Jumbo Sherman from John at ECA, and it looks like he has tracks print from resin on it, which I thought was some of the weakest materials you could print with.

Now that I’m thinking about it I think this may be a static model?

I’m asking because the tracks that come with the 1/8 Abrams, while functionally accurate (each link is separate with connectors in between each on the outside and inside) the way they did the track pads on the inside and outside leaves a lot to be desired. I could just print new pads, but that would still only get me halfway there because of how the track links are designed. Also the guide fins are not hollowed out as they are on the newer T158LL.

As I’m moving from electronics to aesthetics on the model this is one of the things I’m wondering about, but I’m worried about how it will hold up. It will be a huge undertaking and a lot of material (and I’d probably have to print them solid too, which will take forever), so I’d rather not waste all that time and material if this is not a thing that people have done before successfully.

I have the Bambu X1C, so I could print in the Carbon Fiber PETG for added strength.

[Kaczor]

ECA tracks are not printed they are cast from resin. A friend of mine printed 1/10th-scale T-34 tracks from PETG, and they were quite durable. The strongest would probably be nylon ones printed using the SLS (powder) method. It would probably be best to make at least the connectors from metal on a CNC.

[tankme]

3D printed tracks can be strong depending on material. I have resin printed tracks on some of my 1/16 scale tanks. I would avoid any carbon fiber PETG, ASA, ABS, or PLA if you are looking for strength. Carbon fiber mesh is strong because of the mesh and resin. Chopped carbon fiber pieces mixed in with different plastics is actually less strong than the base plastic. The mix of carbon fiber in the filament is for aesthetics as mixing it into the plastic actually causes weaker layer adhesion since the carbon fiber strands in it don't melt. For a tank like yours with how heavy it is, I'm not sure any plastic would hold up unless it was one of the more industrial plastics like PEEK, PC, or Nylon. Even Nylon is soft though and I don't think it would last long. Personally I would find a CAD or STL file of the track, upload it to PCBway, and get a quote for what it would cost in metal. But that's just how I would do it.

[Jib]

ECA tracks are not printed they are cast from resin. A friend of mine printed 1/10th-scale T-34 tracks from PETG, and they were quite durable. The strongest would probably be nylon ones printed using the SLS (powder) method. It would probably be best to make at least the connectors from metal on a CNC.

I could order more of the connector pins from HL directly, but I don’t want to shell out what ever it is they want if the links are not going to hold up. But, no way to know unless I do it…

Probably save this project for when everything else is done and my pickiness gets the getter of me

[Jib]

3D printed tracks can be strong depending on material. I have resin printed tracks on some of my 1/16 scale tanks. I would avoid any carbon fiber PETG, ASA, ABS, or PLA if you are looking for strength. Carbon fiber mesh is strong because of the mesh and resin. Chopped carbon fiber pieces mixed in with different plastics is actually less strong than the base plastic. The mix of carbon fiber in the filament is for aesthetics as mixing it into the plastic actually causes weaker layer adhesion since the carbon fiber strands in it don't melt. For a tank like yours with how heavy it is, I'm not sure any plastic would hold up unless it was one of the more industrial plastics like PEEK, PC, or Nylon. Even Nylon is soft though and I don't think it would last long. Personally I would find a CAD or STL file of the track, upload it to PCBway, and get a quote for what it would cost in metal. But that's just how I would do it.

Noted about the PETG-CF.

It is a 130lb+ tank (although probably 10 lbs of that is track link) so yeah, I’m skeptical that PETG will hold up over time.

Perhaps if I break track links in the future I can replace them with 3D printed PETG ones and see how they hold up.

[MonsieurTox]

If you just print the links in resin and use metal end connectors you will be safe. The true weakness would come from the end connectors if they were printed in resin.

The only downside would be if you drive it a lot on concrete which is quite abrasive, but hey, that's the same problem with metal tracks on real tanks!

[tankme]

It is a 130lb+ tank (although probably 10 lbs of that is track link) so yeah, I’m skeptical that PETG will hold up over time.

Perhaps if I break track links in the future I can replace them with 3D printed PETG ones and see how they hold up.

I've printed my 1/6th KV-1 tracks in PETG, but they are a single piece track link and a stronger design for plastic printing. I will have to see how they hold up. I just got the motor mounts printed this weekend so the tank isn't mobil yet.

[Jib]

It is a 130lb+ tank (although probably 10 lbs of that is track link) so yeah, I’m skeptical that PETG will hold up over time.

Perhaps if I break track links in the future I can replace them with 3D printed PETG ones and see how they hold up.

I've printed my 1/6th KV-1 tracks in PETG, but they are a single piece track link and a stronger design for plastic printing. I will have to see how they hold up. I just got the motor mounts printed this weekend so the tank isn't mobil yet.

Is your KV-1 3D Printed or from ArmorTek?

[Jib]

I think what I’m going to try first is to 3D print new track pads that maybe better hide how they made the track links, and make them look closer the real thing.

This seems like a more practical first step at least.

I might try 3D printing the fins to give them that hollowed out look, but I think it would be less effort to print a whole new track than to take each link of the track apart and put them back together. I’ll have to hammer out every single pin, and they have them in there super tight.

[tankme]

Is your KV-1 3D Printed or from ArmorTek?

Armortek hasn't made a KV-1. I think the only Russian tank they have made is the T34/85. Mine is an upscaled 1/10th model that is completely 3D printed at 1/6th.