RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

Will be painting my new metal sprockets & idlers before installing them and was wondering would you paint the whole sprockets or just the outside face that shows?
I’m used to painting all surface’s just to protect them ,just wouldn’t want the paint gumming up the metal tracks I’ll be installing....

Start with metal etching primer (Brush or spray) then because it is a German tank of ww2 you should use a red oxide acrylic Primer,
If you use a rattle can then do cover the whole surface and as long as the paint is quite dry it wont gum up the works.
All the metal items on your tank will need Metal Etching primer or the paint just wont take.
When you come to fit the sprocket covers DO NOT GLUE THEM IN PLACE or when you need to remove them later you will be stuffed,
Use Magnets instead of glue.

jarndice wrote:Start with metal etching primer (Brush or spray) then because it is a German tank of ww2 you should use a red oxide acrylic Primer,
If you use a rattle can then do cover the whole surface and as long as the paint is quite dry it wont gum up the works.
All the metal items on your tank will need Metal Etching primer or the paint just wont take.
When you come to fit the sprocket covers DO NOT GLUE THEM IN PLACE or when you need to remove them later you will be stuffed,
Use Magnets instead of glue.

Great advice,had read about magnets being used on the hub covers but what about the really tiny ones on the idlers? Doubt I’ll find magnets that small to fit them.

Go to -----
www.first4magnets.com
They have a massive range of all shapes and sizes,
Their prices are fair and they deliver very quickly,
I have been a happy buyer and user of their products for years and recommend them.

We also have several different crafts stores that carry many sizes of magnets.nice to lay actual eyeballs on things to be able to accurately judge sizes!

The Size of magnet to hold the Hull to the Body is not as important as the type.
Relying on superglue to hold the magnets in place is a waste of time they are far too strong and will pull away,
You would be best advised to buy "Countersunk" Neodymium magnets" you can screw them into position with reasonable confidence that they will hold. I generally use 10mm x 2mm x 3mm Countersunk in a pack of 10,
Product number F102S-10, ("S" for south) Being countersunk if you are going to place one in the hull and one opposite in the body then the properties of magnets means they will oppose each other rather than attract so you would need Product number F102N-10, ("N" for north) to attract,
Obviously if you are mounting a magnet opposite a steel plate or screw then you wont have that problem and you just use the one type but I always use one against the other because they really do hold.
WARNING Avoid placing them close to the gearbox motors.
Warning Avoid banging them together they sometimes shatter.

"YES" And I did not say size does not matter, I said size was not as important as to the type. IE Solid versus Countersunk.

Sooo the hub covers on the rear idlers of the Panzer 3-4 are really quite small ,what about just using a drop of Rubber Cement to secure them?

I would use double sided tape or if you must use an adhesive then try Threadlock.

I should have said "Just a smear on two opposite sides of the inside edge of the cover",
That way the cap is held in place but a blade or a jewellers screwdriver edge would prise it off.I am in the middle of updating my very first PZ4 and one of the crimes that I committed is that I glued the front sprocket caps on DOHH,
But the first Tank is always the steepest part of the learning curve,
When I took the Body from the Hull I was amazed at how crude both Heng Longs work and mine was.
There is much work to do.