MiniArt 1/35 T-34 Wafer-Type Workable Track Links Set First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

I don't know about you, but in many of the armor kits I see these days, I usually find one of two extremes. Either the kit has the vinyl 'rubber band' track which is usually detailed on one side and not so much on the other, or you find the hyper-detailed alternative that take many parts just to assemble an individual track link. I usually lose my will to live with the latter option. Some kits have what they call workable track links that simply snap together and they're ready for paint and weathering.

MiniArt has produced such a set for the T-34/76, T-34/85 and SU-85 self-propelled gun. These are the so-called 'wafer-type' of track link where every other track link has a guide tooth. This set is molded in light gray styrene and presented on ten square trees of parts, each containing eight tracks with guide teeth. The set also includes eight trees of 12 links without guide teeth. Simply snap these together, paint and do your initial weathering, install them on your favorite T-34/SU-85 project, then finish the whole model off with the rest of your overall weathering. While I don't use 'workable' tracks, these snap-together tracks will allow me to position the track sag and/or deformities replicating the tank moving over an obstacle, glue the links all in place, and heading on for adult beverages.

If you're looking for a workable track solution and you don't want to go with the metal track links that weigh more than the rest of the model, MiniArt has released a nice option and I hope we see more of these sets in the future.

Thanks to MiniArt Models for the review sample.