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Hi folks!

I'm planning an IG army and I want to put real world tracks on my vehicles (which will be converted to accommodate said tracks). The problem I face is that I don't know the correct scale to use. can anyone help me with this? I'm sure I've seen pictures of real scaled-down tracks on IG tanks but I can't for the life of me remember where.

Thanks!

1:28 or 28mm

Cheers fella.

I was thinking that I may get away with 1:35 scale tracks if the original kit was big enough (like a Konigtiger or a Panther) but wheels aren't easy to come by and the tracks come in about 300 pieces...


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I know that this is incredibly late of me but I've just noticed that you can no longer get the wheels on the IG tank sprues! What the feth is that all about? I know they were a little pointless if you assembled the tanks as is, but for those tinkerers out there like myself, this is one hefty boot in the bollocks!

well 1:28 would mean a 28mm tall guardsman who is suposed to be 72 inch tall {6ft} would end up being just over 3foot tall ..
a 1:12 fig would be 6inch tall a1:24 scale human figure would be 3inch tall a 1;48 would be about 1 1/2 inch so your looking for 1;56 being about right .
.but remember that GW stuff is normaly bigger then real life so a 1:48 scale would work aswell and that just happens to be one of the main scales for armour kits :]

This should tell you all there is to known about the topic, in a general sense. Without being able to measure the tracks of a specific kit (or do lots of math, pick a suitable vehicle, find a kit, and pray that the scaling is accurate), though, expect to need to make serious adjustments. 40k is vaguely 28mm scale, but takes even more liberties than most "heroic" scales out there, especially when it comes to vehicles.

GW's games scales are always referred to as "heroic 28mm"

that means that GW's product ranges from 30-32mm

 poda_t wrote:
GW's games scales are always referred to as "heroic 28mm"
that means that GW's product ranges from 30-32mm

Not exactly.
1.) LOTR product line is 25mm non heroic.
2.) Heroic 28mm means that in principle, standard size miniatures are about 28mm high (usually to eyeline), but with several parts of the body and equipment heroically enlarged, e.g. heads, hands, guns and swords. Still, Squats and Ratlings are smaller than 28mm, vehicles are usually larger

Yes, the more appropriate term for heroic is Chibi...

Scale creep has caused the current assumption that heroic also means taller than (which is largely ridiculous on the face if you think about it).

@ the OP

If you are looking to add something like linked tracks onto a GW Rhino, Chimera, Russ or Land Raider - you will want to measure the tracks you want to replace and then use that to find a linked track kit that is the correct size. Scale is irrelevant.

If you want to scratch build some new track assemblies, then you will want to measure the old, use that to find a linked track kit that is the correct relative size and kit bash from their. Scale is irrelevant.

If you want to use an existing model as a counts as for a GW model - then you almost are to the point where scale is relevant...but still not. You will want to measure the existing vehicle and then compare the model you want to replace it with and figure out what scale model would be the best replacement. Sometimes it might be 1:48 scale...sometime it might be 1:35 scale. A 1:48 scale Merkava is about as long as a 1:35 Sherman...both of which are comparable to a Leman Russ IIRC.

Once you know which method you want to go about, and which vehicle you want to apply it to - I can give more guidance in selecting the best options available.

These guys probably have one of the largest selections of workable tracks right now and would likely be able to tell you which of their kits you would want for a given length and width:

http://www.friulmodel.hu/en/metal-tracks-p5/

As Sean says a true 40K scale (Chibi - LOL!) is pretty irrelevant. Real world tank tracks come in a wide range of widths. Light WWII tanks have narrow tracks and later war tanks (T34, Tiger, King Tiger) had much wider tracks, similar to the width of modern tanks. The most common scale for armor is 1/35th, so start looking at 1/35th scale tank kits

You can figure out how wide the tracks are in a 1/35th scale by finding online reference material how wide the real life tracks are dividing that width by 35 to get the width of the tracks in a kit.

Tim

 Sean_OBrien wrote:
Yes, the more appropriate term for heroic is Chibi...

Scale creep has caused the current assumption that heroic also means taller than (which is largely ridiculous on the face if you think about it).

@ the OP

If you are looking to add something like linked tracks onto a GW Rhino, Chimera, Russ or Land Raider - you will want to measure the tracks you want to replace and then use that to find a linked track kit that is the correct size. Scale is irrelevant.

If you want to scratch build some new track assemblies, then you will want to measure the old, use that to find a linked track kit that is the correct relative size and kit bash from their. Scale is irrelevant.

If you want to use an existing model as a counts as for a GW model - then you almost are to the point where scale is relevant...but still not. You will want to measure the existing vehicle and then compare the model you want to replace it with and figure out what scale model would be the best replacement. Sometimes it might be 1:48 scale...sometime it might be 1:35 scale. A 1:48 scale Merkava is about as long as a 1:35 Sherman...both of which are comparable to a Leman Russ IIRC.

Once you know which method you want to go about, and which vehicle you want to apply it to - I can give more guidance in selecting the best options available.

These guys probably have one of the largest selections of workable tracks right now and would likely be able to tell you which of their kits you would want for a given length and width:

http://www.friulmodel.hu/en/metal-tracks-p5/

 Kroothawk wrote:

 poda_t wrote:
GW's games scales are always referred to as "heroic 28mm"
that means that GW's product ranges from 30-32mm

Not exactly.
1.) LOTR product line is 25mm non heroic.
2.) Heroic 28mm means that in principle, standard size miniatures are about 28mm high (usually to eyeline), but with several parts of the body and equipment heroically enlarged, e.g. heads, hands, guns and swords. Still, Squats and Ratlings are smaller than 28mm, vehicles are usually larger

Kroothawk is right on the money.
3 terms every modeler should know when it comes to GW minis.
Heroic: Means exagerated features. Heroic models are not exact scale models, they are chunky, chibi and hefty for easy painting castability and durability.
28mm: This is the measurement from sole to eyeline. Most GW human figs are pretty close to this, but many are a bit taller because of....
Scale Creep: The tendancy over time of companies to make models that get bigger and bigger. Thus many "28mm Heroic" models from GW are actually closer to 30mm heroic.

As for the OP's issue, if you have a good model shop nearby, take one of the GW treads you are going to replace and see if it matches any of the aftermarket parts they are selling or any of the models they have on display. Show it to the shop owner, and they may be able to give you additional advice.

Thanks for the replies people! The plan is to to completely do away with the original track units on the IG vehicles because, let's face it, they wouldn't work in real life!

 Elnibbus wrote:
Thanks for the replies people! The plan is to to completely do away with the original track units on the IG vehicles because, let's face it, they wouldn't work in real life!

It would work - you just wouldn't want to actually ride in it...especially at speed across a battlefield. Most the WWI tanks which GW used as inspiration for their vehicles had the exact same suspension (or lack there of) as what you see on GW models.

The few redesigns that pulled it off well that I have seen took a nod from the Baneblade - about the only 40K tank outside of some of the orc vehicles which looks to have a functioning suspension. Use the same large loop track configuration but cut away a bit of the armor near the bottom so that you can fit in some bogeys and drive wheels. You can see an OK representation of the concept here:

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Orks/ORK_VEHICLES/ORK-GUNWAGON.html

It will maintain the aesthetic while allowing an engineered solution for the drive train.

@Sean_OBrien,

I know what you mean about 'lifting the skirt' (so to speak, giggedy) on the track units. Life would have been so much simpler had GW continued to do the wheels that go inside the tracks- because they no longer do, I'd have to fabricate the wheels from plastic tube.

I've found a shop on ebay that sells model tank wheels. I plan to remove the side tracks entirely and build new ones using the model wheels and the tracks from the Land Raider kit. With a bit of fettling, I think I can make the tracks look similar to this: http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/Tiger1-2002-Picz/Tiger1-131-Bovington-2004.jpg