After 6 months of work, here is my finished Chariot. I made some modifications, but for the most part, it is out of the box. The biggest change I made was new treads. Each link was hand made. I prepared the tires by wrapping them with a few layers of tape and sealed them with 3 coats of superglue. The same was done to the hubs before the tires were put on. I hope this holds off the problem with the vinyl! I made new dashboard graphics, and added a radar scope to the scanner. I also put some texturing down on the floor. Last, I modified the radar dish, using an old Easter egg, and added screen mesh to the luggage rack and the air intakes.

Thanks to all who built before, I hope you don't mind if I used some of your ideas to modify my kit.

Hope you like it.

Ron

More Photos

Ron

Ron,
Your chariot looks great!
Thanks for posting the pics

Dave

Very nice, I like the treads!

Veeeery Nice!

Ditto on the treads, that must have taken a lot of work!

your figures are mighty nice, too. they really complete the setting

...The biggest change I made was new treads. Each link was hand made.

Can you give details on how you made them?

Looks better than the real treads!!:woohoo:

Mark D

WOW!! This is great work!! I need to get this kit- I want to make a diorama with a 16" Cyclops model kit that Resin From the Grave has! Then I need to get the Robinsons!

It took a while, and I still got the length wrong by three teeth. I made a template full size on the computer using the vinyl treads in the kit (I forgot to account for stretching, hence coming up short!). I used 1.5mm square rod for the teeth, this would allow them to fit in the kits gear drive grooves. 80+ teeth were cut to width for each tread. Then, the small angled "peaks" were all trimmed, again 80+ for each side, then glued in place. Four strips of .002 sheet styrene were then cut a little longer than needed and placed on the template with double sided tape. Each link was then glued in place, aligned with the template below. Once the glue dried the semi-completed tread was removed from the template, flipped over, and the 160+ guide teeth were glued to the inside. One last step before painting is to add the "paddle" on every 5 or 6 links using .002 sheet. Repeat this for the other side and you are ready for paint!

Wow!

Great job and the treads are simply outstanding!

Jim

Your Chariot looks great, Ron. Thats what I like about this place - You read some tips from other modelers, applied them, and shared your own tips with everyone. A great example of what a modeling community should be! :thumbsup:

It took a while, and I still got the length wrong by three teeth. I made a template full size on the computer using the vinyl treads in the kit (I forgot to account for stretching, hence coming up short!). I used 1.5mm square rod for the teeth, this would allow them to fit in the kits gear drive grooves. 80+ teeth were cut to width for each tread. Then, the small angled "peaks" were all trimmed, again 80+ for each side, then glued in place. Four strips of .002 sheet styrene were then cut a little longer than needed and placed on the template with double sided tape. Each link was then glued in place, aligned with the template below. Once the glue dried the semi-completed tread was removed from the template, flipped over, and the 160+ guide teeth were glued to the inside. One last step before painting is to add the "paddle" on every 5 or 6 links using .002 sheet. Repeat this for the other side and you are ready for paint!

The whole build is just beautiful.......:thumbsup: The treads are fantastic.
Very nice work.......

I just completed one of these (VERY stock) and am duly impressed with the job you did on yours. Very nice, sir!

Great job, Ron!

The treads are a fantastic addition.

She looks fantastic Ron :thumbsup: And those treads :):thumbsup::)

All up a top effort mate.:)

Cheers,

Alec.

That is truly a chariot of the gods!!! :eek:

I like your scratchbuilt treads--they add one heck of a lot of authenticity to the kit.:thumbsup:

What color did you use for the red/orange?

That is truly a chariot of the gods!!! :eek:

I like your scratchbuilt treads--they add one heck of a lot of authenticity to the kit.:thumbsup:

What color did you use for the red/orange?
Thanks for all the kind words from everyone. I used Testors Competition Orange 1628. It is not as orange as some, but of all the tests I made, it made the kit look less toy-like. One last detail I forgot to mention is, I made a track for the top dome to slide on so it could open and close. It is in various positions if you look at the photos I posted above.

Ron

Any plans on producing those tracks? he he he. I sure like your's better than I like mines. he he he

I can't think of a way to mass produce them from a master. What makes them work so well is that they are all styrene and paint up great. I ran into a problem with cracking as I wrapped them around the rear gear, but was able to repair them. If I went any thicker on belts they would not bend around the wheels as well, any thinner and the joint between the links and the belt would be too weak. If anyone has a suggestion as to how they can be reproduced, I would gladly give it a try!

Fantastic job Ron. I bookmarked this thread on my favorits to take tips when I build mine. Thanks.

Fantastic job Ron. I bookmarked this thread on my favorits to take tips when I build mine. Thanks.
Wow, thank you. If I can be of any more help with your build, just ask! It is a fun kit.

Ron

Fantastic work RSN, Very clean build.

Really nice sanitary build! Man, the work on those treads is most impressive! Paintwork looks very crisp too! Nice job! :thumbsup:

Fantastic job, especially on the threads. :thumbsup:

Sean