# Melting Plastic Chariot Treads Question



## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

*I was wondering if Moebius had fixed the Chariot tread melting problem?*
I have a kit I purchased more than a year ago and wanted to buy a new set of reformulated treads (or plastic wheels, whichever is appropriate), without buying a whole new model. 

I think it would be inappropriate to ask for a free-bee at this point, but I don't want to spend the price of a whole new model. Perhaps I could just pay Moebius for the cost of shipping and the needed parts. I almost purchased a new kit this weekend, but who knows how old the kits on the shelf of my local shop have been there. I have no way of knowing if it is a fixed kit, or still an old kit. 

If not, I'll just triple-coat the touching parts with Tamiya white primer and call it good.

BTW: My Moebius Chariot is very awesome. I wish to thank Moebius again for my collection of incredible kits!!!


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

I had bad wheel meltdown and Moebius was the best company ever to deal with.....:thumbsup: Send them an Email with pictures and I think you will be well taken care of....... Make sure you use the Macro setting in your camera.....:wave:


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

teslabe said:


> I had bad wheel meltdown and Moebius was the best company ever to deal with.....:thumbsup: Send them an Email with pictures and I think you will be well taken care of....... Make sure you use the Macro setting in your camera.....:wave:


Thanks, teslabe. 

I have minor melting on some non-noticable surfaces, and I actually like it because it looks like "weathering". I have no intention to get those parts replaced. 
I'm in the middle of finishing the model and all I care about is making sure I don't have future melting issues after it sits on my shelf for a year. I figure I can get the new treads (or wheels) bought and not have any worries. 

When I purchased it a year ago, I immediately took the treads/tires out and put them in a different baggie to stop further damage. 

If new formulations exist, I just want to get those. It's been too long to ask for free stuff, just because I was lazy. But I do wish to purchase the treads if they are available.


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

kdaracal said:


> Thanks, teslabe.
> 
> I have minor melting on some non-noticable surfaces, and I actually like it because it looks like "weathering". I have no intention to get those parts replaced.
> I'm in the middle of finishing the model and all I care about is making sure I don't have future melting issues after it sits on my shelf for a year. I figure I can get the new treads (or wheels) bought and not have any worries.
> ...


Moebius is a fantastic company to deal with, if you have concerns, please let them know, I'm sure they would rather have you happy, then not.....
They have set the bar high for all other model companies to aspire too.....:wave:


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## junglelord (Mar 6, 2007)

Moebius is 100% the best. Just contact Angela at Moebius.
:thumbsup:


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

Thanks, again, teslabe!

I'm not unhappy. I absolutely love Moebius. I'm just doing some research to see if reformulations exist.........


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

kdaracal said:


> Thanks, again, teslabe!
> 
> I'm not unhappy. I absolutely love Moebius. I'm just doing some research to see if reformulations exist.........


I've got the impression that you are a good modeler in search of a tough question, this maybe a plastic/PVC incomparably issue. I insulated the hub from the tire with Kapton tape and it worked great......:thumbsup:


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## cunumdrum (Jun 26, 2009)

*It is a chemical reaction with the wheel and the tyre*

The tyre is made I would say of vinyl and the chemical reaction with the plastic wheel. Dip the wheels in future floor polish after you have painted them and this will act as a barrier for the vinyl tyre.A coat of any varnish will do the trick. This is a common problem with aircraft kits.
HTH


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## liskorea317 (Mar 27, 2009)

cunumdrum said:


> The tyre is made I would say of vinyl and the chemical reaction with the plastic wheel. Dip the wheels in future floor polish after you have painted them and this will act as a barrier for the vinyl tyre.A coat of any varnish will do the trick. This is a common problem with aircraft kits.
> HTH


Would something like a Tamiya clear coat work?


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

liskorea317 said:


> Would something like a Tamiya clear coat work?


Wouldn't that count as "any coat of varnish"?


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## Moebius (Mar 15, 2007)

Basically there is no "factory" fix at this time. We have been going back and forth on this for a while, and the formulation of vinyl had changed to accomodate child safety testing. On styrene, this does melt. If there is a barrier, it's fine. One The Eye Gone Wild we eliminated the problem by chrome plating the wheels. 

I know some of you will say that other companies haven't had this problem. And plenty haven't. Our tooling was set up for this particular material. Other materials shot into our tool on the tires doesn't come out well. Every other set rips with a non-conflicting material. If we had to do it all over we could change the tire enough to work with a softer material. But unfortunately we can't retool for a tire.

The only thing that can be done is to use a barrier when assembling wheels/tires. I have three of them in the office coming up on 2 years that show no problems.


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

Thanks, Gentlemen!
I just picked up some Future (clear Pledge) for the Chariot canopy, and I will dip the wheel hubs in it, as well! Thanks!


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## liskorea317 (Mar 27, 2009)

John P said:


> Wouldn't that count as "any coat of varnish"?


I dunno-thats why I was asking. I've never had this problem before.


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

Moebius said:


> Basically there is no "factory" fix at this time. We have been going back and forth on this for a while, and the formulation of vinyl had changed to accomodate child safety testing. On styrene, this does melt. If there is a barrier, it's fine. One The Eye Gone Wild we eliminated the problem by chrome plating the wheels.
> 
> I know some of you will say that other companies haven't had this problem. And plenty haven't. Our tooling was set up for this particular material. Other materials shot into our tool on the tires doesn't come out well. Every other set rips with a non-conflicting material. If we had to do it all over we could change the tire enough to work with a softer material. But unfortunately we can't retool for a tire.
> 
> The only thing that can be done is to use a barrier when assembling wheels/tires. I have three of them in the office coming up on 2 years that show no problems.


Thanks so much for the info! The kit is amazing. I will use the simple barrier method. No problem! Watch for my pics post. I'll be done soon and will post pics.......


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## Antimatter (Feb 16, 2008)

Model car tires are plentiful at hobby shops. Get some the same size and replace them.


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## mmmmp (Jan 15, 2010)

A related question - Since I got my J2, I put the Charriot aside. I's almost finished but those treads are daunting.

How the heck do I get them on? What glue do I use? I cannot seem to pull the treads around the wheels and have them stay in place long enough to glue them.

Is there an exisiting thread for this? I needs me lottsa' help.

Thanks
Mark


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## skinnyonce (Dec 17, 2009)

mmmmp said:


> A related question - Since I got my J2, I put the Charriot aside. I's almost finished but those treads are daunting.
> 
> How the heck do I get them on? What glue do I use? I cannot seem to pull the treads around the wheels and have them stay in place long enough to glue them.
> 
> ...





Not sure of the exact thread but if you go to the (search feature) of this forum and enter "chariot treads" there are 4 pages of build info there. 
I didnt read them all but a quick look will no doubt turn up your answers


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

Antimatter said:


> Model car tires are plentiful at hobby shops. Get some the same size and replace them.


Thanks, Antimatter............


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

mmmmp said:


> A related question - Since I got my J2, I put the Charriot aside. I's almost finished but those treads are daunting.
> 
> How the heck do I get them on? What glue do I use? I cannot seem to pull the treads around the wheels and have them stay in place long enough to glue them.
> 
> ...


Mark, I'm not there yet, but the instruction sheet says to soak them in hot water (not too hot) and they'll slide right on. I assumed this means they are so tight, you don't NEED glue. Am I wrong?


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## Moebius (Mar 15, 2007)

kdaracal said:


> Mark, I'm not there yet, but the instruction sheet says to soak them in hot water (not too hot) and they'll slide right on. I assumed this means they are so tight, you don't NEED glue. Am I wrong?


They are a tight fit. I believe Dave superglued all the builtups we have. Just be sure you put them on with the correct side out. We have had to replace a few sets due to them being put on inside out. Look close, you'll see what I mean.


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

Moebius said:


> They are a tight fit. I believe Dave superglued all the builtups we have. Just be sure you put them on with the correct side out. We have had to replace a few sets due to them being put on inside out. Look close, you'll see what I mean.


Thanks again, Moebius! It's pretty stunning that you are hanging in there with us on these issues. It's kinda like having a direct line to the President or Bill Gates!! :wave:


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

kdaracal said:


> Thanks again, Moebius! It's pretty stunning that you are hanging in there with us on these issues. It's kinda like having a direct line to the President or Bill Gates!! :wave:


I thought Frank was the President........


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## mmmmp (Jan 15, 2010)

Not sure of the exact thread but if you go to the (search feature) of this forum and enter "chariot treads" there are 4 pages of build info there. 
I didnt read them all but a quick look will no doubt turn up your answers

Excellent! Thanks....

Now, I have some decent WIP pix of the J2 but I cannot figure out how to display them here. I'm sure the files are too big - 4MB. Do I need to down-rez them prior to uploading? Can I just re-save them in MS Paint?

This is my last question for a while....I swear!!!

Mark


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## Moebius (Mar 15, 2007)

kdaracal said:


> Thanks again, Moebius! It's pretty stunning that you are hanging in there with us on these issues. It's kinda like having a direct line to the President or Bill Gates!! :wave:


Well, I try to keep up. If I don't know what's happening, I can't make informed decisions on what to work on. I may not respond to quite a few things on here, but I do read it all.


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## gareee (Jan 1, 1970)

Frank, have you found a solution for the J2 scaled chariot that will be released later this year?


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

gareee said:


> Frank, have you found a solution for the J2 scaled chariot that will be released later this year?


Do the treads on it move? I would think at that scale it would be molded
plastic treads and wheels in one piece pre side. Don't get me wrong, I'd love the treads to move......:thumbsup:


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

mmmmp said:


> Not sure of the exact thread but if you go to the (search feature) of this forum and enter "chariot treads" there are 4 pages of build info there.
> I didnt read them all but a quick look will no doubt turn up your answers
> 
> Excellent! Thanks....
> ...


Mark, The picture method I choose it to load pics on the free service "PhotoBucket" (totally free) and use their easy forum post method. It's all self-explanatory. You can also load avi quick vids to it as well. I use my cheapy digital camera to take pics and vids, load them on my computer, then log into my PhotoBucket account, upload the pics I want and the service creates an easy link to the picture. 

But if you delete the pic or vid from your PB account, the pic will no longer appear on the Hobbytalk thread. Harder to explain than to do. 

Check out my builds here:

http://s874.photobucket.com/albums/ab301/kdaracal123/?start=all

I'm sure there are other methods. That is the one I know how to do....:wave:


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

I can't wait to see the smaller-scale Pod/Chariot! Awesome!!


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## gareee (Jan 1, 1970)

teslabe said:


> Do the treads on it move? I would think at that scale it would be molded
> plastic treads and wheels in one piece pre side. Don't get me wrong, I'd love the treads to move......:thumbsup:


I would think they would.. I had a remote control tank I purchased from walmart 2 years ago that had moving tank threads. I still have it, and am hoping there's a possibility of cannabalizing it for the new smaller chariot.

Hmmmm.. that makes me wonder why no one found a rc tank the same size as the current one, and made one that could be driven around?

There are some pretty cheap kids rc tanks in mass market stores now that could possibly be used...


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## j2man (Jun 18, 1999)

I don't have my chariot 1/24 remote controlled, but have it motorized using the Tamiya tank chassis. I'll post some video, hopefully today.


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

gareee said:


> I would think they would.. I had a remote control tank I purchased from walmart 2 years ago that had moving tank threads. I still have it, and am hoping there's a possibility of cannabalizing it for the new smaller chariot.
> 
> Hmmmm.. that makes me wonder why no one found a rc tank the same size as the current one, and made one that could be driven around?
> 
> There are some pretty cheap kids rc tanks in mass market stores now that could possibly be used...


I had started that path long ago on my 1/24th, but stopped due to the tire melt. As soon as I get done with all the other builds I've got going right now, I'll get back to it. I have all the parts I need to go "RC", I just don't think the track will stand up to the torque, I hope to find a fix...... The last picture is of the electronics I took from a two motor RC tank I got off E-Bay. It's small enough to fit.....:thumbsup:


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## gareee (Jan 1, 1970)

Coolness! Yeah you might nbeed to get different tank tread, but they do make rc tank treads and I'm sure something would fit.


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

gareee said:


> Coolness! Yeah you might nbeed to get different tank tread, but they do make rc tank treads and I'm sure something would fit.


I've looked and they just don't look right..... Wish someone would come out 
with a third party Chariot track made from something more substantial then
the track in the kit.


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## toyroy (Jul 17, 2005)

There's got to be some kind of carbon fiber composite "ribbon" which would work for the rubber part of the track. I'd use a stainless steel for the cleats. Maybe a small staple could be used to hold the cleats to the track bands.


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## subtoair (Feb 19, 2012)

*chariot tracks melt down.*

Hi guys,
I just saw your guys thread on the moebius track problems. I see this thread is dated a a few years back,but I thought I see if anyone is still out there.I just brought a Moebius chariot,on ebay. I saw were some of you guys had problems with the treads on the Moebius model. I have not received the kit yet,but with all of the good things everybody says about the kit, made me want to buy one. I want to make it into a RC model.I do know how to make new wheels and tracks, to up grade the kit. as I do this as a business. What I wanted to know was has anyone come up with a good after market drive system Yet.If there was one that would save me a lot of work in making one,as I could just buy there unit. I Rc a Norscot !/50 scale D11t last winter,talk about tight places to work in! Anyway I made it work with a sabertooth speed control,for turning.Also the blade goes up and down as well as the ripper. So I thought that making the moebius chariot into a rc model would be a little easier. So if someone would let me know on a rc track kit I would really appreciate it. I really enjoy your guys builds,keep up the great work!

Dennis


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

subtoair said:


> Hi guys,
> I just saw your guys thread on the moebius track problems. I see this thread is dated a a few years back,but I thought I see if anyone is still out there.I just brought a Moebius chariot,on ebay. I saw were some of you guys had problems with the treads on the Moebius model. I have not received the kit yet,but with all of the good things everybody says about the kit, made me want to buy one. I want to make it into a RC model.I do know how to make new wheels and tracks, to up grade the kit. as I do this as a business. What I wanted to know was has anyone come up with a good after market drive system Yet.If there was one that would save me a lot of work in making one,as I could just buy there unit. I Rc a Norscot !/50 scale D11t last winter,talk about tight places to work in! Anyway I made it work with a sabertooth speed control,for turning.Also the blade goes up and down as well as the ripper. So I thought that making the moebius chariot into a rc model would be a little easier. So if someone would let me know on a rc track kit I would really appreciate it. I really enjoy your guys builds,keep up the great work!
> 
> Dennis


Here is mine, still not done, toooo many other projects, toooo little time.....:freak: I'm at work right now, can go into more detail when I get home tonight.

https://youtu.be/JBfgzb9Bt2U

Can't seem to get the youtube viewer to work.....:drunk:


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## subtoair (Feb 19, 2012)

Sounds good to me Teslabe! A have to leave for work now to. I saw you B9 build, and this Chariot, Both are the best I have seen for a long time!!!! Maybe if we put our ideas together we can solve the tread problem,for me and the viewers.Talk to you tonight. 

Dennis


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I was going to scratch build some tracks using Evergreen strip and very thin sheet. It should actually be fairly easy using "The Chopper" to cut the pieces to the proper width. The kit tracks are poor representations of what the real things look like anyway, and are a bit too short. Plus mine disintegrated. The project stalled when the clear plastic top for the Chariot broke, and a replacement deal fell through.


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

djnick66 said:


> I was going to scratch build some tracks using Evergreen strip and very thin sheet. It should actually be fairly easy using "The Chopper" to cut the pieces to the proper width. The kit tracks are poor representations of what the real things look like anyway, and are a bit too short. Plus mine disintegrated. The project stalled when the clear plastic top for the Chariot broke, and a replacement deal fell through.


That is how I made my scratch built treads.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Yup - that is about exactly what I figured. They don't seem that difficult. The kit tracks are absolutely horrible (as are the kit tires and suspension as a whole). The lower half of the Moebius kit bears pretty much no resemblance to the real thing.


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

Although the tracks are not the best part of the kit, they have withstood my R/C mod and not failed yet. I thought about making new tracks out of white
metal but haven't had the time to do it.


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

This is what I used to glue them, this stuff is great....:thumbsup:


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

subtoair said:


> Sounds good to me Teslabe! A have to leave for work now to. I saw you B9 build, and this Chariot, Both are the best I have seen for a long time!!!! Maybe if we put our ideas together we can solve the tread problem,for me and the viewers.Talk to you tonight.
> 
> Dennis


I'm very sorry for not saying "Thank you very much for the kind words"....... What did you have in mind?


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

Looks like the site won't support the youtube viewer, anyone know why?


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## subtoair (Feb 19, 2012)

I really appreciate all you guys giving me feed back on the chariot tracks. The tracks you made RSN really look nice!! I was also thinking about scratch building a set tracks also,then try to make a mold,and pour liquid rubber to capture all the detail.Just a idea. It is true then a person can not get any replacement parts? Some of you said the wheels and other things are not accurate? I am a nut for scale and as long as I am changing the tracks,I would want to change the wheels etc to make it more accurate. So could you guys give me a idea of what needs to be changed? RSN your rc chariot runs very nice, on youtube! I would be happy if mine would work the same. Would you have more pictures of the inside of the motor assembly? Scale tracks would be nice,if it could be done. It is nice to know that there are more people out there with the same ideas. Later


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

subtoair said:


> RSN your rc chariot runs very nice, on youtube!


RSN? Or are you asking me?


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

My Chariot is not motorized, just static.


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## subtoair (Feb 19, 2012)

I am sorry, I was referring to you Teslade, on your rc model. Its been a long day! Like I said you model runs really nice! And the stock treads seem to run smooth.Any pictures of the RC side of this project,I would really find interesting.Thanks for the help!


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

subtoair said:


> I am sorry, I was referring to you Teslade, on your rc model. Its been a long day! Like I said you model runs really nice! And the stock treads seem to run smooth.Any pictures of the RC side of this project,I would really find interesting.Thanks for the help!


Just wanted to be sure who you were asking. My tracks have given me no problem and they are under far more stress then any static build and this build was started back in 2009 I believe. The first three pictures are of the build right now, but I am about to put in new receivers that I just finished designing, when I get the B-9 done here shortly. the receivers in the photos that follow are the old ones, they have problems with EM noise from the motors. The new setup works far better. The other electronics are for the robots lighting effects and voice, I used an MP3 player and I can access the micro sd card from just above the track on the right side. I'll do another post after this to show a little more along with the new radio setup. 
One thing you are going to notice is how little space you have for anything you might what to add and hide. The whole trick for me was to minimize any mod from showing, couldn't do much with hiding the motors, I did keep it to a
minimum.


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

The first picture is of the new radios, the top are the prototype boards and the bottom are the finished boards. The transmitter is on the left, the bottons are there for testing, I'll wire them into the boxes shown in the first picture in the post above, the receiver is on the right. As I said, there is little room for anything in this build, it all has to go in the chassis. I also scratch built a new drive hub, the plastic one in the kit just won't cut it.....


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## subtoair (Feb 19, 2012)

Fantastic work Teslade!!! Thank you for the great pictures. It now give me some ideas on how to install the electronics and drive system.I like the way you did the effects for the robot,voice and lights. Like I said I don,t have my chariot kit yet,but I do like the looks of your stock treads. Even if they are not really not that accurate. The drive sprockets are they brass or plastic? You are a genius with the electronics in your B9 and this Chariot build. I know on what you mean on working in tight places,it can be a pain like in my 1/50 scale D11 cat. You have everything planed out nice. Very nice job! Once again thanks for great the pictures!


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

subtoair said:


> Fantastic work Teslade!!! Thank you for the great pictures. It now give me some ideas on how to install the electronics and drive system.I like the way you did the effects for the robot,voice and lights. Like I said I don,t have my chariot kit yet,but I do like the looks of your stock treads. Even if they are not really not that accurate. The drive sprockets are they brass or plastic? You are a genius with the electronics in your B9 and this Chariot build. I know on what you mean on working in tight places,it can be a pain like in my 1/50 scale D11 cat. You have everything planed out nice. Very nice job! Once again thanks for great the pictures!


Thank you for the very kind words and there is no "d" in teslabe.....:wave: You're very welcome, hope the pictures help......
The drive sprockets are made of brass.


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## subtoair (Feb 19, 2012)

Thanks Teslabe for the pictures,you have been very helpfull. I received my chariot kit last Friday. I have some pretty deep groves melted into the rear back panel.and a few others.My question is does anyone know if there are still replacement parts available from Moebius for this kit. I seen were parts were available back in 2010,but that has been 5 years ago! Then some one said since the kit is no longer available.you can not get them anymore. Other wise I will have to repair the damage parts which will be a pain.but could be done.


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

subtoair said:


> Thanks Teslabe for the pictures,you have been very helpfull. I received my chariot kit last Friday. I have some pretty deep groves melted into the rear back panel.and a few others.My question is does anyone know if there are still replacement parts available from Moebius for this kit. I seen were parts were available back in 2010,but that has been 5 years ago! Then some one said since the kit is no longer available.you can not get them anymore. Other wise I will have to repair the damage parts which will be a pain.but could be done.


Your welcome, glad the pictures were some help.....:thumbsup: Could you post pictures of the damaged parts? If you are in the U.S. I may be able to help, if you're not, the shipping cost would make it prohibitive...... Even to Canada, the lowest I saw was over $20.00....:freak:


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## Owen E Oulton (Jan 6, 2012)

The problem of vinyl parts etching and even eating styrene parts is a very old one, dating back to the 1950's. To keep in supple, vinyl is impregnated with a class of chemicals known as 'plasticisers', a type of solvent that etches styrene, among other plastics. This sort of thing is why vinyl binders melt the toner on photocopies, fo instance, making pages stick together. Model companies had solved the problem by the 1970's, but it appears to be back, with a vengeance. Possibly, as suggested earlier, the newer less destructive formulations fell afoul of child-safety regulations, causing the manufacturers to go back to the old formulae, or possibly modern manufacturers are just forgetting their own chemical history.


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## subtoair (Feb 19, 2012)

*melting plastic chariot treads*

Here are a few pictures of the melted parts.The floor pan was not to bad,but the rear back body was the worse.I went to sanding down the raised melted tire marks.I found out that they were still some what soft,and rubbery.I then filled in the tread mark holes with filler,and let it dry. only to find out that trying sanding these down smooth,the filler would peal off.This was because the chemical was still active in the thread holes! The only way was to take a sharp xacto knife and cut out the soft plastic that the chemical attacked. I then filled in the holes with auto filler called Icing.This seem to work a lot better. I can now at least sand the plastic smooth. and now can make a new rubber mold so I can cast a brand new detailed piece.I done this before and it works good,but takes a lot of time. I have to post a few pictures one at a time,as I really do not know how to do it that good yet,so there will be more pictures coming. As far as the kit is,it is a very nicely detailed model and will look very nice when completed. I really appreciate all the information that you viewers are giving me,Thanks!


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## subtoair (Feb 19, 2012)




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## subtoair (Feb 19, 2012)




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## subtoair (Feb 19, 2012)




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## subtoair (Feb 19, 2012)

Like I said the floor pan is not to bad,and can made to work pretty easy.I brought this kit on Ebay,and the seller showed all the damaged parts which I thought was very honest.There was more work to it then just sanding them down then like he said. It is nice when the seller opens up the kit for the buyer to see before he buys it really helps out a lot.Anyway I am glad That I brought this Moebius chariot model,and look forward to building it! And when there are nice people on hobby talk willing to help out with fixing the problems that is great! Thanks!


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## BWolfe (Sep 24, 2013)

I had not looked closely at my Chariot in a while, to my dismay, the plastic is bubbling out around the edges of the tires. Tried removing one of the tires and it is a gooey mess inside. This is after numerous coats of Tamiya spray, Tamiya clear brush paint and at least five dippings in Future back when this model was built. I will attempt to save the rims by grinding away at the goo until I hit solid plastic and apply aluminium tubing of the proper diameter cut to the proper size to fit on the rims. This will completely isolate the rubber from the plastic. Should have done that to begin with.


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## subtoair (Feb 19, 2012)

Sorry to hear about the melting of the rims,Bwolfe. Can the tires be saved? The reason I ask is, I plan on molding new rims out of cast resin to stop this problem.I will post the progress of this in the near future.If it works good I can always cast a extra set,for you to try out. it is a shame that this would happen to such a good looking model!


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## subtoair (Feb 19, 2012)

Called Moebius yesterday. I called them and told them about the problems with the treads, melting the plastic parts. And was wondering if new parts could be brought from them.The answer was not anymore. Parts were available around 3 years ago.Lots of them were made,and sent out to customers,with the melting problems,back then. They no longer have any parts in stock. The gentlemen said there are three things that I could do was: #1 return kit back to the shop were you brought it and ask for a refund. #2 send the kit to them and get the retail price of $50.00 back towards a different kit. #3 Try and to sand the bad parts,if they can be fixed. (if parts can still be saved) Anyway I chose the latter,try and fix them up. I must say the gentlemen at Moebius was very kind and helpfull! A pleasure to deal with. I thinking of starting a new Hobby talk form on the building of my kit,as this one is more for solving the melting of the plastic problems.And I do not want to over flood it with my build pictures.And thanks again everyone for the input. later.


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## BWolfe (Sep 24, 2013)

subtoair said:


> Called Moebius yesterday. I called them and told them about the problems with the treads, melting the plastic parts. And was wondering if new parts could be brought from them.The answer was not anymore. Parts were available around 3 years ago.Lots of them were made,and sent out to customers,with the melting problems,back then. They no longer have any parts in stock. The gentlemen said there are three things that I could do was: #1 return kit back to the shop were you brought it and ask for a refund. #2 send the kit to them and get the retail price of $50.00 back towards a different kit. #3 Try and to sand the bad parts,if they can be fixed. (if parts can still be saved) Anyway I chose the latter,try and fix them up. I must say the gentlemen at Moebius was very kind and helpfull! A pleasure to deal with. I thinking of starting a new Hobby talk form on the building of my kit,as this one is more for solving the melting of the plastic problems.And I do not want to over flood it with my build pictures.And thanks again everyone for the input. later.


A separate build thread with lots of pictures is always a good thing!


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## woof359 (Apr 27, 2003)

*shrink wrapped*

i havnt even opened mine yet, wonder what it looks like in there ???


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

woof359 said:


> i havnt even opened mine yet, wonder what it looks like in there ???


Be prepaired to faint! After seeing this subject when it was first brought up, well probably some time afterwards, I opened mine and was..._shocked at what I_ _saw_. It was bad, really bad. I contacted Moebius with pictures and they replaced the entire model. I was told my kit was probably the worst they had seen. It was a mess. I had another kit and it had very minimal damage and was confined to the floor interior or bottom, don't recall now. It was an easy fix any who. _So you just don't know until you look._

So my advise would be to go ahead and crack the wrap and take a look because it if there is a problem I'm sure it will just get worse until you separate the problem child.

Carl-


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## BWolfe (Sep 24, 2013)

woof359 said:


> i havnt even opened mine yet, wonder what it looks like in there ???


After I built my Chariot years ago I made the mistake of setting on top of a clear plastic display case, it was there less than a week and those rubber treads left a permanent impression in that clear styrene. I can only imagine what it will have done to the kit parts after years of unprotected exposure.


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## woof359 (Apr 27, 2003)

*opened the box*

every thing looks fine, tracks in the own separate bag and in good shape, I wonder why they didnt do a prebuilt chariot like the pod ?


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## BWolfe (Sep 24, 2013)

woof359 said:


> every thing looks fine, tracks in the own separate bag and in good shape, I wonder why they didnt do a prebuilt chariot like the pod ?


Good, you have one of the later issues that came out after the problem had been identified. A good solution to the problem of the tires melting the rims will be to cover the rim with foil where it will contact the tire. Foil will also have to be applied to the sprocket that engages the treads.


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## woof359 (Apr 27, 2003)

*treads*

Im surprised theres not aftermarket treads by now


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## liskorea317 (Mar 27, 2009)

woof359 said:


> Im surprised theres not aftermarket treads by now


There were from just an illusion, but not for long. It came with resin wheels that
are not bothered by the original tracks. The resin tracks were difficult to work with.


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## Opus Penguin (Apr 19, 2004)

Just checked mine after reading this thread. There was some melted plastic on the chassis when I first checked a year or so ago, but was easily fixed. I separated the treads at that time and checked again today. So far all looks good, so no further damage over that time. When I do build this I will have to figure out what to do with the rims to prevent this.


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## BWolfe (Sep 24, 2013)

Opus Penguin said:


> Just checked mine after reading this thread. There was some melted plastic on the chassis when I first checked a year or so ago, but was easily fixed. I separated the treads at that time and checked again today. So far all looks good, so no further damage over that time. When I do build this I will have to figure out what to do with the rims to prevent this.


Your best bet is to cover the area of the rims and the two drive sprockets that will contact the rubber tires and treads with aluminium foil. I should have done that with mine but I thought that the multiple layers of paint and Future would save them, it didn't, it just delayed the process.


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## tedkitus (Jun 19, 2008)

I'm afraid to open mine. It's been sitting wrapped ever since I got it. I probably should to open it to assess the damage, and separate the treads from the rest of the parts.

Ha! I just broke the plastic wrap on my kit to check for damage to any of the plastic parts due to contact with the treads. The treads and the other rubber pieces are in thier own sealed plastic bag. All the other plastic parts are in separate plastic bags as well. No damage to my kit!


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

liskorea317 said:


> There were from just an illusion, but not for long. It came with resin wheels that
> are not bothered by the original tracks. The resin tracks were difficult to work with.


I got a set from Starship, I think, and they were so awful and unusable I had to send them back. They were made from resin and extremely bad casting. A big portion of the open center areas where the drive sprocket engaged was filled in with large chunks of resin. Don't get me started on the road wheels and drive sprockets!

_You would not have wanted them_...

Carl-


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## liskorea317 (Mar 27, 2009)

hal9001 said:


> I got a set from Starship, I think, and they were so awful and unusable I had to send them back. They were made from resin and extremely bad casting. A big portion of the open center areas where the drive sprocket engaged was filled in with large chunks of resin. Don't get me started on the road wheels and drive sprockets!
> 
> _You would not have wanted them_...
> 
> Carl-


The castings were pretty bad! The tracks like I said were difficult to work with so I didn't...The wheels needed a lot of work. I put the kit aside for awhile and may get back to it this summer.


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

liskorea317 said:


> The castings were pretty bad! The tracks like I said were difficult to work with so I didn't...The wheels needed a lot of work. I put the kit aside for awhile and may get back to it this summer.


Yeah, the road wheels on mine were really bad too. Where the pour stubs were cut off by the producer took out chunks of resin not only from the 'rubber' tires but all the way down into the rims on some of them! The drive sprockets were a mess too with some of the teeth filled in. Even the cleat ends on the tracks were different lengths. _Way too much work for me._ :freak:

Carl-


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## Owen E Oulton (Jan 6, 2012)

tedkitus said:


> I'm afraid to open mine. It's been sitting wrapped ever since I got it. I probably should to open it to assess the damage, and separate the treads from the rest of the parts.
> 
> Ha! I just broke the plastic wrap on my kit to check for damage to any of the plastic parts due to contact with the treads. The treads and the other rubber pieces are in thier own sealed plastic bag. All the other plastic parts are in separate plastic bags as well. No damage to my kit!


Good for you! I was going to suggest you open the box anyway, since the problem would only get worse the longer it sat in contact.


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## woof359 (Apr 27, 2003)

started my kit yesterday, had it for 6 years now, tires came in there own bag,threads in there own bag, some minor damage to the bottom of the tub, easy fix, not sure if the black treads are updated parts or not, have not looked at the treads yet but every thing else in the kit looks just fine, painted my wheels and drive sprokets


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## woof359 (Apr 27, 2003)

doing more reserch my box has the new box art, tires and treads each in there own bag, some damage to the bottom of the tub, easy fix, been told these tires and or treads are the updated parts so how did the tub show damage, painted the wheel with silver enamel ,was going to go with white but flipped a coin, silvver won


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