I'm a bit new at this, actually just purchased my first armor today ( Italeri m1a2 ). Was wondering if someone could help me out a bit. First, I'm stuck in the beginning here. I was going to put it all together then paint it, but then read that I should do otherwise due to missing paint detail in between treads, etc. Now I'm sitting here confused on where I should start. Should I put together everything but the tracks, then paint? Or should I paint everything first, then put it together? Also, I'm reading that I need to put on a primer coat first, so basically several coats of different color paint? Sorry for the newbie questions, thanks in advance.

If it's your first kit, this is what I would recommend.

1) Welcome to the hobby!
2) Remember you are supposed to have fun.
3) Take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt. Most of us old, crusty (I know, I know, guys, I am speaking only for myself here) modelers have the whole setup, airbrush, paints, tools, reference materials, all of it. So what you are reading is a variety of opinions from beginners to expert and professional modelers.
4) I am assuming you don't have an airbrush. If you don't, my advice is to assemble the whole kit minus the tracks. Glue the wheels to the tank with white glue, not model cement. then spray paint the whole model. When you are finished, paint the rubber on the road wheels, the tracks, and detail paint. Now you will be ready for weathering!!
5) Good luck, post some pics as you go. If you have any questions, ask us - we are here to help you...

Scott

I'm also new by virtually any standard, so I'll let you know what I've tried and what's worked for me (and hasn't).

I've read several places that putting everything together before painting it works fine for armor, with the exception of tracks. I've followed this idea on my first two tanks and they turned out respectably. Part of this justification is how tanks were painted in real life and part is on outcomes. German tankers would be expected to paint seasonal and locale-specific camo patterns on their tanks, often painting the tools and whatnot in the process. So you can justify painting everything after you've put it together if you want. (On a sidenote, one word of mental advice is to avoid feeling that you have to do everything that you read about the first time through. The internet was a blessing and a curse as far as exposing me to ideas and techniques I hadn't considered; I then felt a little overwhelmed to try to make a perfect model the first time out. I've decided it is more fun to go with the flow and try one or two new things each new model.)

There are a number of interesting painting tutorials on the net. Basically it boils down to applying a basecoat, either by airbrush or by hand (I don't have an airbrush, btw, and Model Master acrylics work fine by brush for me) and then adding camo on top. Again, this is somewhat justified by the way that actual German crews painted in WW2, but you'll have to figure out what works for you with a M1A2.

I have primed and not and had good success both ways. Make sure you wash the model before painting it to get rid of mold releasing agents. They impede your paint's ability to adhere to the plastic surface. In my limited experience, priming was more important for minimizing color bleed when you are painting a light color over dark plastics. If you are using Armor Sand or something similar over light plastic, you may be fine without priming.

Painting tracks is actually a lot of fun since you get to do a variety of painting techniques and almost anything you end up with looks good. Getting pictures of M1 tracks in color should be easy given they are contemporary vehicles and stars of the recent Iraqi operation. I usually go with a rusty base coat and then liberally apply a dark wash. I then drybrush with a metallic color, especially around the inside teeth and the outside edges of the track.

If you have rubber tracks, attaching at any point on a tank is pretty much easy as any other, so that shouldn't be a consideration. Most of all, have fun!!!

Stephen

Dreamer,
Are you new to model building or just new to the world of armor?
Either way--if you plan on hatches and engine bays closed then I would advise assembling all but the vehicle's accessories and tracks, then painting the whole hull and turret, then adding the painted tracks and what-not later.

If you plan on filling in the cracks with putty, sanding and all that jazz, do so before painting. I cheat a little and use the base color as a primer. After the first coat is applied you can see what needs more work. Touching up only the retooled areas with the primer is a snap and prevents too much paint build-up.

For vinyl tracks you can simply lay them out, tape down both ends and spray paint with Rustoleum Red Primer, or hand paint. To paint the track pads (the pair of rubber rectangles on each individual link) you can lay down a strip of dark gray paint on your work surface and 'dip' a few links into the 'puddle' at time, or lay down a long row and press the whole length of the track. Any paint that ends up where you don'e want it can me touched up later, or can be covered with drybrushing and/or weathering (light brown, watery paint, 'mud' heavily applied), if you take that route.

Indivually linked tracks are another story.

I would peruse this and other sites as much as possible before getting too far. Or you can say 'what the he**' and jump right in.

My philosphy had always been "There is nothing on a kit cannot be fixed. It may be cheaper and easier to buy another one and start over, but every mistake can be undone."

Some good advice here and for every offer of advice you will probably have a different answer!
I basically build the whole vehicle as one unit but leave off wheels and track until final weathering. The turret and hull as two assemblies as well. This is just for ease of painting!
Leaving the wheels off, means its easier to get a good paint and weathering job done on the under hull, painting the rubber rims on each wheel and they are pretty easy to attach afterwards. Tools I assemble to the tank but stowage and tow ropes I paint seperate and add before final weathering.
Before I had an airbrush I used tins of hobby paint for spraying. Humbrol (to name one) have a few usable colours and most of the work can be made by spraying. Good masking helps with camo. But the trick in spray painting is not to use one heavy layer to cover. Spray from 12 to 18 inches away and spray several light coats. Dont worry if the spray hasnt reached the tightest corners, washes will take care of this later.
Sorry for adding yet another method to the barrel, but you should do what feels comfartable to your own needs and abilities. There is no wrong method. Its the final result that counts!!

Thank you guys for the excellent advice. I'm beginning to understand more than I did before hand and have decided that the best thing I can do is just try and experiment. There are no wrong answers and just have fun with it. To those wondering, this is my very first model. I have always been interested in military scale models and have never had the time until now. Better late than never 'eh? So, I'll continue to update ya on my first project and will most definitely be asking more newbie questions. I appreciate the welcome to the community!

- sean :-)