The running gear is done. The hull, the turret, the gun... everything is done. It's starting to come together, looking good. And then everything comes to a screeching halt. The tools. The tool clamps. The tow cables. The tow cable brackets and tie-downs. The extra track. The tracks themselves. Even the freakin' exhaust mufflers...

I've been building models for many many years (in Cmdt Lassard's voice of course)... Still the question of when to paint and when to attach the "extras" (including all the above), has always bugged me.

I've almost always opted for painting on the sprue and then attaching before weathering. It has worked out well enough, but as I progress (yeah, let's call it that) in our hobby and have to cope with PE tool clamps, tie downs, brackets, magics and Friuls, multimedia parts and whatnots, I find it almost impossible. I've got at least 3 major builds, with years of effort invested, stuck at this very stage.

So I come to you, my fellow modellers looking for some insight into the following questions:

1. The most obvious - do you attach everything and then paint the "extras" in place, or paint separately and then attach? If so:
a. Does that include running gear?
b. Does that include tracks?
2. If you paint after everything is in place how do you:
a. Avoid getting paint on the camo and still paint all around the part you're working on? Yes, I too have my 10/0 brushes, my magnifying glasses and hand-steadying pills, but...
b. Paint the rubber tires on the roadwheels? All the roadwheels? Even the ones that physics won't allow your brush to reach but stick out like a sore thumb in photos?
c. How - in God's name - how do you paint tracks after they've been glued in place - as DS tracks are SUPPOSED to be?
d. Exhausts, tow cables, that are partly covered or overlap other protruding thingies, how?
3. What part and to what degree does weathering play in the above tasks for you?

I have seen models 100% completed and primed - yes with tracks and everything - and then painted to the tiniest detail, and I seriously cannot fathom how it is done.

Sorry for the rant, hopefully I can get some good, solid advice here as this has been a topic where Google has NOT been my friend...

Painting Elves!
they work for beer.....
hehehe

Hi. I think the answer to your questions is to experience yourself what works the best.
Modeling is not just a thing one learns in one day. Using airbrush or not. The size/scale you build. Complexity and details. All these aspects make a difference in how to approach a subject.
I'm working random round the kit and finish the part I'm working on completly, including paint. Not using airbrush at all, painting is done by hand and stands for a different way to apply colour. Take a good look in lots of topics overhere and learn from the stories that come with a build.

Regards,

Robert Jan

To paint tools that are already mounted on your model, slide small bits of paper between the tools and the model's surface

I assemble eveything,tools cables,mufflers and paint them after they are attached.It takes a steady hand,but I also slide a post-it under if I can to protect the basecoat.

Tracks and running gear I do paint and weather off the tank.

DS tracks I glue together,paint and weather off the tank

I paint the rubber using a circle template,off the tank of course

That works for me,everyone has their own plan

Trifon - I've often asked myself the same questions. My hats off to the people who can pull off painting a totally assembled model.

Personally, I paint wheels, tracks, tools, and the like, off the tank and add them after the main hull has been completely painted. I also start weathering on the lower hull sides before adding the wheels and tracks to get more complete and consistent coverage.

I look at painting and weathering as parts of finishing and final assembly - not as separate tasks to be done in some rote sequence.

So, I leave many items separate - and what I chose to leave separate depends on how I intend to paint and weather those parts and subassemblies. I add finished and partially finished items as I continue finishing on the main assembly until the last bits are added and the entire model is finished.

I don't have any particular, set sequence. For instance, sometimes I leave off all of the suspension components and sometimes I add some components and leave off others. It just depends on how I envision getting a consistent overall finish and weathering and if I think that I can paint some particular part to my personal standards on or off the model.

Here are some examples of my builds. As you look at them from start to finish, you can see where I paint as I go and assemble along the way:

Armorama::Canadian Firefly and NNSH Figures

Armorama::DML Panther G with AM Works PE

Armorama::StuG IV Early to Late Conversion

Armorama::Italian M13/40 Kit Bash

Armorama::Italian Gilera LTE 500 Motorcycle

Armorama::Universal Carrier Mk.I

Many different kinds of subjects - Allied and Axis, closed-top and open-top, tracked and wheeled - and each has a somewhat unique building and finishing sequence that has been planned around achieving consistent weathering and uniformly high standard of finish on every part. My particular building and finishing sequence for each model was chosen specifically for that model and subject.

Of course, there's a lot of uniformity and commonality in each build, but those things are what make up my personal building style. The actual sequence of tasks was determined by the model and subject and not some preconceived "all around best" technique. Technique varies by subject and model.

Your own skill and demands should determine your building and finishing sequence. If you can achieve results that you're happy with, then whatever method you're using is the right one. If you're not happy with the results, then determine how you could have achieved better results and incorporate that new method in your next build.

If you want to build and assemble everything and then paint, you should be looking at build blogs where that's how the modeler proceeded. On the other hand, if you cannot get the results you want doing this, then you will either have to practice more building models like that, or change your methods to accommodate your skill.

It's all very personal with the only right, wrong or best way being the way that give you the results you want.

However, one thing is for sure, you can't get anywhere by letting those builds you have already done gather dust. Break out the paint and finish them! To be sure, you're liable to make some mistakes and errors, but those experiences are what you can learn from and use as guides to making the next build better.

Nobody here can tell you how you can get perfect results the first time out. Only you can develop your own skill and craft to whatever level satisfies your own demands.

Happy modeling!

Hi Trifon.. I do it both ways but usually I paint my tools first ..I paint the holders dark yellow at first but if I see the camo color goes over the spot I'll repaint them in the right color before I glue them on.

For the tracks DS or which ever , I paint them off the tank and glue them on afterwards ...I use Tamiya thin glue and it usually removes enough paint to get a good grip ..a few little touch ups and that's about it ..
Exhausts I will paint off the kit and add it after the camo painting is done .. These are usually easy enough to install afterwards..

For the wheels .. I always paint my kits with Tamiya's Nato Black first and I find this to be a great color for the tires. I just paint the inside hubs being very careful but if there is a bit of overspray the washes will hide most of it .. You can always go back and touch it up if you really goof up (It has happened to me )
For tracks mounted to the hull ... you can do one of two things .. Many times they were painted over ,so just keep on painting .. or for me the Nato Black is a good starting color again for tracks .. a couple of heavy washes with Raw umber and burnt sienna will make them stand out ..




I think the fact that I paint the kit black first really helps so if you do miss anything it will at least have the base coat and will blend into the shadows .. Washes will also take care of little mistakes ..
So I think as others have said it is really up to you but I understand how frustrating it can be .. Just keep on plugging away and you'll find what works best for you ..

Hope this helped a bit
Rick

Thanks for the replies people!

Seriously, thank you all!

I do appreciate all your input - especially the painting elves - a lot!

Rick, Mike, thnx for the pics and links.

Thing is, I build as much as I can, I finished my Academy's King Tiger Last Production in December and I'm finishing Tristar's Flakpanzer I any day now... maybe...

However, I've got some monsters on the self, working on them on and off since 2009, like my DML Porsche Tiger and Porsche KT, as well as my Tamiya Late Panther with full Lion Roar update PE, barrel, Friuls etc etc, stuck at the "tool" stage. Kits with which I feel I cannot just experiment or play around... In fact, financially (this is Greece, unfortunately) I can barely afford modelling, let alone use up $80 kits to try out techniques freely. I repeat: freely. As in: of course I know I will learn more by doing, but still...

Things being as they are, I asked and thanks to all of you, I have received - and hopefully will receive more - pointers, suggestions, personal preferences and examples, helping me greatly to visualize, plan ahead, choose and prepare a course of action.

If you are like many of us, you probably have some built models in a box somewhere you finished many years ago and no longer want to display, yet you hang on to them for some reason. _This_ could be that reason. Partially disassemble one of those kits and try a technique on it, disassemble it again, or disassemble another one and try a different technique on it, repeat.

If you don't have any old models ask at yuor local club. At your next model show check uot the vendors to see if anyone is selling anything partially completed or just really cheap. Buy it and use it to learn on. Even if you have only one "learner", you can strip it repeatedly and do different things to it.

I have several old models or bits of models that I try techniqes on and it really, really helps both learning and reducing the (monetary) costs of failure.

Paul