Do you guys have any tricks/tips for painting all those roadwheels?

Everytime I build a pz IV I get bogged down when it comes time to paint those rubber roadwheels. I hate it, and it just kills any momentum I have. Help.

One way to save some time would be to purchase a wheel-mask set (you can also make one of your own). Eduard makes some sets, and there was a Polish company called QuickWheel that had some nice sets, but they might be out of business cause I can't find their site anymore. These mask sets are vehicle specific, so a set for a PZIII won't work on a IV or Panther, etc.. Hope this helps!

I don't know what they're called, but you can buy circle template things at office or school supply stores that have a lot of different sized circles. Generally one will be about the right size for your road wheels. A lot cheaper than a set of masks marketed for the hobby directly but you can only use one at a time.

Of course, I don't have an airbrush and I don't want to do it one at a time with rattle cans so I just use a small brush. Very thin paint can help if there is a raised edge but really the best advice is to use a very small brush and go slowly and carefully.

Hi Bill,
After an extensive web-search for 'QuickWheel' masks (for a Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. H and an Sd.Kfz.10), I finally ordered some from eBay. However, after a whole month of waiting, I contacted the seller whom informed me the order had in fact shipped but as it turned out, my package did a complete U-Turn somewhere in transit from Poland. Subsequently, the seller was true to his word and gave me a full refund but now I'm out all of that valuable time.

So I still have all of those wheels to paint! -- should have just gotten myself in the mood to hand paint them in the first place! ... which is exactly what I am determined to do now ... that is ... as soon as I get in the mood!

Well, that probably didn't help.

--mike

Hi, Bill

That's how I do mines, to begin with I paint the whole thing in my favorite rubber color ( Tamiya NATO black ), then using the templates painting wheels in appropriate color, also I taking cleaning break a couple of times to avoid a messy paint accumulation on templates. I bought mine from Hobbylobby for $3

Fast, easy and works every time! I hope it would help you to finish your project

Bill;

Ace... is pretty right on - do the whole thing in your fav rubber color, and then mask each wheel with a template to do the rim and hub.

I typically line up 2 or 3 builds-worth of wheels and do the lot as a batch, to save on AB set-up time. I put each wheel onto a stick or wood skewer and do all sides in "rubber" (usually Floquil "weathered black"). I can zip through the rubber stage for a couple panzers-worth in a short AB session...

Once "rubber" is dry, go to the hubs/rims...

I now use a stainless-steel wheel mask (a springy steel template sheet with holes from about 3.0mm to 23+ mm) put out by RoyalModel, but I have also successfully used plastic drawing templates from HobbyLobby... The RM item covers everything from tiny return-rollers to the big wheels on 1/35 Panthers and Tigers and T-34. The hub base-coat job is super-quick. IF you want to add camo bands, etc., each wheel may take a few to several seconds.

A wheel mask makes even a Panther or Tiger or Churchill, let alone your average Pz. IV, a reasonably quick breeze! And those wheels will look SHARP!

Bob

If you dont have any of those extra wheel sets and templates .... spray black and just paint the hubs, what ever your ground colour is. Goes pretty fast this way.

I won't pend the money for the individual templates,just get a circle template at Staples or Office Max,they work fine enough.

Go with a circle template. However, Verlinden does offer a small template that has a circle for pz.III and IV roadwheels. http://www.scalehobbyist.com/manufacturers/Verlinden/Decals_and_Surface_Detailing/german-vehicle-marking-template/VER00001286/product.php?s=6&t=4&man=ver
I have no affiliation with scalehobbyist.
The easiest way to keep from getting bogged down is to paint the roadwheels, first.

Excellent!!
Thanks guys! Can't believe I didn't think of this.

I have a Micheals and an Office Depot in the same strip mall, let's see what they have.

I paint the wheels in Nato Black and then freehand the base color by lowering the pressure on my compressor and getting in close and slowly spraying my wheel .. If you ever overspray... well the wash or the weathering will cover it up .. It's not as hard as is sounds ..


Rick

I spray the wheels with the base color, then with a fine brush use thinned Floquil enamel "Weathered Black" and just allow it to flow on like a heavy wash. In my mind it gives the "rubber tire" a faded weathered appearence.

I quote Rich as what I do is essentially opposite of his method. I do this to illustrate to you just how many ways there are to accomplish this task.

Get the template and practise. If that doesn't work to your liking, you have many options.

I too have the same frustration with doing the road wheels on any tank with rubber. I actually broke down and I use a black sharpie marker. I clamp the sharpie in a static location, put the wheel on the end of a toothpick and put it to the tip of the sharpie and spin (like a manual lathe). Not sure how exact sharpie black is to the real thing but I can't tell the difference.

Cheers

wheel on toothpick, twist in lathelike fashion with pointy brush to paint. At least that's what I do

I hand paint mine, using Vallejo "Dark Rubber" for the tyres. First I spray the Dark Yellow, then using a 0 brush, mount the wheel on a spare bit of sprue, and hold the brush against the wheel while I turn the sprue.

Note - it's the wheel which moves, NOT the paintbrush.Works for me.

I agree with one of the comments above - paint the wheels first. In fact, I have 18 to do today.

Regards

Rob

I'm a "put 'em on a stick and paint 'em one at a time" kind of guy, too.

One thing you can do to make that process a little faster and more precise is to start with a black wash if the road wheel-rubber tire rims are pronounced. The black wash makes a neat line which can be flowed around the wheel. After it dries, you can paint the rubber faster, and if you use a dark "rubber gray" like the Vallejo dark rubber color, the black wash makes for a nice, distinct line.









(The rest of the build is here:

Armorama::Build Blog::DML Panther G

Armorama::Features::PzKpfW V Panther

Practice, patience, a good brush, and properly thinned paint and the job goes much faster than it might seem. Painting road wheels is one of my least favorite things, but I've been doing it so long I don't hardly even notice it anymore.

Just pick a technique and stick with it until you get good, and then just go to your "happy place" and let your fingers do the walking...

Hi Bill,
just use some cheap circle template. Spray the whole wheel with rubber/tires paint (I use AK or Vallejo) and then, with the help of template, spray the inner circle with the camouflage paint.
Very simple and convincing result, with no, to minimal overspray (after all weathering, it will no matter ).





Cheers!