I mean......damn.........i have seen alot of very nice pictures on this site now of tanks with rusty tracks. I did try to do that too........i really did, but it always ends in failure
I would really like to know how you guys do that sort of stuff !!!!
Any tips, methods, techniques you want to share with me?

Thanks,

Dolf

Take a look at this link and click on the pics this should help you a little
http://www.discountmodels.com/instant_rust.htm

Just remember that tank tracks don't get all that rusty when in constant use. I have some tracked vehicles that haven't driven more than a mile in years and their tracks aren't as rusty as some of the ones on models I've seen. When the vehicles move through sand, mud, concrete, pavement, etc. it gets dirty and dusty and "fresh" rust gets knocked off.

But if you want rusty looking tracks, start with a base coat of dark brown for your tracks and after washes, drybush with rust. Just remember that most US WW2 and modern tracks have a lot of rubber components, and rubber don't rust.

Thor
You have touched on a subject with a lot of debate. "Do Tracks Get Rusty" and if so "how rusty"??????

This is the way I do it. First I paint my track a steal color, Testors steal, Tamiyas Metalic Grey (depends on whats in stock). Then I will paint rubber shoes (if any). I use flat black for this. I then dry brush the shoes with Testors rubber, or a dark brown. Then will add a dark wash to all the nooks and crannies. Now there's the base track. For the rust I will use Testors rust and dry brush on Only over the steal parts and in a random fashion. I usually do a few coats of this using differing shades of rust. I will lighten or darken with white, red, brown depending. I have even gotten into the habbit of scraping some pastel (of adiquate color) into the paint mixture to give it texture as it goes on the track.
I have done one kit where I used a custom mixture of pastel dust and water as a paint. I scape the pastel into water and mix till its thicker than a wash and thinner than paint from the jar and use as paint. Then dust after dry.

I have gone to pastels for the rust. As stated above I started with a metal color for the base, black or a dark grey for the rubber parts (if any), then a mixture of dark browns & orange to make rust color, which goes in low areas and then highlight edges with rub-n-buff or a silver pencil for wear, including center guides and sprocket teeth. I try to keep rust to a minimum, depending how I am displaying the vehicle. As Sabot stated clean track on an active vehicle is the rule in "nature".

Good point there Sabot, i would have easily forgotten that.

Very usefull tips you all have people!! Thanks very much

Dolf

My experience with tanks was that we moved through the land rather than lightly across the top of it. My point being that rather than worrying about a rusted look on my tracks I would think about the type of terrian that the tank was moving through. Our tracks collected dirt, mud, grass, small animals, and snow. Many times the tracks took on the color and texture of the local terrian. I don't think that I ever really saw tracks that were rusted to the extent that we model them. I rust my tracks on models too but I have a distinct feeling that it is incorrect. I remember the sand at Ft. Stewart almost seemed to polish our tracks each day that we were out in the field. Having said that I will add that a very good rust effect can be had by applying "rustall" over painted tracks that have been sprayed with dullcoat.

I agree with tankera1,
the sprocket seems to polish the contacting surfaces on the track, and the dirt/sand/mud just cleans any rust off of it. I have only seen very light (new, and orange)) rust on any track that I have used. If a track is improperly adjusted, it will wear a definite pattern on both the sprocket and the end connectors, polishing them to a very bright finish, and costing uncle sugar lots of money to replace.

HTH

John