I just watched a video about blackening metal tracks and I began to ponder: Why is this a thing? Why do people use chemicals to blacken tracks as opposed to painting and weathering tracks like volks do with plastic and/or vinyl?
I've got some metal track projects coming up and this inquiring noggin wants to know.

In the modeling world: "black tracks matter"!

Tracks were usually made by casting some metal alloy so the raw colour would depend on the used alloy.
Any paint applied to the tracks would quickly get rubbed off. Surfaces subjected to rubbing against the ground, other metal or rubber tires would get polished to a bright sheen.
Search for images of the type of vehicle you are modelling, the looks of an M113 track is probably not applicable to a WW II Panzer.

Quoted Text

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Tracks were usually made by casting some metal alloy so the raw colour would depend on the used alloy.
Any paint applied to the tracks would quickly get rubbed off. Surfaces subjected to rubbing against the ground, other metal or rubber tires would get polished to a bright sheen.
Search for images of the type of vehicle you are modelling, the looks of an M113 track is probably not applicable to a WW II Panzer.

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I don't know about tracks but during the final phase of manufacturing foundries will often put a protective coating or finish on bare metal parts to prevent rusting during shipping and storage.

By nature of the Manganese added to production to harden the steel and make them more durable, the steel used in tank tracks is not bright silver grey if unpainted it as very dark grey. As said previously here, the shade varies due the amount added by the manufacturer of the type of track.

The method of abrading or removing paint from Fruil type tracks to allow the natural light metal colour be seen is not accurate. This misconception of silver is believed to have come about when people noticed shiny metal showing in B&W photographs and believed it to be the natural colour of the exposed metal, when in reality it is just sunlight reflected off the steel. Yes the exposed parts should have a slight metallic sheen, but a very dark one, often still with a film of dirt, dust or mud.


This photo is a perfect example to show this - This is a running Hetzer owned by the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum (who is having Armourfest this weekend - the Aussie version of Tank Fest). This vehicle had been running and then parked up, hence the mud in the track. Note the colour of the exposed track faces and ends, they are not shiny silver until you get to the two links near the top - the ends of those are a nice shiny metallic colour only due to the reflection of the overhead lights, but still not the silver of fruil type tracks.



As a modeller the same shiny light reflection will come from natural light on the model, so painting all faces silver metallic or exposing all faces on every tracklink down to the bare Fruil is not the way to go, in my humble opinion, but if that is what you like, then go for it...

So, to answer the question, the only real advantage of blackening is that any bright shiny silver metal does not show through the paint if chipped by accident.

BTW, the Tiger in the pic is the replica from Fury....

Umm... Peter,
Have you seen the brightly polished steel surfaces of tracks rubbed against the ground, rubber or other metal parts?

By nature of the Manganese added to production to harden the steel and make them more durable, the steel used in tank tracks is not bright silver grey if unpainted it as very dark grey. As said previously here, the shade varies due the amount added by the manufacturer of the type of track.

The method of abrading or removing paint from Fruil type tracks to allow the natural light metal colour be seen is not accurate. This misconception of silver is believed to have come about when people noticed shiny metal showing in B&W photographs and believed it to be the natural colour of the exposed metal, when in reality it is just sunlight reflected off the steel. Yes the exposed parts should have a slight metallic sheen, but a very dark one, often still with a film of dirt, dust or mud.


This photo is a perfect example to show this - This is a running Hetzer owned by the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum (who is having Armourfest this weekend - the Aussie version of Tank Fest). This vehicle had been running and then parked up, hence the mud in the track. Note the colour of the exposed track faces and ends, they are not shiny silver until you get to the two links near the top - the ends of those are a nice shiny metallic colour only due to the reflection of the overhead lights, but still not the silver of fruil type tracks.



As a modeller the same shiny light reflection will come from natural light on the model, so painting all faces silver metallic or exposing all faces on every tracklink down to the bare Fruil is not the way to go, in my humble opinion, but if that is what you like, then go for it...

So, to answer the question, the only real advantage of blackening is that any bright shiny silver metal does not show through the paint if chipped by accident.

BTW, the Tiger in the pic is the replica from Fury....

Now, that is very interesting. I have heard this very same thing before, and it totally makes sense. On the running vehicles I've seen I have never seen a silvery metallic color show through. I've seen metal , but not silver. This is definitely some food for thought.
I guess its too bad Fruil, or somebody doesn't make metal tracks in a more appropriate color...

Umm... Peter,
Have you seen the brightly polished steel surfaces of tracks rubbed against the ground, rubber or other metal parts?
It is difficult to reproduce but Humbrol nr 11 does a half decent job of catching the impression at least.

Different alloys will get polished to different brightness but they will get polished