Greetings all, I just , today picked up a copy of the current FSM. A short, but sweet, easy technique for painting and weathering steel tracks is in there. Also a Gallery featuring a 1/15th. Scale Panther Dio. FYI. Scott

"The Main Thing is to Have a Good Time"

Hi Denco,

I am not able to get my hands on FSM right now and I am in desperate means of a easy technique.

Could you describe the method here? Or if that is to long, maybe scan it an mail it to me?

tnx

#:-)

Hi Ronny,

This is what I do when painting tracks. I don't have the FSM here yet, but I find it works quite well for me.

1. I paint the whole track with flat black color
2. I use 75% flat earth + 25% flat black, and spray a couple layer of them on the tracks.
3. I wash it heavily with burnt umber/turpetine (If it's rubber track), or acrylic earth tone color/distilled water (if it's link by link tracks such as DML's)
4. then one coat of dull coat
5. dry brush with metal color on the contacting face

The result is okay for me, and it takes about one night of time to finish painting of one set of tracks. HTH

Ronny:
Thanks, I will check it out. But I will also go buy a copy of FSM this weekend and read it too.
This sounds like an interesting process.

DAGGER-1

I'd recommend getting FSM, because it goes into more detail, and the pictures are very helpful, but basically, this is the gist of the article...

1. Apply a base color of brownish blue-black, using a mix of dark blue, black, and red-brown. The end shade should be more blue than brown. Apply several coats.

2. After drying, use a weathering wash made up of isopropyl alcohol, red-brown, and black acrylic paint. Quote; "the red-brown pigments in the solution will settle into the crevices of the track to tone out the overall blueness of the base coat, and create the effect of rust that has accumulated in those crevices." Endquote.

3. Mix some blue-black paint, and add steel to the mixture. Use a wide-bristle brush to dry brush the mixture over the entire track, taking special care to allow a greater accumulation on the high points of the detail.

4. Lastly, drybrush pure steel on the high points only.

That's basically it, but like I said, the pictures which accompany the article really show what colors the author is trying to acheive. I'd highly recommend getting a copy of the magazine.

Cheers,
Mike

Great FSM article. If you do not subscribe, may I highly recommend it to you. Always has good stuff in iut.
DJ

Track is the most dynamic mechanism on a tank. When in operation it changes shape in all dimensions. It digs and pushes and claws its way across the ground. If its sandy it throws sand everywhere. Rocky? Same thing. Muddy? In places you cain't imagine. As it does this it changes color. This color is very dependant on the environment the vehicle is operating in, the age of the track and the material the track is made of. You can use most weathering techniques on all tracks but some require a knowledge of the way a particular track wears. All steel track wear is an accumulation of the removal of the metal of the track itself whereas rubber clad track is an accumulation of the loss of steel and rubber. Add to that the abrasion between the inner side of the track and the road wheels, drive sprockets and idler wheels, then the tracks color is just as dynamic as the track itself. When you think of what color your track is also think of what color the environment is. Tracks are not dirt color or mud color. dirt and mud are dirt and mud color and when on the track they are still dirt and mud. Don't paint your track dirt or mud, put dirt or mud on your track. I've never been around an operational Tiger tank so I must rely on photos and personal accounts. I have however spent time on the M48A2C/A3 the M60 M60/A1/A2 the Sheridan the M113's and the M114. All have rubber track blocks. They come from the factory BLACK. All metal parts are coated with a black compound which will only come off on your hands and your clothes. The center guides and end connectors are coated. After proper assembly and driving 2 miles the track has changed color. The outside of the track is now the color of the dirt where the pad meets the ground, the end connectors are shiny on the edges where they have gone around the drive sprockets and the center guides are shiny on both sides. The inside of the track is dirt color on the outer sides but black rubber color where the road wheels and support rollers have passed. If you've driven through mud puddles the track is now that color except where the pads meet the ground, where the road wheels and support rollers have passed. The metal parts are mud color and shiny where they have rubbed. Park it and the track and everywhere the track has rubbed or road debris has removed coating will start to rust. In the field the tracks are are pretty much whatever color the tank is from the sponsons to the ground except rubbed areas. What do I do? Well I paint them black the color they were when they are deliverd. Add some steel to rubbed areas and to rust areas that occasionally get rubbed but not enough to keep them always shiney such as the outside of the end connectors, front and back faces of the center guides, upper faces of the drive sprocket teeth, ( you might also want to use a rat tail file and wear away the teeth at the bottom to represent the wear between the end connectors and the teeth which will mostly be on the bottom of the side facing forward) the insides of the drive sprockets where gravel and rocks abraid and the insides of the drive sprocket center guide flanges. These areas will be shiney for the most part even in mud. Hope that this has been of some help. Oh, and by the way, when the teeth on the drive sprocket wears enough, you can tell by the sound made when the end connectors pop in and out. What we did then, if you cannot get a replacement is remove the the old sprocket and turn it around.

ARMDCAV, that's a heck of a lesson in armored track characteristics. Perhaps you should write an article on the subject.....Tracks 101.

I bought That issue over the week end and looked the article over. VERY NICE, the pictures really does help.. I too recommend both the magazine as well as the article. So get out their guys and galsm, if you do not currently have a copy of FSM, or have not read it, Then do so. I personally do not subscribe BUT I do go look for the next issue monthly, and see if I want to buy it or not. I only buy the issues that interest me.


DAGGER-1

Wow ARMDCAV, really nice post regarding tracks! Good, useful information. Gracias.

Tread.

BTW, welcome to the site! :-)

Speaking of FSM . they had an issue i think it was july or june , anyway it had in the center of the zine a section on figure painting and coler mixes and stuff . It might be FSM it might not be but if you know what i'm talking about can someone please send me an e mail of that whole section? I lost that issue and cant find it anywere and I realy need that pullout section