what combination of color, and weathering would give me the look of the floor of this M2? im building one, and i would like to use some new techniques, but i cant seem to find what would give me a good look for the floor pannels.

thanks

Try using MM aluminum or stainless steel metalizers. buff to your likeing, or maybe not. Then use raw umber oils for the wash. I'd try it on some scrap first. Hope this helps.

Along with mother's suggestion you could also use Bare Metal Foil in combination with the metalizers to give varying shades on different panels....a product called Rub-N-Buff is another option for a differing shade...let us know what you come up with...

It looks like those panels are replacement parts that were fitted recently. Keep in mind that normally everything would be OD, including replacement parts.

That said, it might look cool on a model, so go for it.

Are you trying to make the model look as if it is 60+ years old? Real vehicles would _not_ look like this during the war, no matter how "weathered" they would have been. If yuo are looking to make a model of a vehicle under restoration, then the suggesions regarding using Bare metal fiol or even actual nickel steel PE parts strike me as the best way to achieve that burnished metal look. Bare metal comes in several dull metallic shades that would look good burnished doen over the kit's diamond plate or over brass PE plate. If you use the nickle steel PE, then sand it lightly with very fine (~1000 grit) wet dry paper to give it that dull metal look.

HTH

Paul

Im looking for that very heavy use look, I could not find any pictures of the interior of the rear of these things except what was in the reference area.

also, how would i get the rust spots on the tank to the left? would rubbing some rust paint on, and whiping it off work? or would it work better as a light dry brush?

What i use to make rust is just that. Real rust. What you do is , throw a piece of steel wool in to a glass and fill it about 1/2 way. Set it a side, about a week. When the water will evaporates it will break down the steel wool and leave behind rust in the form of powder. To apply this you can brush it on like pastals or brush on some dull coat and when it's just about dry brush on the rust powder, and for that chunkie look, again brush on dull coat and sprinkle on the powder

I use that tech. for heavy rusted areas, im wondering how do i get that surface smooth rust. almost looking as though the paint has been rubbed away and the metal under started to rust?

maybe by rubbing in some of my wool rust into the paint?

There is a product called Rust-All that works pretty well as well as as set of rust powders that come with a binding adhesive mixed in the power. They also work well (can't remember the name, but I got them in a railway model shop).

I must reiterate, though that the sort of rust you are seeing in the photo just wouldn't be present on a real vehicle during the war. All of these nice looking models with paint chips and rust stains, well they look nice, but they are generally not accurate. Factory applied paint just does not chip that way and American vehicles especially, had really good paint. A bit of fading, sure. Lots of dust changing the tone of the pain? Yep. But wholesale paint loss? No, except right on high contact areas and these would show as burnished metal and not heavy rust..

Now, if you are doing a vehicle tha has been sitting around for a number of years, or a halftrack that has been converted into a farm tractor or the like, then sure, recreate the weathering as you see it in the photo. But anything in use during the war just isn't going to look like that photo, no matter how hard it was used.

My 2 cents
Paul

After some debating with myself, the replacement pannels on the floor are gone. gonna just make them look worn, I have some reference pics from a museum near here that has some worn areas with light surface rust. IE hooks in the front, and around the track area, so i might just add a tad bit of it. Fading the paint is next then along my top panels. and some light mud, and dirt.
Thanks for the help.