I'm building a Tiger II. This is my first kit with steel wheels, and it struck me: wouldn't the rim(sp?) of the steel wheels be worn to the point where all paint would be gone? and the same probably goes for the drive wheel/sprockets??

Do anybody know of any photo to back this up?

regards,
Steen

Yes the area where the wheels contacted the track were burnished down to the bare metal. You can distinctly see this even in wartime pictures of German Panthers where the rims of certain wheels contacted the guide horns of the track.

In 1/35 scale, I try to replicate this effect by rubbing a pencil lead on the affected areas.

If you go into an ironmongers or hardwear shop they should sell powered graphite just pour some out in a pile and apply it with a cotton bud or your finger looks great once it's on and matt varnished

yes also silver on the very edge and some
rust on the sides, where there is no obvious
ware!!
HTH
Ron Hoover