I realize that many of you paint when construction is complete but I'm confused about a couple of issues. What about On Vehicle Equipment?? Do you paint the base coat right over it?? I don't see any other way to paint roadwheels except BEFORE they are put on. I need suggestions guys. Thanks in advance.

i ussualy assemble whole wehicle, paint it together with equipement and then i paint the equipement with fine brush. sometimes i leave it off , it depends on what im doing or planing to do.

you didint specify what model are you doing the roadwheels?

The new Tamiya Stug III w/ Eduard photo etch and barrel.

I always paint roadwheels (rubber color applied first to the edges then a circle template to mask the rubber while the wheel is painted) before assembling them so any visible inner surfaces will be coated. I paint turrets and hulls separately before attaching equipment and roadwheels. Tools and other stoawge get painted before being attached. Any camo pattern is painted after roadwheels are added and turret/hull are mated but before tools and stowage are put in place.
This replicates pretty much how the prototype would be painted.

I have to agree with Al. I have seen beautifully fully assembled unpainted models here and always wondered how they were going to paint the inside tire on the inner set of roadwheels... I paint roadwheels prior to gluing them on. I paint my pioneer tools off the model and glue them on painted, too.

Shaun

i'm with Shaun and Al on this one

paint the wheels and equipments separately before assembly

Its always best to paint all road wheels before you add them to your Tank.same goes for Tracks and tools.i carn't see the point in adding all that stuff then only half painting the wheels,just dont make sence.

Oh God, if you just check out my stuff in the RRB, you will see I have the most, unusual disorganised painting style on earth.
But since 90% of my models are in boring monochome colors, it's what works for me. Masking or protecting previous painted areas is not a major problem, I simply use an age old technique..... I dust all my colors on, and mask with wet toilet tissue...... (obviously before any pastels or pigments)
Even after the vehicle reaches a somewhat finished state, it really isn't finished, since I do eventually do try to mount them all to a base, with some simple ground work and a figure to show scale, and this requires some addition painting and weathering to pull it all together.
There are as many ways to paint as there are modellers, develope what works for you, and gives you the results you are looking for.
Some people like heavy weathering, I prefer light weathering, some like lots of paint chipping, I prefer very little. Again, what is the finished presentation are you trying to achieve?
I may have a piece just about finished, mounted, weathered etc, and suddenly decide a few extra packs, tools, equiptment would enhance the effect, (sometimes I just happen to find them in the mess box--- spares box) so I simply paint these, add them, and again add a little more weathering to pull it together. The main thing is developing your own style, so each time you do something, you'll end up with a simular, or close to the previous applied colors.
The only way you'll develope your oun style, is to build a lot, paint a lot, experiment alot and make a lot of mistakes as to what works and doesn't work for you.

Quoting one of my old Life Drawing professors--- " Start over---- why the hell do you think they give you 100 pages in that newsprint pad..... think everyone is going to turn out a masterpiece? "