I tried to find it in the NEW search of the site but I must have input it wrong because it gives me everything but what I needed to know what color to paint it. What is the correct color of the tracks?

When I base painted the M1 Abrams the tracks got the color with it; What is a good way to not do that again.

And what color is the color of the side ends of each link I thought they were red but now since coming here I would rather ask a #:-) stupid question than it look stupid and out of place.So what color is the side ends of the link.

It will most likely be in a dio with a humvee or a M2A2 Bradley.

Happy Modeling
(++) 1:35

PS; I hope I explained the track side ends part so you can understand because it's hard for me to explain when I am tring to ask for something vague like that.If there's any misundertandings. I am Sorry and I'll try again if that happens.

Tracks are bare metal with rubber pads (the squares on both sides, inner and outer). In wet environments the bare metal gets rusty pretty quickly and is a rust color. As the tank moves around, most of this rust is worn off, and the metal is only slightly rusty. It will rust over again once the tank sits for a while. In desert or dry environs, the track stays pretty rust free and actually gets polished by the sand to a dark, shiny color with very little to no rust.

To replicate either effect, I paint the whole track flat black. For the rust, drybrush the metal parts with a rust color, then go back and hit high spots with a silvery color. I then touch some of the lower areas with a gunmetal color. Lastly, touch up any of the black on the pads where the other colors may have slopped over, then drybrush with some sandy, dirt colors for dust.

For a desert tank, I do the same but go very light on the rust. Sometimes I will just pick ot certain areas to hit with some rust.

I agree with Heavy arty. That should fix your problem, also look through this particular forum, some one just submitted a close up of M1 Tracks from the desert


Herky

Here's my method:

Spray paint the whole track black. Next, do the metal parts, which are everything but the square rubber pads. Silver is too bright to be realistic, so I mix silver Rub N Buff with Raw Umber oil paint and I go over all the metal parts w/ this. Missing some does not hurt since the undercoat is black. If I am interested in showing some rust, I take thinned Burnt Sienna oil paint and let it run into the crevices. Then I use Paynes Grey oil paint for the pads. I lighten it with white and dry brush this mix onto the pads, giving the pads a nice faded and used look.

If the tank has been on pavement awhile there is little need to dust up the tracks. HOWEVER, there still is dust in the crevices. I use pastels for this. I ground up some sand color and use thinner to moisten it. Then I put that sludge into the crevices and let it dry. No need to be neat. I then take an old brush and brush out the gook and what is left is dust inside the crevices.

I can send you close-ups PM but I can not post the close-ups here since the file size is too big. You can see some shots though from a medium distance under MY PROFILE and then MY FEATURE ARTICLES.

My depiction is a tank that has been on pavement for awhile.

Bob