While I have been back into building armor for some time I have not done a multi color camo job which I am happt with. I was hopeing someone could provide a link that they have found and liked or could explain their method. Do you attach all of the parts such as tools and the like and then pick them out with a brush or do you leave parts off and attach them later. I am currently doing a King Tiger and want to do the basic 3 color scheme. Any help wopuld be appreciated. Thanks!

Hi ,

the question you are asking is not so easy to answer. Not every tank is painted the same way. I can be possible that the factory paints the whole tank in one colour and then puts on the tools and stuff. In the field, the tank crew puts on the camouflage colours and can choose the easy way and paint over the tools or they can remove the tools and then paint the colours. I have seen pics of an M88 tanks which was painted in 3 tone camo, the tanks itself was sprayed with a soft edge ( no masking used), but the tools were hard edge (masking used).

So, there are a million ways to paint camo on a tank. Knowing the neat and tidy germans, it is most likely they removed the tools first and then added the camouflage but some Tiger experts on this site will surely have a different opinion. I read that they sometimes used brooms to apply the paint instead of an airgun (they dumped it because it used too much space in the tank).

Anyway, for painting a King Tiger it is the easiest way to glue everything together execpt tools, roadwheels and tracks (but that's my humble opinion). Don't forget to mask your vision blocks though.

Cheers,

Matthijs

I will agree with Soldaat's response and throw in my two cents. If they were painted in the field, they will most likely be soft edge. it can be real soft edge depending if the troops used hand brushes or were lucky enough to have a compressor on air gun.

If in the field they usually sprayed over the tools, Jerry cans and whatever else was on the tank, especially if in combat operations. During Peace time, they may be a bit neater.

If from the factory, it will most likely be hard edge and the tools will be put on after the paint.


As far as what I do depends on how confident I feel. Sometimes I paint the tools seperately and then attach, somethime attach then paint. I tjust dpeneds on what think will be more messy, the glue on the already painted surface or risking painting something other than the tool. The impression I get though is that as people get more confident with their hand painting skills they put everything on the tank and then paint.

Sean

I saw a video the other day of some German tankers spraying their PzKpfw IV with a spray gun. They were spraying right over the tools, no joke.

Hmm...I guess a floating shovel in the distant shrub line isn't good camoflauging.

To add to the confusion on German colors...Some field appplied camo patterns were done spray guns, some with brushes and some with whatever was at hand. Bottom line, either be wildly creative (and risk the slings and arrows of self styled experts without a shield) or do your homework (and you get to carry a shield). :-)