I know it is a "newbie" question, but I am a newbie to armor...I am in the process of building a Tamiya 1/35 T-34 and I am wondering how you guys (and gals) paint the roadwheels. I have seen builds where people paint them once they are on the bottom hull but this seems really tricky to me. What different methods are used?

Sean

Hi Sean

there are lots of different methods.. I've tried many and my favorite is the circle template method...

Get a circle template from a craft store.. thats a square template with a lot of various size circles in it.. I have a large one and a small one (the small one was a drill sizer and its for much smaller circles..)

find the circle that fits the center of the road wheel and mask off the surronding ones..

then paint your roadwheels your rubber color.. don't worry about getting the paint on the hubs...

then after thats dry... hold your masked off circle in front of it and spray your hub color...

this method works best with an airbrush and works on tires also..

then after painting the model I attach the roadwheels to the model when i start the wethering process...





hope this helps..

Ditto to above.

I use the circle template method all the time. It works great. I also leave the roadwheels on the sprues to make them easier to paint. Once painted, remove them from the sprues, clean up the attachment points, and touch them up with a little paint.

So there are no real benifits of attaching the roadwheels first, then painting? I see some people build the entire model then go back and paint it--that just left me scratching my head, seems like it would give me more problems, but thats just me. Thanks for the tips guys, I'll be sure to try it out.

Sean

Dont see any real benefits to it. Some people have different preferences though. I prefer to keep the wheels separate then assemble after painting. It gives me more control. Try both ways and see which you prefer.

BTW-Gino has a real good point with keeping them on the sprue. I cant count how many times I have had everything in front of me ready to paint and as soon as I crank up the airbrush I blow a wheel across the yard.

I'm with the template guys except I reomve teh wheels from the sprues, clean up seams or attachedment points and spray the tires Floquil Grimy Black and drop them in a box to dry. I come back the next day with my template, mask the holes around the one I'm going to use and spary the wehhel the base color on one side and drop that in a box. By the time your done with one sidem the firts ones you did should be dry enough to repeat this on the other side.
Make sure you paint the inner and other surfaces. The inner surfaces will show up as unpainted if you don't, removing a great deal of realism to your build.

hello,
i've found that using a black sharpie permanent marker(fine point) works real good.
leaving the road wheels on the sprue,we'll paint them ,the base color,remove them ,clean them up ( you'll need to clean them up real good,no sprue nips/bumps or mold seams,the marker will go on so thin,that it hinds nothing) and the take old ,long ,left over striaght sprue rods whittle them down,(you can even use old wood handled modeling paint brushes) ,so they fit into the road wheel back hole.
then,holding the sharpie in my right hand ,and the road wheel on the sprue rod in my left,between my thumb and index,middle fingers.
then i'll join my wrists together,keeping the sharpie still,i'll slowly start twirling the road wheel,moving it to the sharpie,and will pick up speed,rarely ,do i ever need to move the sharpie,except to reposition.
depending on the original base color,you may have to do this a second time. ( at this point it'll seam alittle shiney.don't worry about that ) when finished i'll take my soft charcoal pastel sticks,scrape then into a fine powder and using a fine paint brush,lightly dust the hard rubber area,staying away from the base color center
when the model is all finished ,and you apply your final flat coat,over the entire model you'll never know ,it was done with a sharpie.it'll be smooth,brush mark free and even.
When doing models like the Panzer III's and IV's ,or inner wheels that the Tiger's and Panther's have (and other's as well),these will get glued together first and set aside to dry,then using the process mentioned above.
give it a try,it may take afew attempts,at first,but it works!i hope this works out for you.
Joe

I used to dread road wheels...now I love'em...

leave them on the sprue...spray with base color, grey OD what ever...

Remove from sprue...

Mount one on the dremel...rotate and sand off the seam.

Form a small piece of silly putty into a ball, it'll take a little adding and subtracting till you get the perfect size.

Place the small "ball" of S/P onto the center of the wheel...

Press until it forms against the edges, check to ensure good coverage.

Spray with black or dark grey whatever you desire...

Remove S/P

Whala...in about 20 mins time you can do a whole Sherman or PV IV...

Easy as pie and makes real nice lines!

I just put a small dowel, file or anything round that sits snug in the hub center and use a black paint marker and slowly spin it in my fingers. Then just go back and quickly dry brush rubber paint to break up the black. If you only 'guide' the paint marker as opposed to trying to make circles with it or a brush its a piece of cake. I also make sure I know what the most visible outter wheels are so I don't waste my time perfecting the look of the inside of an inner road wheel. If the outter rim gets a touch of paint on it, a quick light swipe with a 600 grit sanding stick takes the dired black paint marker RIGHT off without harming the color coat underneath. Black paint pen paint does not bond as well as enamel out of a bottle and is easilly removed until clear coated.


Black sharpies are acutally a dark blue/purple and can make for some strange colors. It can actually replicate blued metal pretty well though.

spray or brush base color on the sprue. Cut off, clean attachment points. Then use a fresh large black sharpie marker to "paint" the tires. Then mist dullcoat or similar from about a foot and a half back, several coats. Never wet coats. If done that way, it wont make the ink run and it will be flat black

hey sean,
as mentioned in my earlier ,above post.it'll seem a little odd,when first applied,little shiney,and a little odd in color,at first,but when you spray the model your clear flat coats,it all goes away,and you'll have real sharp looking road wheels.just finished a DML M26 Pershing,and currently working on a M4A1 Sherman ,w/Calloipe,and thiers no way you'd know that they where done this way ,unless you where told,i've tried the black paint sticks ,and the paint goes on to heavy for me ,with the sharpies,thier smooth,even,and ultra thin,if they didnt work,i wouldnt be posting this.
Joe

Hi I use the circle template method and this works very well, but i am wondering how sherman builders do theirs as it seems you have to put the bogies together first, and well the wheels are in the bogies so i assume you have to paint them when model alltogether? any ideas for that ? cheers Bob.

i handpainted them. here's how..mount one wheel on a rod made of wood..thick enough to hold them. spin the wheel moderately. then handpaint them with a thin brush. if the black paint goes over the rim..simple retouch them by weathering or drybrushing. now if the wheels has no rim edges or nothing at all..i suggest the template procedure.

Howdy Sean,

Quick and simple....leave road wheels on the sprue {must admit, wasn't a real fan of this method originally}, use proper sized drafter's hole template held over each wheel, spray both front and back of each roadwheel with AB containing desired colour, allow to dry, then while continuing to use the sprue as a handy 'handle' take your Sharpie marker and simply apply the ink to the rubber portion of each roadwheel {and as our good flakgunner pointed out, don't worry about the somewhat 'purple' appearance}, then snip off roadwheel, trim up attachment point, and apply dab of Sharpie to complete.....Voila!! A complete set of roadwheels done and ready for further weathering

Tread.

Oh, and if you have plans on showing your 'rubbered' roadwheels with chunks missing {as most of them appeared} the Sharpie makes it easy to touch up your 'chunks'

Damn....Kinda like skinnin' a cat