Ok guys back in the game after a 15 year layoff-does anyone weather their tracks on their AFV's? if so what colors/techniques do you use?

I use the Bragdon weather system.

http://www.bragdonent.com/weather.htm

Scrub it on with a short bristle paint brush, I use one of the cheap Testors brushes that I have cut the bristles down some. It is milled with a dry adhesive so I don't have to apply a clear coat afterwards. It comes in 12 colors, rust, soot, etc.... So many options.

Tony, this subject was covered very well in these two posts. If you have more questions, feel free to ask away.

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/43&page=1

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/261&page=1

Rob VERY helpful posts. good easy to follow steps.just one thing I am not sure about:

Once this is completed, I paint the track pads (if any). Then I start to add rust to the metal parts, sort of a semi-wash since tracks on an operational vehicle are not very rusty. At this point another flat coat is added to seal the paint.I then dry brush the metal parts metallic and the rubber parts with tan.

Is this second flat coat another coat of the spary fixative or is it the flat black I would use as my basecoat?

No, it's a clear dullcoat. I use the heck out of Testors dullcoat (#1260) in the spray can. It dries quick and it is easy to just lay the tracks on a piece of cardboard, zap both sides and then let dry.

the methods work great, the ones covered on the message board by Sabot. I tried them step by step and I am more than happy with the results. I did make one mistake but it was just a stupid one and things are fine now. If you follow his advice you will be vary happy with the results.

I will add that "real" vs. "realistic" may determine how aggressively you weather. Most show models have heavy rust colors on the track, and judges/"experts" have come to expect this. In real service, rust is somewhat uncommon on not just the tracks but the rest of the vehicle. Militaries hate rust. Unless they have been sitting for some time, I have rarely seen rust on tracks. I have also noticed that the steel used in military vehicles tends to be a kind of steel gray rather than silver. This applies to tracks, also.

I am curious to hear if the others here that have been around the real vehicles have had different experiences/observations.

I've got a side of M-88 track laying in the motor pool. It's been laying there untouched since it was replaced. It actually looks flat black and the end connectors are a bright orange rust color. But these tracks haven't been used in about a year. The vehicles that get moved monthly have minimal rust on the tracks, and these vehicles are exposed to the snow, sun, rain, etc. with very little off-road use.

There are so many ways to weather tracks, and I've tried them all ( so I think). First it all depends on the terrain or how weathers you want your tank to be. I like my tanks really dirty, especially when I am displaying it on a base with terrain. I usally airbrush the tracks and chasis with a Black/Falt Earth mixture (or in Tamiya terms XF-1 and XF-52). Then on the wheels and drive sprockets I gradually reduce the amount of Black. While the tracks remain a 50% mix of Black and Falt Earth. I then use Artist oil paint and give the tracks a thick wash (about 40% paint and 60% thinner) of Vandike brown and Mars Black (thank you Mrosko for the info). I then dry brush the tracks with Model Masters Steel on all contact surfaces of the track. Lastly I use a little Rust All pastels and rembrants earth tone pastels to add a little rust. Give it a try.

I have to get in on this one. There are several things to consider concerning vehicle tracks:
Their age, their composition, and their use.
- Modern US track, comes covered in a black protective coating on the metal parts, I can't say about other countries. So if you are showing factory new or maybe a track replacement scenario, you need to consider this.
- Some tracks are all metal, many have rubber components. The old M97 track that was on a M60A1 with M9 dozer blade I had in 1977, was rubber blocks cast over a steel frame. No rus on the metal parts. These can be weathere by showing ground in dirt on those sufaces that touch the ground (like auto tires) and fresh black color where chunks of rubber have been torn off.
- Track on a vehicle in use, particularly in sandy terrain, will have zero rust showing. The sand at Ft. Polk, LA and at Ft. Irwin, CA polished the metal components, to include the bearing sufaces on teh sprockets (also signicantly shorten sproket life). The day after we would return from the field and wash our vehicles (in any humid climate) we would have a light orange patina on all meal surfaces of the track. As the days went by without use it became a dark brown color, but only a very light layer taht could be wiped of with a damp cloth.
The only bright rust I ever saw was on some the "hard targets" on the tank ranges and a vehicle if it had burned.
I constantly had to restrain myself on adding "rust" to an operational vehicle,

Just my 8 bits worth.

Okay I have a couple of questions on this issue. (1) Is the Bragonet stuff available at hobby shops ? (2) Is Earth Brown considred a viable color for a M1A1-Abrams on the tracks ?? i.e. extrerior side.

DAGGER: A weapon with a short pointed Blade: "THE CUTTING EDGE"

Hey Dagger,
I would go with Sabot's recommendations listed in the treads he mentions in his responses. Black or gunship gray or even German WWII Schwartzgrau will work. The removal rubber pads would be black. You can weather from there. HTH