Just a question for all you fella's who fix the tracks to your vehicles during your build up, then paint them when they are in position.

Please explain as i'm scratchin my head and rubbin me chin as to how.

Cheers

I usually paint them before. I do a lot of test fitting to make sure how I'm going to put them in place but I have them pretty much ready when they go on the model.

In some cases some painting has to occur after they are fitted but that's nothing that some masking tape can't solve.

Here is what has worked for me. I base coat the tank in black, including the tracks. then, paint the model as normal just adjusting the the spray fromt he airbursh a bit finer around the areas nearest the track. additionally, you can tape off the track areas that could be affected by overspray. then when weathering the tracks, the process usually covers up any remaining oversray.

Sean

Pottz88 I am with you on the mystery of the tracks. I can see slynch's method up to a point. But then how do you do the rubber on the roadwheels? I am now working on Dragons Hetzer, and I just started this morning cleaning up all the track links. I have avoided Dragon kits up to this point because of the indy links. I can see only two solutions. 1-assemble the wheels and tarcks carefully, so that I can remove the tracks and paint them seperate from the hull or 2-assemble and glue it all together and use Slynch's method. Anyone else haveideas?

You can place,not cement the roadwheels sprockets and return rollers on their stub axles.buile the track around the wheels,and slide the wheels off,and rmove the wheels from the track loop.After painting the wheels and the track,slide everything back on.I used this method to do all of my trumpeteer KVs.

Thats pretty much what I do, if they are indy tracks I leave them in a few sections, reassemble them on thier sides on masking tape and paint them, then install them after the model has its basic paint, washes, and dullcote. I use several metallic colors in the tracks' shading and do not want them dullcoted as it ruins the effects. I do the last silver drybrush or weathering on them after installation as they are less fragile on the tank.

Roadwheels depend of course if its a seperate part or not, but usually they are painted seperately, cleared and washed while they are all on thier sides taped down then paint the rubber last. Often I use very thin paint that flows around the rim, then a last coat from the bottle with a brush with the wheel on a toothpick. If you can get the wheel to stay on a toothpick, you can literally spin it against the brush and it's really easy. If you get any on the rim you can usually hit the edge very carefully when dry with 600 grit sandpaper and it will re-expose the rim color. A black paint marker comes in handy too for roadwheels, and simply dry-brush them with rubber so they don't look so black. Darker matte paints dry quickly and can be a little hard to brush on smoothly sometimes.

Dan,

Sometimes it is easier to paint the tracks on the vehicle, now you have to ask yourself a question. If the vehicle is going to have really dirty wheels and tracks, do I need to paint each individual unit?

In the Tony Greenwood Masterclass book, on some builds he assembles the lot, suspension, wheels and tracks, airbrushes an earth colour over the lot and then paints and weathers from there,

The other method is not too difficult, basecoat and preshade[if required] the lower hull assembly, spray the tracks in their initial colour. Mask the track run areas so that the wheels can be airbrushed their colour. Use well thinned paint and paint the tyres by hand. take off the masking around the tracks, do any touch ups that are required and then do your weathering.

It takes a little practice, but only requires carefull use of the airbrush, some vehicles are a bit more difficult, but simple suspension sets like on the Hetzer lend themselves to this method. Whilst not advocating mud covers all, but weathering can cover small discrepancies.

I often use this method with single link/link and length tracks unless something like pinned ones nowadays.

John

Indy, that is why I preshade in black. that way the black base of the tracks is there as well as the rubber of the road wheels being black. then just spray the color of the metal part of the road wheel on. I admit that there is some over spray on the rubber, but this can be quickly touched up with a paint brush if the finish is going to be cleaner, or just ignored if the suspension is going to be dirty as it will be covered with the dirt.

Keep in mind I only use this method when painting those fidly indi link tracks. I have also done this the opposite way where I paint the base color of the tank, mask any affected areas and paint the tracks black.

Sean

I have seen some completely assembled and mounted with no paint on them. I think that is a rareity. Most of us put a base coat like a black, a reddish or a real dark metallic mount them and then come back highlite and weather

Hi Dan,

I raised a similar question some time ago - and was answered by Mig himself - see link below. I hope this helps you out.

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/85713#710616

Best regards
Morten

Dan,

Thanks for asking this question. Although I have modeled for many years, I am new to armor and the painting sequence in this area has had me stumped.

there were many good tips below and now i think i can proceed with my first kit.

Regards,

joe.