How to weather tank tracks

How to weather tank tracks

Depending if you are using plastic or metal tracks, you won’t get the same aspect, even more if you are using your tank outside.

In this tutorial, I’ll be weathering 2 kind of plastic tracks: Tiger 1 tracks, they are without rubber and U.S. T91E3 track with rubber.

What I’ll be using for this:

Acrylic colours:

Tamiya:

XF-9 Hull Red, XF-10 Flat Brown, XF-64 Red Brown, XF-52 Flat earth, X-18 Semi Gloss Black and XF-16 Flat Aluminium.

Washes:

Vallejo rust effects wash

Lifecolor LPW 07 Eroding Dark Rust, LPW 08 Eroding Light Rust

AK Interactive Streaking Rust Ak 013

Pigments:

Vallejo Dark Red Ocher 73.107 and Brown Iron Oxyde 73.108

Home made Graphite Black (made out of pencil)

After a coat of primer, I’m applying various layers of Tamiya acrylic brown tones randomly:

XF-9 Hull Red, XF-10 Flat Brown, XF-64 Red Brown, XF-52 Flat earth.

Once dry, with a brush I’m putting washes once more time randomly but on the parts less in contact with the ground.

On the rubber tracks, it is the time to paint the rubber pads. For them I’m using a mix of XF-1 Matt Black mixed with XF-57 Buff (80%-20%). You will have also to damage a little bit the rubber pads with a sharp knife (being careful for your fingers) to simulate the damages made to them as on the top picture.

Once completely dry, I’m dry brushing a mixture of X-18 Semi Gloss Black, XF-16 and Graphite Black. (75% - 10% - 15%)

Followed by some rust pigments:

While, on the rubber tracks, it is time for a dust wash followed by a dry brush with XF-52 Flatt Earth mixed with XF-67 Buff (75%-25%)

Of course depending on the operational theatre, you must match the mud and dust colour you’ve applied on your tank.

Now it is time to work on the inside of the tracks, where the wheels are in contact with the metal.

As you can see the track pads don’t show any wear (for the moment).

Time for the dry brush. I’m using a mix of Humbrol enamel: 21 Gloss Black and 191 Metalic you can also use metal cote gunmetal 21004 after a quick polish on it.

I’m using a custom made brush that I use only for that purpose.

First we need to put masking tape on the sides of the tracks where the wheels are not in contact with the tracks.

Once done we can start our dry brush. You must know exactly where your tank wheels are in contact with the metal of the tracks. In this example I'm using Tiger 1 tracks, in this tank 3 lines of wheels are in contact, also don't forget the guide horns on the inside, track pins and connectors on the edges and sides.

Here is the result once the masking tape is removed:

Weathering Tutorial Part 5: Mud

The last chapter on how to weather a Panther tank: The mud effects


For the mud effects, you can use 2 types of products:

- Acrylics paint with earth pigments.
- Enamel weathering products like AK Interactive with earth pigments.

Chipping fluid

PVA Glue or water based varnish.

You can replace the earth pigments by plaster of Paris.

I'm making my own pigments using different kind of earth that I'm collecting here and there.

I will explain later on a specific tutorial how I'm making them.

For the wet effect, again you can go for wet effect product or you can also use gloss varnish.

For the acrylics, I'm using Tamiya. I'm making a mix of:

XF-2 Matt White, XF-60 Dark Yellow, XF-52 Flat Earth, XF-64 Red Brown and XF-1 Flat Black. 

For the enamels, I recommend AK Interactive enamels as they are easy to use, you know what the final colour will be:

AK-017 Earth Effect, AK-080 Summer Kursk Earth, AK-010 Fresh Mud.

I start by applying varnish on the hull and the wheels:

Before it's dry I'm putting the pigments:

Next step, on the side of the hull, I'm applying chipping fluid, to avoid any unwanted drop on the upper hull, I'm using some paper to mask it:

To create the mud, I’m mixing home made earth pigments with some paint in a plastic shot glass. If the mixture is too thin, add some more pigments. It must have the same consistency as real mud.

For the mud, always remember to start by the dry mud (the clearest tone) this dry mud must cover more space than the others.

I’m using an old brush, airbrush and toothpick to create the splashes in a very easy way .

Always try first in a piece of paper or the bottom side of the model until you have the desire effect as your bush will be full of mud. You will avoid unwanted (too) big splashes.

The next layer is made with dark earth tone:

I let it dry for few minutes before I’m making the streaking mud using a brush wetted with water (to activate the chipping fluid or hairspray).

Here you can see the result once the streaking mud is done of the side of this Panther.

For the wet effect, you can use gloss varnish or wet effect fluid. Use it with parsimony always keeping in mind a real tank as reference.

You can now repeat the process on the other side, front and rear:

You can also place some muddy foot prints on your tank due to the crew climbing on it with their boots full of mud.

How to make rust effect tutorial 2: Peeling rust

Next chapter on this tutorial about rust:

How to create peeling rust:

What you will need for this:

- Various rust tones with acrylic paint. They have to be MATT
- Your model paint colour must be SATIN
- Maskol
- An old brush to apply the Maskol

First of all, I'm applying layers of rust tones with acrylic paint.



Let's take this Tiger 1 model as exemple:

Here you can see I painted a first layer of rust tone, on the side (the darker area) as well as in front of the grill, I applied Maskol with an old brush where I want to get the peeling effect on the paint.

Once it is dry (the Maskol must me transparent) I'm applying a coat of base colour on top of the it. Depending on the effect you want to achieve, you can superpose various layers of paint to represent the primer colour then your model colours. 

  

I let this coat of paint dry completely.

On this model, I wanted to represent too a burned effect on the paint so I putted chipping fluid followed by a layer of black. 

To know more about the burned out effect please check the Burned Out Tutorial. 

Now, with the help of a toothpick, we will lift some parts on the Maskol where we want to have the peeling effect.

On the next step you can use rust wash and pigments to get the result you are looking for.

This technique works on flat, inclined or vertical surfaces.

Another exemple on the side of the turret:

As you can see it isn't hard to get the aspect of the paint peeling due to rust of heat.

Now it is your time to try it, good work folks!

Rust effect tutorial 1: Rust

In the case of the M41, I paint it first with various Tamiya acrylics to get the rust tones:

XF-64 Red brown, XF-68 NATO Brown, XF-10 Flat Brown, XF-9 Hull Red, XF-7 Flat Red, X-6 Orange, X-24 Clear Yellow and XF-1 Flat Black.

For better details you can paint some area with a sponge.

Always remember where you putted the areas you want to show when you will be removing the camo paint.

Once it is dry, I used the Chipping effect from AK Interactive, you can also use the same product from Ammo or Vallejo. If you don't have it you can use hair spay.

If you are using hair spray you must do first a test on an old platic kit of sheet of plastic as some hair spay can react with the paint.

I'm covering the areas I want the paint to be removed with the Chipping liquid, you can apply it with an hairbrush or a brush. Once you can see it is dry, you must apply the camo or paint layer including the mapping directly.

In the case of this M41, left outside for many years, I used various Tamiya acrylics green tones as:

XF-5 Flat Green, XF-67 NATO Green, XF-71 Cockpit Green and XF-2 White.

Once you can see it is dry, you can start to work on the chipping effect, using water and a brush. Your brush must be wetted and not flooded with water. Apply water on the surface, wait a little bit and brush the surface from top to bottom. You can also use a toothpick or a thin pin for other kind of chips.

The areas more damages or more worn must have more chips than other areas.

On the next step, I'm using various enamel washes and grime.

If I'm using enamels and not acrylics or water based products is simple to understand, the base is acrylic, if I'm working with acrylics it won't react the same way, also the acrylics have a faster driying time than the enamels.

You can use already prepared washes or you can do them your self with enamel colours and thinner.

Finaly I'm putting some rust tone pigments (light, medium and deep) with and old brush on some areas.

If you want to fix the pigments, you can use diluted mat varnish.

The final result:

That's it for this one, if you have any question just ask.

Don't forget if you have an old model try it first on it.

Remember less is more, don’t over do the effect or you can ruin your model.

Weathering Tutorial Part 4: Streaking (Grime, rain marks and oils)

These streaks on the colour are due to grime, dust, mud, liquid leaks, rust, rain etc. Streaks are only applied on vertical or sloped surfaces. For flat surfaces we will use another technique describe on the dust effect chapter.

Colours I used for this are enamels:

Humbrol: 
Khaki Matt 26
Radome Tan Matt 148
White Matt 34
Black Matt 33

Model Master: 
Burnt Umber
Burnt Sienna

Vallejo rust streaks AK 013
Vallejo Dark Streaking Grime AK024


Tools: 

Thin brush N°1
Flat brush N°3
Enamel thinner

Streaks:

With a thin brush I'm taking some grime I made with Burnt Umber (dilution ratio of 60% paint and 40% Thinner), you can also use  products like AK or Ammo streaking grime. 

The most important is to use an enamel based product as we already applied enamels (or oils) on our model, any water based product won't react properly.

I'm drawing thin lines on the sides on the model, from top to bottom. The lines must have different size and length.

After 2 or 3 minutes, with a flat brush wetted in thinner for enamel I'm stumping the lines with vertical movements from top to bottom.
Don't overdo it or you will remove it completely.

You can repeat it various time or also vary the colours used until you are satisfied.

Like here in some areas I added some lines of khaki. 

Here is the result, it have to be subtle.

We are not looking to get a Tiger stipes look!

 

Let it dry completely before going to the next step: Rain marks.

Rain marks:

Rain marks are due to the water or rain flowing down over the dust and mud.

I'm mixing light grey with buff (Radome tan works too) diluted with thinner.

Rain marks have to be drawn from bottom to top. 

After few minutes, we start to blend them with vertical movements from bottom to top.

Again you must let it dry completely before the next step. 

Rust streaks:

For the rust streaks, you can use specific products like AK Rust Streaks, or use enamel paints. In that case I'm using Burnt Sienna for the orange red tones and Burnt Umber for the darker tone.

First have a look at as much real rust streaks as possible. Also you have old and fresh rust streaks. 

The streaks have to start also from some previously painted chips or rusty panel also painted before.

Of course depending of the operative situation of your model you must add more or less rust streaks. Some models like used on the Russian front with very hard weather conditions will means more rust streaks. On another hand, vehicle used in desert condition will not have the same kind of streaks.

Also the rust colour will vary from orange for fresh rust to deep brown for old rust.

!!VERY IMPORTANT!! 

BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE PLACE WHERE IT START. EVERYTHING ISN'T MADE OUT OF STEEL.

Two techniques are recommended, the first one is to blend the streaks with a flat brush wetted with thinner. With this technique the center of the streaks will loose intensity. I would recommend it as a pre streak.

For the second one, once the streak is done, with a thin (brush N°0), wetted (never flood it) with thinner I blend the streak first on one side, second on the other side. With this technique, the center of the streak keep it intensity. 

Again let it dry before getting to the next step.