Need help 'making tracks'!

No problem andytank. Keep up the input. Look forward to any work you can display.

Sorry about that

Hey andytank, I know you meant no harm, but you should be reminded about using expletives in your posts. A couple of other members got in a bit of trouble last week. We the members and our gracious hosts frown upon it. Again, I'm sure you meant no harm, but be careful. There are similies that can express your points. Thanks.

hello. I first wash my tracks with a mild soap, after they dry, I spray them with automotive primer, when this dries about 24 hours I dry brush them the color of terrain the tank will be in. The rust color of the primer will be in the nooks a crannys that will collect rust like the real thing. I dry brush stainless steel or a dull silver on areas that get worn or rub on idler wheels or sprockets. take a look at an idle peice of construction equipment. Some tracks will be bright with yellows and light browns when in clay, or a dull sandy color when in sand. but these colors are still brighter than you expect. the only time you will find black tracks is on the tanks coming out of the factory or parked in front of the local VFW. Tanks are pigs. Have fun and experiment with differnt shades and mixes. you can't make a mistake. Tracks in the feild look like they rolled through shit. I hope I was able to help

I almost forgot.. Have a look at these pics of my Panzer IV.. The tracks are done as I described in the 'muddy' look..

http://www.armorama.com/modules/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=3806

I never knew you had to wash them, and I've never had trouble with the paint not sticking. (could be the paint though: Humbrol #53 gunmetal gray. it takes about 4 minutes to dry.)

Yes, as you can see from the above posts, the soft vinyl one-piece tracks should be washed first. Even if they look clean, there is enough oil,grease,grime that you CANT see that will keep the paint from sticking the best.

Post some pictures when you decide what to make your tracks look like.
Welcome to the forum :)

Welcome to the forum, Calvin,

I built a Tamiya PzII, but I put FriulModel tracks on mine. From what I understand, the vinyl tracks have a tendency for the paint to flak off. Wash them in very soapy water, rinse well, and dry thoroughly. I always start any tracks by painting them with flat black. Then wash with rusty metalics colored coats, and finish up drybrushing with steel and silver on the very highest points.

Good luck.

Welcome....
For that era and tank, i wound make the tracks pretty weathered. First, spray it a flat black color. then drybrush it with a metallic color. after that, i usually drybrush it with testors rust color. then i just add a pastel to a little water then brush it on. when dry, get a stiff brush and go over the track. hope that helps.

I wash 'em with soapy water and rinse them off. Then I spray them panzer gray. Next I put on a heavy rust colored wash after which I dry brush with gunmetal then very lightly dry brush with steel. Done. I like them that way. Some times I just spray the whole suspension in an earth brown, tracks and all, then put a dark brown wash on followed by a very light drybrushing with steel. Of course this applies to the metal parts only. Rubber blocks get painted flat black and dry brushed with gray. That's my way; as Micheal stated, you'll probably get a different technique from every modeller that responds. Experiment a little you'll find something you like.

Lets see if I remember the sequence properly..

First, start by giving them a good wash(i.e. lather-rinse etc.). The vinyl has gunk on it that helps release it from the mold. When thats done you can go two ways. Lightly weathered or muddy. It depends on the situation you want your tank in. If the tank is lightly weathered, paint them gunmetal, then a drybrush rust colour, then drybrush lightly with silver, or use pencil lead.

If you want the really muddy stuf, like on the Panzer IV in my pic below, paint the tracks whatever earth tone you want, then drybrush with gun metal then again silver or pencil lead. you can also give them a bit of a nicely diluted dark wash, just to bring out the details, but its not really neccessary.

You'll find that every armour modeller will have a different method. (though to be truthful, I'm quoting the first method from what Robert, aka Shermafreak, said to someone a while back)..