tracks suggestions and examples

i had a dilemma like that with a Tiger 1 i am finishing up. i put a bast of gunmetal down, a clear coat after it dried, then a thin wash of Testors Rubber, clear coat, dry brushed the cleats with testors silver, clear coated, and then added a slurry of "mud" made by mixing pigment powders and water together.... seems like alot of work, but i did each side in about half an hour (excluding drying time) and the results were pretty darn close to what i wanted. hope this helps!

Regards, Logan

I airbrush a coat of burnt umber on the tracks and then with some brushed on glosscoat I dab in between raised areas and then press the track into very fine dirt. After than I wash the whole thing in earth colors.

This is the effect I get...

good luck!

Much of this depends on if you want to represent a vehicle that's been used hard in the dirt/mud or a fairly new one.

That is what I'll do with a vehicle in the field.

This is what I'll do to a vehicle on a display base. The formula I use is simple...Airbrush the tracks a dark brown. Once dry, wash them in a lighter, more orange color. I like Model masters rust. Use mineral spirits for the wash rather than thinner, it's easier on the base coat. Once dry, drybrush with steel and paint the guide teeth. If you're going to model a vehicle with dirty tracks, basic dark brown with steel drybrushing on the track cleats is really all that should show considering the mud/dirt that will be on them. Hope this helps.

Regards,

Mark 

Thanks for the suggestions.  I am about ready to put the tracks together.  Hopefully in the next day or two will be able to try painting them.

Here is a real simple technique that I learned from a master builder in our local AMPS chapter that I use don my Renault UE. It is easily applied after assembly for a good dirty dusty used field look.

First up, after the vehicle has basic painting and decaling done, airbrush on a base coat of Raw Umber over the entire suspension area

Afterwards apply a light "dusting" coat over that of Raw Sienna

If you so desire, you can apply a dry brushing of steel or use a graphite pencil to high light the track cleats that would contact pavement on a roadway.

For some reason I did not see that there was another post to my thread.

I have never tried using the AB for weathering.  I particularly like the shading you achieved on the undercarriage.  I hope to get back to the bench to work on weathering with some powders.

I did get back to the bench and finally have the tracks done and on the kit.  I airbrushed a dark brown, then dry-brushed Humbrol polished steel color.  I got better results than I have in the past, similar to what reserve got in the second picture he posted, though I still not quite that nice.

Have hardly been able to even look at the workbench for a week!  Not a good thing.

That Renault was the first time that I had used only my airbrush for the suspension weathering.

Get back on that bench Mister!

Here are a couple of pictures of what I ended up with.  One with flash and one without.  Both look bluer to me in the pictures that what they look like on the bench.

As usual, I don't know when to stop on the weathering.  On the bench I think it is not too bad, but when I get it on camera it looks like too much.

You can see a bit on the tracks of the trailer that I really mangled, but I did learn a lot about assembling link tracks.