Chipping for m4 sherman

To me, the real challenge of WW2 US armor is not to do the fad-of-the-day paint chipping -- but to replicate the enormous amount of caked on dust, dirt and mud -- and then to show areas of the exterior where tank movement and crew bodies, hands and feet have worn off this dust. 

As already mentioned,chipping would be minimal. Apart from the edges of hatches, anycatches that need to be unlocked to open hatches, and portusions that are likely to be stood on regulaly.

Not too much in the way of chipping.
That factory baked  enamel finish was applied to the bare metal and pretty dern tough on it's own.
                                                                                      

M. Brindos

Stik is right. Most of the chipping will be around the hatches, but not many other places. That paint stuck on pretty dang well.

 

wear around hatches is gonna be very restrained on the edges... and springs will have their paint flake off... less is definitely more when you do this right.

Stik is right. Most of the chipping will be around the hatches, but not many other places. That paint stuck on pretty dang well.

Before you do any chipping on your Sherman build, do plenty of image searches first. You will be hard pressed to find examples of operational M4s in US or Allied WWII service that show much, let alone any chipping. 

Yes it is a very cool looking modeling technique, but often overdone. Shermans like all US vehicles, AFVs & softskins, had a very durable paint job when built. And very little/few sheet metal areas that are more likely to bend and chip. 

Dark steel (70% Steel + 30% Black) should look the part.