Tutorial: Painting and Weathering Tracks for a Rusty Finish

[@tomatoes3]

Another great video, I like the fact that you don't have the music on while you chat ,its just not needed, in fact it spoils rather than enhancing your skill. I've returned to modelling at the age of 67 and find your videos a real help. I'am interested in ww2 esp the Eastern Front Kursk and your Heavy Weathering is a real come back too. Thanks again from the uk .

[@Panzermeister36]

tomrace16 Thanks! I'm glad my videos are helping you out! I owe practically all the stuff I've learned in this hobby to the older crowd so I'm very pleased to be helping back! Eastern front would be my favourite too...I love panzers and T-34s! Hobby on, brother :)

[@ArmourEmpire]

Very useful How To. Thanks for posting. Nice to see different techniques and that is an effect method. Cool result

[@Panzermeister36]

Thanks Mark :) What do you use on your more modern tracks? I'd guess less pigment and more rusty and dusty washes.

[@gasperettiarts]

Your channel is my favourite. Great videos (and no annoying loud music during the moments when you don't speak :D ) and so many stuff to try now!

[@Panzermeister36]

Tyrrhenus d'Etruria Thanks :) I'm glad you enjoy my videos and find them inspirational!

[@alansmodelmaking1558]

The tracks look great! Thanks for the tutorial, Happy Holidays! Looking forward to the diorama tutorial!

[@Panzermeister36]

Thank you Alan :) Hope the tut helps. I should have the dio build up either tomorrow or I'll hold it till boxing day :D

[@geekyrocket9714]

Superb tracks on that E-50 buddy! Great tutorial as well, simple yet extremely effective! Cheers!

[@Panzermeister36]

Thank you Brad :D

[@daltonvickers7977]

Am building my first tank, a Leopard, right now. This tip I will have to try on it. Thanks for the help

[@Panzermeister36]

Good luck on the Leo, Dalton! Glad I could help with my vid :)

[@AdamMann3D]

That's the same base color I use, and then I use Mig dark wash, but essentially the same thing. Nice man.

[@Panzermeister36]

Thanks Adam :) Guess we were thinking the same thing lol

[@steviegibson5847]

Nice review. I thought I was the only one where the tracks fall apart - I feel normal now. Thanx! I like the way pigments look, but they are MESSY! I managed to spill like a tiny, tiny bit of rust pigment on my carpet and it stood out like a beacon. Ive fitted laminate floor now, but next time Id do pigments outside or in the garage!

[@Panzermeister36]

Thanks Stevie :) Yeah I hate the effects AK and MiG washes have on the glue, it gets pretty annoying. When I was putting the tracks back on it fell apart even more and I was basically puzzle-piecing groups of 4 links together AGH it was pretty frustrating but it turned out well :D Yeah pigments are really hard to clean up, you should see the sutting mat I have under the paper towels here lol it's pretty much brown!

[@AstonM1965]

Very nice tutorial for the rusting effects Evan.

[@Panzermeister36]

Thanks Charles!

[@neilyboy79]

Amazing ! You really know your stuff Evan I will definitely be using your idea on rusty tracks for some of my kits .if you want I could send you some pics when I'm done

[@Panzermeister36]

Thanks, I'm glad you like it! Sure send me some pics I'd love see some of your work :)

[@JoeMakesModelKits]

(clap clap clap clap) Stunning work on the tracks... Matches with the E-50

[@Panzermeister36]

Thanks Joe :) I'm glad you notice that; that's what I was going for. A toned-down, dusty, rusty, dreary look. I'm really pleased with the result I achieved. Diorama tutorial up tomorrow if all goes well!

[@dogma4-167]

HAHA! Best use of a 'jerry can' EVER! Great vid Evan :) thanks for sharing brotha! Merry Christmas!

[@russellgosselin3325]

Nice tutorial, Evan. You are way ahead of me in this technique. Like the weathering on the sponsons. Do you have a video on that? Model on!

[@Panzermeister36]

Thanks Russ! Hmm this was years and years ago, but I think it was just light layers of MiG Productions Light Dust and Dark Mud pigments, that I blended around for a dusty effect and it ended up looking a little worn too.

[@maesomon]

Great tutorial, thank you!

[@cursedmonkey1033]

If you thinned your enamel paint with Tamiya enamel thinners that is what will have caused the tracks to break like that. It seems to work as a solvent for the cement. I learned this at great cost when I tried to use it as a base for washes, and would watch my models fall apart before my eyes. But the upside is if you have a join you want to undo you just apply some thinners and allow it to seep into the join, and after a few minutes you can usually pull it apart.

[@jasonbourne5200]

It's really just a matter of how much you put in though because I just put some in the paint to thin it out or my airbrush won't work. But yah I wouldn't use it as a wash because it can break down the plastic.

[@fwsauerteig]

First, the protruding edges of the track should fresh steel color--ie any surface that runs across the ground. This is also true of the edges of the track horns on the bottom. Also, early on I can see the knock out pin marks on the bottom of the track.

[@Panzermeister36]

+F.W. Sauerteig First, the worn outer surfaces of real tank tracks can acquire a coat of flash rust overnight if the tank hasn't been moving. So something like this which has been abandoned for at least a week, maybe more would have a reasonable rusty finish on the tracks. Also, the rust and other pigments covered up the pin marks on the tracks.

[@fwsauerteig]

Panzermeister36 It was not clear to me this is supposed to be an abandoned vehicle. And I can still see the pin marks.

[@Panzermeister36]

F.W. Sauerteig well if you look at the finished result on the diorama....

[@Dragonhunter1156]

Panzermeister36 hey are you aware of any reference material about the 501st heavy panzer battalion or anyone you may know that might any help would be great appreciated

[@Panzermeister36]

I'd recommend going on Facebook to the group Tiger Tracks and asking there. I know pretty much nothing about Tigers.

[@woooster17]

I am about to do my first full weathering on a Heng Long 1:16 Tiger 1 as practice.. I did purchase some upgraded metal tracks and want to get this full rust effect. What brown base paint did you use..& did you hand brush or airbrush it on? Sorry for remedial question, but you shot past that bit a little too quick for newbies like me.. Tia

[@Panzermeister36]

The base paint was XF-72. I airbrush that layer on now.

[@woooster17]

Panzermeister36 Great, thanks for the reply

[@seanboss429]

Thanks for posting this, I just got trumpeter's e-75 and e-50 kits, so I am taking notes lol. I am new to the model tank hobby and getting the tracks to fit is always a problem for me. I saw that before your started painting you glued the tracks in place then cut them, what type of glue do you prefer to use for that?

[@Panzermeister36]

Thanks for the comment, but these are not the kit tracks. These are a set of individual-link tracks I bought because I find it hard to make the rubber ones sag down, especially on a vehicle like this one where they sag a lot. If you want to know it's a set from Hobbyboss, the "Late Kingtiger" type. The E-50 and 75 used the same tracks as the Kingtiger, and these ones fit around the drive sprockets perfectly. You can see the box at 3:51. But since you're relatively new, I suggest that you don't go off buying After Market tracks and stuff so work with the kit ones (the ones in the set I bought came on sprues so I had to sand all the 80+ links PER SIDE). So I'd suggest you use the ones in the set glue them on before painting, and then paint them on the vehicle. However, don't put glue along the bottoms of the road wheels so when you paint the tracks later you can kinda separate the wheels from the tracks. This will make painting them easier as the road wheels won't be in the way as much, and it'll be less likely paint will get on the road wheels - the most visible of all the wheels. Only glue along the drive sproket, the read idler, and the tops of the road wheels to create the sag. I use CA glue for that, which is standard super glue. It stands for cyanizote-acrylate or something like that lol. I also recommend TacticalJackalope 's "Let's Build a Tank" series. Hope this helps, and feel free to ask any further questions :D

[@seanboss429]

thanks for letting me know, I will have to look into getting some soon. Your model looks really good, again thanks for sharing

[@arvinlienardi884]

do you let the track wash completely dry before adding pigments? and do you use pigment fixer things?

[@Panzermeister36]

I never use pigment fixer. If I ever want to attach pigments then I just apply thinner by brush to the pigmented areas gently. The thinner is absorbed by the pigments and when it dries it helps to attach them of a little better I've used Tamiya Acrylic Thinner as well as Wilder and AK Interactive Enamel Thinner for that and they work well. In this video I am pretty sure I just applied the pigments after the wash had dried without fixing the pigments on with anything. I would probably use something to fix them on now if I were to do it again, either a wash or some thinner so help bind the pigments on.

[@ericbrown9947]

sure did help me, thank you.

[@Panzermeister36]

Glad it was of use, Eric :)

[@milky55way2012]

Nice finish Evan....looking at those wheels, they look odd with only 1 wheel per station but I guess they would've worked with the new suspension they designed for the E-50. One observation....you could paint the high points of the tracks with a silver color to give them that worn steel look. Again just my 2 cents for what it's worth. Look at some real photos and you'll see what I mean, nice job anyway.

[@Panzermeister36]

Thanks! Yeah the tracks look very odd and they actually can slide back and forth (sideways to forwards and back) because the wheels don't keep them very tight. And yup I really should put some metallic highlights on the outside on the tracks but I don't really like the look of that, even though it should be there. I think I'll do some work with a pencil just to get a hint of that but I don't link shiny tracks, especially on this abandoned, poorly maintained tank. But you're completely right lol

[@mattiaandolfo9480]

What color have you used on the main body of the tank? That's not the standard dunkelgelb.. am I wrong?

[@Panzermeister36]

I'm pretty sure it was a mix of XF-60 and -55 about 50/50 though this was a long time ago. And yes, it's quite a bit more pale than standard Dunkelgelb because this is often how they looked later in the war. For an earlier vehicle I would add some XF-4 to the mix I mentioned above.

[@mattiaandolfo9480]

Thank you, very good job ;) I will try this mixture of colors as soon as possible

[@Panzermeister36]

+Mattia Andolfo Thanks! I hope it helps you out. I also did a video a little while ago where I explain how I mix Tamiya Paints for German tank colours

[@salazartankworkshop97]

Good technique Panzermeister36!

[@Panzermeister36]

***** Thanks Carlos :)

[@rickbeman2029]

Great Job! I'm currently working on Dragon's King Tiger (Porsche turret). Which kit is that you're working on? Did you have to cut the fenders or did they come as individual sections.

[@Panzermeister36]

Thanks! I'm working on Trumpeter's E-50 in this video :) And yes I had to cut the fenders apart because they came as one piece. Still a really nice kit, though! Does the one you're working on have the molded-on zimmerit?

[@rickbeman2029]

No molded on zimmerit. I'm using the Eduard PE set and a little miliput on the compound curves like the bow MG housing and some of the main gun mantlet. Otherwise it works well. The fenders on this kit are all one piece too. I'll have to grab a razor saw and some pliers and mangle them up a bit. Merry Christmas and stay warm up there.

[@Panzermeister36]

Rick Beman I'm pretty sure Dragon released a KT with the zimmerit but I may be mistaken, but their zimmerit looks really nice. I'd never survive a PE zimmerit set lol do you solder or glue those large pieces of PE together? I used pliers and a file to add the dings and dents on the fenders, and I cut them using sprue cutters. The piece in the middle that I removed was essentially destroyed but that didn't matter to me.

[@rickbeman2029]

The PE was actually a lot easier to use than I thought. It fits like a glove and on the angular sides of a King Tiger there is very little bending and shaping of the PE. I use a slow drying, water based, acrylic resin cement called Gator's Grip Hobby Glue(available at Michigan Toy Soldier Co.). just brush it on, clamp the part and clean up any excess glue with water. It dries in an hour or so. The parts designed for compound curves...well no so much. Thats why the miliput. Again, Merry Christmas and hope Santa is good to you with new kits!

[@Flamethrower1942]

How do you seal your pigments once applied?

[@Panzermeister36]

The Angry Saxon I gave the model a coat of testor dullcote matte when it was finished. Putting a wash on after a layer of pigment is another way I stick them down.

[@Flamethrower1942]

Cool, thanks.

[@Velzirael]

Great work, Evan, as usual). And... Can i ask you one thing? I`m noob in modelism, just learning, and i have some problems with assembeling plastic tracks fow vehickles. Can you make a little guide for people just like me? And one more thing - i`m trying to do my first diorama, model - GB Valentine mkIII, and i`m interesting in - how to do sand for dioramas?

[@Panzermeister36]

Thanks for the comment, Maxim. I would gladly do a track-building tutorial on my T-62 as I'm just at the step of track assembly. I also have some footage from building the tracks of this E-50. Sand for models is quite hard because normal sized sand is already small, so when you try to replicate it in 1/35 scale it's even smaller. On a vehicle I would use pigments, but that would get expensive on a whole diorama base. You my be able to get some very fine sand for animal habitats (such as for a pet snake or lizard), but that still may be too large. Maybe that fine sand and then a bit of pigments on top will look good, but I'm not sure. You should test any ideas out on a smaller surface rather than the whole diorama base. If you go and watch my first video ever, I show a Sherman that I did a desert base for. I used pre-mixed tile grout and it was still quite thick for scale sand so I was not really happy with it. Then I redid the model and base for Italy, as you can see in the beginning of the review I did on the M41 Walker Bulldog. I hope I helped you out; sorry I don't really have a solution for you though. I will do the track tutorial, though!

[@Velzirael]

Panzermeister36 Evan, thanks for your advices, It`s really helpful.I`ll try to find out something for making sand, maybe will show it, if result would be good). And yes, waiting for your tutorial about tracks.)

[@GaryArmstrongmacgh]

Good video...

[@lowrider13k11]

Where can I buy zglobyaem tank

[@Panzermeister36]

I don't know where you can buy these kits where you live, but usually you can get some good prices on the internet.

[@paull.2053]

I like your Videos! I'm not that good at painting and stuff, It's more of a mini hobby for me. So I've got one question: Can you give me a link or tell me what brown colour you used for the tracks?

[@Panzermeister36]

Thanks Paul! The Tracks were based with XF-72 "Brown/JGSDF" (Japan Ground Self Defense Force), the same colour I used for the highlights on the track teeth. The base colour doesn't really matter; I just wanted something so the Track Wash wasn't being applied directly to the black plastic. Any brown should work, but I chose this colour because it's a sort of greyish brown :)

[@paull.2053]

Panzermeister36 Thank you, I will definitely use it for my tank! ^^

[@jasonbourne5200]

I know it's an E-50 but what's the brand and scale is it? Also great video!

[@Panzermeister36]

+Jax H 1/35th scale from Trumpeter

[@jasonbourne5200]

+Panzermeister36 thanks and great video!

[@Panzermeister36]

Jax H Thank you :)

[@jasonbourne5200]

+Panzermeister36 wow thanks for replying so fast

[@Panzermeister36]

Jax H Who needs sleep lol ;) It's way too late but I'm still on KZbin!

[@johnadams-wp2yb]

Does anyone out there build 'factory fresh' armoured vehicles ?

[@Panzermeister36]

It's not very common as some people look down on it as "unrealistic" or "boring" for some reason

[@llerco]

you didn't use pigment fixer ? i thought it was needed

[@Panzermeister36]

It's only needed if you want to fix the pigments. grinding them into the surface a little will make them stick to the wash I already put on

[@llerco]

ok, thanks

[@lowrider13k11]

What's site

[@Panzermeister36]

Any site that ships from somewhere near where you live. I order from websites in my home country of Canada and unless you live here too then it will be very expensive for the websites here to ship to you.

[@JoeL-yf4ee]

Video is nice but most of these tanks were knocked out before they got to be real rusty or dirty. Watch some old color films of the tank in action and you will see what I mean.

[@Panzermeister36]

+Joe L Thank you Joe :) This tank is knocked out so I was simulating a light buildup on rust over the stagnant vehicle.

[@thethirdman225]

This is good information but will you please speak up! I have minor hearing damage and it's really hard to understand you.

[@Panzermeister36]

I do better now. These old videos didn't have the best audio quality.