MENG Model Sd.Kfz.182 King Tiger [WIP - Spare tracks for placement on the tank turret]

My research on how to accurately portray the spare tank tracks on a King Tiger turret led me to two main color schemes. Most modelers tend to paint the spare tracks as heavily rusted pieces. But I've noticed schemes in which the spare tracks had camouflage pattern painted over them. An excerpt of color images available online from an excellent book titled SuperKing, Building Trumpeter's 1:16th Scale King Tiger as well as a few black and white historical images of Tank No.124 of the Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505 showed its spare tracks to be somewhere in between.

Meng Model King Tiger (Henschel Turret) work-in-progress: Spare tank tracks for placement on the turret

Note the spare tank tracks on the turret of Tank No.124 of the Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505

Superking, Building Trumpeter's 1:16th Scale King Tiger by David Parker

 
To obtain the specific look as achieved by expert modeler David Parker on the King Tiger No.124 (see above) I decided to weather the tracks using the chipping fluid method. For this purpose, I used the AK Interactive Worn Effects acrylic chipping fluid. Prior to paint-chipping via this method, the tracks had to be prepped first (Steps 01 to 04). After the prerequisite primer coat, a basecoat mixture comprising Mr.Color Mahogany and Mr.Finishing Surfacer 1500 Black at a ratio of roughly 19:1 was applied to the tracks. This was followed by an uneven layer of AK Interactive Track Primer in order to lighten the colors. Lastly a clear matte coat was applied to form a protective layer.      

Step 01: Prepare the spare tank tracks for painting by spraying them with the Tamiya Fine Surface Primer (Light Gray)

Step 02: Basecoat the tracks with a paint mixture comprising Mr.Color Mahogany and Mr.Finishing Surfacer 1500 Black 

Step 03: Airbrush an uneven layer of AK interactive Track Primer to lighten the basecoat hue

Step 04: Spray a protective matte clear coat, in this case the water-based Mr.Hobby Top Coat

Once the protective clear coat had dried overnight, I proceeded to airbrush a few layers of the AK Interactive Worn Effects fluid onto the tracks - allowing each layer to dry before starting on the next. It is said the more layers of Worn Effects you pile on, the larger the resulting paint chips. While I can't attest to how accurate this is without first doing control tests, I decided to take it at face value and sprayed on a few layers in the hope of getting reasonably sized paint chips. And when the chipping fluid was dry to the touch, it was time for the main camouflage hue i.e. German WW2 dunkelgelb. 

Step 05: Airbrush AK Interactive Worn Effects acrylic chipping fluid on the tracks - more layers equal larger chips

Step 06: When the chipping medium is dry to the touch, airbrush the tracks with Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow

Step 07: Once the dark yellow acrylic coat is dry, moisten areas you wish to chip and use a brush to remove the paint

Having access to an airbrush system is critical to the chipping fluid method. Previously I had tried using a hand brush to apply the paint color that follows after the chipping fluid layer to mixed results. Personally, I feel the method works best with an airbrush. Once the Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow was dry to the touch, I moistened areas that I wish to have paint chip from the tracks and started rubbing at it with an old paint brush. During this step, I was careful to not rub too vigorously so as to be in better control of how much paint I was actually chipping from the tracks.

Results: Paint chipping effects using the AK Interactive Worn Effects acrylic fluid

Despite decent paint-chipping results, more weathering awaits the spare tank tracks when they are eventually placed on the King Tiger turret. For one, the tracks will likely receive dust hues. In addition, they may also get dirt or rust streaks depending on how I want the final look to be. Meanwhile, I will be attempting even more paint-chipping but of a different kind on a different area. So next up is micro paint-chipping on non-zimmerit, exposed surfaces of the King Tiger. This technique entails adding chipping effects with a fine brush. That's the next step. For now it's goodbye.

T-55A Medium Tank [WIP - Road Wheels]

There are more ways than one to paint the road wheels of a tank. Among the choices available to scale modellers are to use an air brush/spray can in conjunction with a commercial road wheel template or to hand brush the rubber sections separately from the steel rims. In between are of course many other variations of these two techniques. What I eventually came up with may not be the best method to paint wheels but it's definitely one that works for me. It involves creating disposable paint masks with a circle template plus a combination of hand brush and spray can painting. 

Tamiya T-55A Medium Tank work-in-progress, metal tank wheels with rubber tyres

My initial priority was to find a suitable material for use as a paint mask. Ideally I would've preferred to use masking tape. But the largest one I had was 18 mm in width so short of sticking several together and cutting through a sticky mess I was left searching for an alternative masking material. In the end I settled for some cheap index cards which I cut into a circle and inverted circle (waste not, want not). The former was used to mask the steel rims while the latter masked the rubber section. Adhesive tacks and rolled-up Tamiya masking tape were used to stick the masks onto the wheels.   

Using a circle template to make disposable paint masks for the tank road wheels

First up for spray painting were the rubber sections of the tank road wheels. So the steel rims were masked with the circled cut-outs. In hindsight, I should've spray painted the steel rims first followed by the rubber tyres. This was because the circled mask worked so well that I had an almost flawless results i.e. practically no visible overspray of Rubber Black paint on the steel rims. This was largely due to the slightly larger size of the circle mask versus the inverted circle mask. 

Steel rims of the tank road wheels were the first to be masked out

Tamiya TS-82 Rubber Black was then sprayed on the road wheels

Road wheels with their rubber tyres/liners all painted up

Seeing how well the paint masks worked, I should've painted the steel rims first instead

As you can see below, overspray was a problem when the steel rims were spray painted. Some of the Olive Drab 2 colours had gotten onto the rubber tyres, which was to be expected seeing that the inverted circle never fully covered the rubber section of the wheel. In addition I made a technical error of spray painting the insides of the road wheels (side facing the lower hull). If I had analyzed the whole process better I wouldn't have wasted precious paint (and primer) on the insides as they aren't visible once attached to the lower hull. Something to take note of in future builds.

It was now the rubber tyres' turn to be masked out for spray painting

Tamiya TS-28 Olive Drab 2, the tank's primary hue, was then sprayed on the wheels

This time the masks didn't work as well with paint overspray hitting the rubber tyres

Fixing the overspray on the rubber tyres was easy for two reasons. Firstly, painting black on top of any colour is always going to be easier than vice versa. Secondly, there wasn't much surface area to touch up with paint anyway so it wasn't a wasteful, time consuming process.   

To fix the overspray I used Tamiya's paint bottle version of rubber black i.e. XF-85

A milk-like consistency of Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black was then hand brushed on the tyres

Tedious as the whole process was, it has positives too. There is something to be said for the repetitive nature of painting tank road wheels. It begets an almost similar zen-like state I find myself in when applying layer after thin layer of acrylic paint on miniature figurines. Not quite as calming. But as monotonous tasks go, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It all boils down to one's state of mind when working on parts of a scale model that require repetitive tasks. You can either get hot and bothered or you can enjoy it. Since you're already spending precious little free time on a hobby you love, I say enjoy it. If not why do it, right?

Nurgle Rhino [WIP - Weathering 'Metal' Tracks & Adding Dust/Dirt Effects]

Work on the Nurgle Rhino is now enteringn the home stretch with weathering of its 'metal' tracks completed and the addition of dust/dirt stains on the lower sections of its hull. It's about 99% complete with a few loose ends to tie up in terms of unifying the entire piece's colour scheme courtesy of a few minor touches here and there. Here's a step-by-step documentation of the final significant weathering process that the Nurgle Rhino will undergo before she is revealed in full.

Nurgle Rhino work-in-progress: Rusted track with metallic shine for parts facing wear-and-tear

As I hadn't put much thought into the tracks initially, there was bound to be some overlap in its weathering process. For example, I had already primed the tracks with an oxide red hue using a combination of Tamiya Fine Surfacer and Mr Surfacer 1000 primers. But when starting work on the tracks, I realised this hue looked a tad too bright hence the application of yet another primer coat i.e. AK Interactive Tracks Primer which sported a darker umber-like hue. Based on past experience, acrylic primers act more like a sturdier basecoats rather than a proper primer per se so essentially there isn't any primer coat overkill. Well, technically two primer coats is overkill enough.

A primer mixture of two oxide red hues (left track) was followed by a umber-like hue (right)

For some modellers, polyurethane acrylic primer is just a glorified acrylic paint basecoat

An application of track wash brought the rust hues to a darker tone

At this stage, both set of tracks have had a fairly generous application of the enamel wash

Rust hues for the tracks using a combination of pigments and enamel washes

Following the rust pigments and washes, a dark steel pigment as well as a pigment fixture was applied 

Most modern tank tracks comprise a combination of rubber and metal parts. However, for the purpose of the Nurgle Rhino I had assumed an all-metal track and weathered it as such. This meant a fully rusted track with metallic shine showing through in places where the track experiences frictional contact with surfaces. For a closeup view of each step of the 'all-metal' track weathering process as well as a description of the work involved, please check out the photos (including captions) below.

Step 1: A coating of AK Interactive Track Primer, light enough that some of the oxide red shows through

Step 2: A liberal application of AK Interactive Enamel Track Wash

Step 3: Application of AK Interactive's Track, Light Rust, Medium Rust pigments as well as Light Rust Enamel Wash

Step 4: Application of AK Interactive Dark Steel pigment, followed by its Pigment Fixer then another layer of Dark Steel

As a final touch of significant weathering, dust/dirt effects was applied on the lower sections of the Nurgle Rhino's hull. The intention was to add more colour variation to the monotone hull, yet not too much as to confuse the eye to what is already a heavily weathered hull. To add dust/dirt effects, I used a combination of AK Interactive Africa Dust Effects enamel wash and some white spirit. The latter served to either dilute the wash or clean off excess dust/dirt effects for a more stain-like look.

AK Interactive Africa Dust Effects and White Spirit used together to create dust/dirt stains on lower hull 

A light yellowish or beige-like dust/dirt stain was chosen to complement the greyish green hull

Closeup of the lower sections of the Nurgle Rhino's hull, after being weathered with dust/dirt stains

Blogging this entire project week after week has at times stretched my patience (not to mention that of my dear readers). It sometimes can be hard to maintain enthusiasm in a project when week after week sees only at times are small incremental steps towards a greater whole. To inject some variety into future posts, I plan to alternative blog postings between two completely different projects each week. This can only work if the two projects are sufficiently different or confusion may reign. Before that though will be the final reveal of the Nurgle Rhino project so please bear with me until then.

Nurgle Rhino [WIP - Acrylic glazes and a searchlight]

Despite the weathered rust effects, the Nurgle Rhino still looked relatively flat overall. So to break up the monotone grey green hue of the chaos transport vehicle, I lightly layered on some blue green acrylic glazes on selected areas of the hull. I had Moiterei to thank for this step. Although I had previously done some research about using filters (essentially enamel versions of acrylic glaze) on future AFV projects (Russian T-72B1 and/or B3 main battle tanks) it didn't occur to me at all to use that painting technique here. Until Moiterei, thankfully, reminded me of it! 

Nurgle Rhino work-in-progress: selective application of acrylic glazes

Instead of the usual dark brown wash, recesses of the hatch door were given blue/green glazes

For the purpose of this W40K project, the acrylic glazes were created using Vallejo Glaze Medium in combination with Vallejo Model Color Intermediate Green (70.891) and Blue Green (70.808) as well as water. The resulting glazing mixture had a consistency slightly more watery than skim milk. 

Paints used in this session: Vallejo Model Color Blue Green, Intermediate Green and Glaze Medium

Water was added into the mix to achieve a slightly lighter than skim milk consistency

How the acrylic glaze looks like on a kitchen paper towel

Effects are intentionally subtle partly because the Nurgle Rhino already had a lot of weathering effects on its hull e.g. paint chips, rust stains and streaks. It could arguably do with more glazes (even of a different hue) but in the end I felt the transport already had a lot going for it. I wanted to do just enough to trick the eye into seeing a more varied hue on the hull. Another reason I stopped with what seemed bare minimal glazing is because the Nurgle Rhino is getting yet another round of weathering effects in the next step i.e. dust/dirt buildup on the lower portions of its hull (sigh, will it never end).

Effect of blue green glazes, top (after) and below (before), on left-side of hull

Effect of blue green glazes, top (after) and below (before), on right-side of hull

At extreme closeups, the acrylic glazes become more noticeable especially on the upper left and right corners of the transports back, near the tow hooks. Meanwhile on the upper hull, the acrylic glazes were concentrated on similar panels, hatch hinges and raised square block thingies.

A closeup of the upper left corner panel (near tow hook) which took on a bluish green hue after glazing

Similar panel on the other side of the Nurgle Rhino, a bit more noticeable on this side

Upper hull with the hinges, panels and raised areas glazed with blue/green to make it stand out

A miscellaneous Nurgle Rhino part i.e. the searchlight was also completed with the 'lights' painted in as well as a bluish green glaze on the upper small light fixture (see below). 

Nurgle Rhino searchlight which incidentally had its upper part glazed with a blue green hue

All that's left to do now is to paint and weather the Nurgle Rhino's tracks and add some dust/dirt effects to the lower portions of its hull. The end is near ...