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Now that the tracks are etched with the Blacken-it process and
are a suitable base-color, it is time to move on to weathering. What follows is
an explanation using the main tools and supplies that I like to work with for
adding the final ‘look’. First I use an oil wash, usually a black/rust combo
to tint the tracks accordingly (again work towards the look you want for your
subject), and then I apply pigments for the dust and dirt. To finish them off
I lightly brush the surfaces that receive contact both with the ground and
the running gear with steel wool followed by the sanding sticks, all of which
are fine grade. Unless you plan to display the model in heavy mud, the inner
track surface will wear from contact with the road even when they are rubber.
Here we can see the variations to the Churchill tracks used for my example.
The main tracks were first given a very thin rust colored wash. Next I
applied some earth and dust colored pigments (pastels work very well also)
dry with an old brush and then airbrush Humbrol thinner over them to seal
them in. After that I took a small piece of steel wool and went over the main
cleat surface and the inner contact area to develop the bright spots. I
followed that with the sanding stick on the outer cleat surfaces only, just
enough to show the bare metal of the Friulmodel. The spare track links were
given a heavy wash of black and burnt sienna oils and then I applied a light
coat of rust and dirt colored pigments before gluing them onto the model.
Here are the final spare tracks after being glued to the model and given one
last coat of dust & dirt colored pigments. I treated each set a little
different to provide some variation to them, for instance, the tracks glued
to the front of the turret next to the MG were given another rust colored
wash and then some more pigments before I was satisfied with the result. This
is where the pigments really come into their own, as they provide such subtle
tone variations it becomes a lot of fun to create these effects.
The main tracks were fitted back onto the nearly completed model and then
given a light dust coat of pigment to blend them into the rest of the colors
I was working with. I always try to keep in mind what the final result will
look like and try to work towards that goal. You can also see the effects of
bringing out the worn metal spots with the steel wool and sanding sticks -
very easy and effective. Note how heavily dusted the front spare tracks
became in the end; their location dictated this look especially on a
Churchill. I achieved this by using the lighter dust colored pigments and
brushing them on dry.
Here are some more variations achieved with Friulmodel tracks using the same
technique just described.
(A) These tracks were given a wash of dark black/brown and then
followed by another wash of rust color only in between each link. I brushed a
thin coat of earth pigments and light sanding to finish them off.
(B) Jagdtiger tracks with a wash of light brown and rust colors,
and then some rust colored pigments were added.
(C) I went for a heavily worn and dirty look for this Russian
heavy tank. Washes were more in the brown and rust tones and then went over
with Europe dust and Russian earth colored pigments before a very light
sanding to just hit the high spots.
(D) For a more intense rust colored set on this German light
tank, I applied only a light rust color wash followed by rust and dirt
colored pigments. A good sanding was done to really bring the bare metal thru
of the outer cleat surfaces for some nice contrast. Well there you have it,
my method for building and finishing Friulmodel tracks -
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