my first sherman tank

[Dodge]

can anybody give me any info how to start ie: paint bit before putting togeather etc

[chrisonord]

Hya Dodge,
Firstly what scale is the tank you are doing and are you going to airbrush it or hand paint it. Also, does the kit have a lot of detail on it both externally and internally if you want it seen of course.
Chris.

[Dodge]

Hi chrisonord sorry about the delay in answering your Q but ive bit ill . Any way its a italeri kit sherman m4 a3 scale 1.35 and its got quite alot of detail. Im using an air brush and hand paint, any help would be great 

[chrisonord]

I hope you get better soon Dodge.
Are there any internal details going to be shown on this, are you going to do this straight off the line or battered and weary. It all depends on where and by whom it is going to be used by really, and on here anything goes
Externally when the whole thing is assembled hive it a light coating of the main colour you want to use, let this dry over night. This will show up any bits that may need puttying or cleaning up. If its all ok or after you have done this give it another slightly heavier coat, and try no to touch it with your fingers, or you will end up with prints all over it. Give the tank another coat the next day, then if you are camouflaging it add that now.  Make sure to give the tracks and running gear the same treatment too. I have only ever done 2 1/35 scale tanks, and apart from making miliput zimerit on the King Tiger I did not put a lot of detail or weathering on them.
I usually build 1/72nd scale armour.If you let us know what era and areas it is going to be used in both myself and some other fellow modellers will help you out with getting it all dirty and unloved 
Cheers
Chris.   

[GTX]

Some potentially useful info here:

http://www.usarmymodels.com/ARTICLES/articles.html

Regards,

Greg

[Dodge]

Thanks Chris and GTX that was a great article. the Sherman is a 1:35 scale and there is no details inside so closed all hoods. what i want to finish off with is a wet look mud on the lower parts of the tank and splatter on the sides and front. Just like its gone through a muddy field and puddles. Any body know how to get wet mud. I'm trying it using homemade pigments from ground watercolour leads.and plaster, not getting the right colour i want right 

[Old Wombat]

Use a darker earth colour for the mud (wet mud looks dark against dry dirt/dust) &, after you have dull-coated the finished build, touch up the "mud" bits with clear satin & gloss to give them a wet sheen.

I haven't tried it yet, but it's on the to-do list, is to add talcum powder to your paint to give it texture & bulk, & sometimes some white/PVA glue to help it stick (if you're using acrylics).

Most companies (Tamiya, Humbrol, Gunze, etc.) have a decent range of earth/dirt colours, just blend them until you get the right mix.

[rickshaw]

A good way to get a wet mud look cheaply is to use artist's pastels.  Go down the local art shop and buy some shades of brown.  Use a piece of fine sand paper and rub the pastels to produce a powder.  Dip a brush in some water and then brush it on.  It will "flow" in a similar way to mud.   Repeat this several times, with different shades, using dark to light.   Most AFVs will build up a layer of mud around their suspension system and lower hull.  This will dry, the higher up it goes, depending how long it was since they last had a dip to that height.

What might surprise you though, is how much and how often crews do try and keep their vehicles clean.  Unit discipline ensures it and regular daily vehicle inspections by the crews to keep their vehicles running (usually a "first parade service" - first thing in the morning and a "last parade service" - last thing at night) means that areas which require regular servicing and greasing - such as axles, track tensioners, track links, etc. are often cleaner than most modellers seem to imagine.   War time service is not about fighting the enemy continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.   Men and machines need downtime.   Otherwise they both tend to fall apart over time...

[NARSES2]

What might surprise you though, is how much and how often crews do try and keep their vehicles clean.  Unit discipline ensures it and regular daily vehicle inspections by the crews to keep their vehicles running (usually a "first parade service" - first thing in the morning and a "last parade service" - last thing at night) means that areas which require regular servicing and greasing - such as axles, track tensioners, track links, etc. are often cleaner than most modellers seem to imagine.   War time service is not about fighting the enemy continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.   Men and machines need downtime.   Otherwise they both tend to fall apart over time...

I've been told by a mate who knows an ex Panzer crewman that their vehicles were washed down at the end of each day as far as that was possible. Now he was captured in 1944 in Normandy so things may have changed as the situation for the German's grew worse but I've always had a feeling some armour is over weathered. Just a personal view and I have to state I am not a fan of to much weathering

[rickshaw]

What might surprise you though, is how much and how often crews do try and keep their vehicles clean.  Unit discipline ensures it and regular daily vehicle inspections by the crews to keep their vehicles running (usually a "first parade service" - first thing in the morning and a "last parade service" - last thing at night) means that areas which require regular servicing and greasing - such as axles, track tensioners, track links, etc. are often cleaner than most modellers seem to imagine.   War time service is not about fighting the enemy continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.   Men and machines need downtime.   Otherwise they both tend to fall apart over time...

I've been told by a mate who knows an ex Panzer crewman that their vehicles were washed down at the end of each day as far as that was possible. Now he was captured in 1944 in Normandy so things may have changed as the situation for the German's grew worse but I've always had a feeling some armour is over weathered. Just a personal view and I have to state I am not a fan of to much weathering

Having served with Armour on occasion, the things I noted was that daily serving tended to clean the dust, mud and crap off vehicle suspensions in the places that most modellers assume would be more heavily encrusted.  Along with vibration which shakes it off, you end up with a lot less than is usually assumed.  What I tend to see is most modellers overdo the mud and ignore dust, which does get left on much longer, on the tops of vehicles, particularly those serving in the desert.

[Dodge]

Thank you   old wombat for your suggestions as cheep as possible does help. If you have any other cheep ways i would be very interested indeed.
Rickshaw and Narses2 I'm am going to do a diorama where the tank is on a mud track with potholes on it. Could you possible tell me where the most wear is usually on these vehicles. Does any body know what colour the amo box is on the Browning M2 .50caliber machine gun.

[chrisonord]

What Rickshaw said is what I use. My cartel armour which consists of T-54,55 62 and 70's is all in a varying state of neglect as far as cleaning is concerned. I have made mud using pastel chalk scrapings and water to make a clay mud like consistency, and put it in places where it could get flung from the tracks onto and on the front lower hull. Some painted into the tracks and the road wheels would not go a miss either. If I want to make something look plain old dusty or dirty, I have a mix of pastel chalk powder a spot of washing up liquid and water. I paint this quite heavily all over the model and let it dry naturally. This then leaves behind dirty marks where dirty water would have accumulated and evaporated leaving a thin layer of dusty dirt, also it gets into all the gaps and around the rivets etc. If you have a look at my scratch build combat excavator, I have weathered it this way.
Cheers,
Chris.    

[Dodge]

Hi Chrisonord i see what you mean. By the way what a great job you've done building the excavator   :thumbs
I'm doing the tank (1st Armoured Division - 13th Tank Bn.)  around  two years in service, so its quite new but slightly worn. As this is my first tank i want to keep it relatively simple but i want a scene or diorama, on a mud track with a few bushes in north Italy, spring 1945.
cheers Rog