Comet-ed

[JR]

Hi mate ,been absent for a couple of days
Most impressive work , as usual .

 

[Tim Marlow]

Agreed. I was going to pin wash etc around the lower hull but after seeing those pictures I've just slapped mud over the base colour.

I also noticed the absence of polished metal parts on the tracks and drive sprockets that many modellers add.

I'm sure different vehicles and driving conditions would have produced different results but at least I know it won't be "wrong" if I don't make too much of an effort in that regard.

Remember with mud that old mud is lighter than new mud (and underneath it) Andy…….there are quite a few shades there to play with.
As to the polished parts, remember that’s a museum example that probably only does a mile or two a year, and it’s covered in mud . A harder worked combat veteran would exhibit quite a lot more wear on the tracks and wheels than this one, but all vehicles wear differently so good references like this are always useful.
I‘d say that if you went for this level of mud coverage you’d be spot on though

 

[Andy T]

Thanks John, good to see you sir.

Yes Tim, thanks. I got a lighter textured layer down on everything last night and should be able to start adding a few darker shades tonight in places where it could be thicker or wetter.

 

[Jakko]

I also noticed the absence of polished metal parts on the tracks and drive sprockets that many modellers add.

I think the reason for that here is it’s a vehicle that’s stationary in a museum(’s depot) most of the time, with a thin layer of dried mud over everything. If it had been driving around in dry, sandy soil or over paved surfaces for even a few hours, the raised areas of the track would probably be shiny. Tracks are usually rather high-quality steel, and preserved examples are often misleading: manganese steel turns a deep brown colour when rusty, for example, but this takes a long time — like, oh, standing in a museum for a couple of decades Those same tracks that look brown on a museum tank would probably have had a dull steel colour for the entire time the tank was in use in the war, with polished areas where they hit the ground.

Edit: I just remembered I even have photos that sort of illustrate this, though not with tank tracks.



Though not the best photos, mainly due to stuff obscuring the first one, compare these two tracks. Both are Caterpillar D6 bulldozers of about the same vintage (1943 for the one on the right, not sure for the other), but the track in the first photo is fairly rusted while that in the second is not, or only barely — most of the discolouration on them is caked-on dirt. Notably, in the first the tops of the ridges on the track plates that the vehicle actually rides on, is rusted, while it isn’t in the second. (The track in the first photo has had plastic blocks bolted on so it won’t kill roads, but that was done recently.)

The reason the second one isn’t rusted, is because this is military track, while the first is civilian. The track for military Caterpillar tractors was made of higher-quality steel, which still only barely rusts despite being 80 years old, while civilian track does.

 

[Andy T]

Cheers Jakko, interesting stuff.

I really must learn to be more careful what I say as everything gets dissected in this place. I should have learned my lesson from last time I was here!

 

[outrunner]

You are doing s great job with this one Andy and as someone who has driven tracked vehicles, dozers, shovels and 360 excavators I could say that the conditions it is working in have a large effect on the look of the tracks. Obviously the type of material colours of the diorama base will govern the finish of the tracks, I will stop rambling now and let you get on with your work which I am sure will be very realistic.

Andy.

 

[Waspie]

An observation I made whilst at Bovington regards tracks, watching how the army operated in a training environment.
At the end of the working day/night. All the vehicles went through a 'wash down' procedure where the whole vehicle was washed down with high pressure water hoses. Particular attention to wheels and driving gear. They had massive sluices to help in getting rid of the mud and detritus from the vehicles
Appreciate in the field this wouldn't be done, when when they return to a major base they go through a cleaning regime.

 

[Jakko]

I really must learn to be more careful what I say as everything gets dissected in this place.

Sorry about that — hard habit to break, caused by hanging out on forums where this kind of dissection is expected, and generally taken much further … Just ignore it if you don’t think it’s useful to what you’re doing

 

[Andy T]

You are doing s great job with this one Andy

Thanks Andy, much appreciated.

I will stop rambling now and let you get on with your work which I am sure will be very realistic.

It would definitely be more luck than judgment lol. I don't really have the skills or patience to take this hobby that far yet. Maybe one day

 

[Andy T]

Still WIP but I feel like I'm getting somewhere with these.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Certainly are Andy. They look great mate.

 

[Waspie]

I agree with Tim, they are superb Andy.

 

[Mini Me]

Those are excellent Andy!

 

[JR]

You should be pleased Andy, great work very impressive.

 

[Andy T]

Thank you all very much for your comments & reactions.

I'm hoping to tackle the second batch of figures today.

 

[Andy the Sheep]

Well, Andy, it seems you are definitely getting somewhere...and in the most gorgeous way!

 

[Andy T]

Thanks very much Andrea.


I'm running out of steam a little so not quite so happy with the second bunch, but I've time to fiddle with them a bit as I work on the base.

 

[Mini Me]

A bit understated there Andy......they look the "BomB" to me!

 

[Andy T]

Thanks Rick.

One of the seated guys is supposed to be wearing a headset but it was ridiculously oversized and didn't survive my attempts to thin it down, so unfortunately he has no ears. Probably a blessing being couped up inside a tank all day

Thankfully no one has mentioned the mish mash of uniforms either. It's close enough for me and you always find some guys like to wrap up warm while one joker is always in shorts....

 

[Tim Marlow]

Thanks Rick.

One of the seated guys is supposed to be wearing a headset but it was ridiculously oversized and didn't survive my attempts to thin it down, so unfortunately he has no ears. Probably a blessing being couped up inside a tank all day

Thankfully no one has mentioned the mish mash of uniforms either. It's close enough for me and you always find some guys like to wrap up warm while one joker is always in shorts....

They look fine to me Andy. Very nicely done. Don’t worry about the guy in shorts, he’s probably an ex posty…..