# tank tread colors?



## airman34 (May 18, 2011)

Where do you folks get your info as to the tread color of the tank you are building? Do you have a favorite color you use most often? Any and all info will be greatly appreciated. Just to warn you this is probably just the first of many beginner questions. thanks in advance


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

airman34 said:


> Where do you folks get your info as to the tread color of the tank you are building? Do you have a favorite color you use most often? Any and all info will be greatly appreciated. Just to warn you this is probably just the first of many beginner questions. thanks in advance


Tank tracks are made of different types of materials so you need to see what the vehicle you are modelling has.

Older tanks and especially German and Russian tanks had all steel tracks. Many US tracks had rubber track pads and metal end connectors. US Halftracks had funny all rubber continuous band tracks with metal rods vulcanized inside for strength. 

Tracks also tend to be the color of the environment the tank is operating in. In an urban setting they will be a dusty brownish or reddish (for brick dust) greyish tanish shade. Tracks generally are not bright rusty red color. Some of the materials (like Manganese used for German tracks) was not prone to rusting, and the constant wear on gravel etc polished any surface rust off fast. Unless a tank sat for a long long long time you wouldn't see much rust. The polished surface areas, because of the wear, do not rust a lot either even after a long time.

I use Vallejo Panzer Aces Track Primer/Base for a lot of metal tracks. Its a nice dusty weathered shade. You can put brown or tan washes on it, and then drybrush with a steel shade for wear on the raised parts of a metal track. Vallejo Panzer Aces Dark and Light Rubber are good for weathering the rubber parts of tracks, and also tires. Testors makes a "rubber" shade but its an odd brown hue. You honestly don't see many brown tires. Tires should be some sort of dusty grey.

These Tiger tracks are just a dark grey brown...










I painted these Russian BT tracks more of a steel color without a lot of weathering/dirt










The Sherman here has rubber block tracks with metal fittings










These real tracks are just dusty


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