Nutbag27 Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Hi guys, Back to the hobby after a 10 year sabbatical... Ive started building my first armor kit, a Tamiya 1/35 Challenger. It comes with the vinyl tracks. Is it ok to airbrush acrylics over them, or would you just leave them as they are, and just weather them with a bit of rust and drybrushing? Thanks for any advice Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fishwelding Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 (edited) I have painted vinyl 'rubber band' tracks with both oil-based enamel and acrylic. In either case the finish is not sturdy but will sufficiently survive careful handling when installing the tracks. To save time, I keep a Testors spray can of some color of Brown. I once used Krylon (sold in DIY stores in the United States) but this melted the tracks; I have never tried Tamiya cans on soft tracks. After shooting the tracks with the Testors can, I add various acrylic dark washes and enamel light drybrushes, and either scrape paint off, or paint black the rubber track-pads (as on your Challenger). While that sounds tedious, bear in mind that only those pads at the front and back of the track-runs are visible, unless you leave the side-skirts off. If your challenger is a I Mark 3, Echelon models made an aftermarket sheet of these tanks when deployed in the Balkans during the 1990s. And by the way, if you are new here, welcome to ARC. Edited November 10, 2008 by Fishwelding Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GA.modelmaker Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 (edited) i like to use just good old flat black from a testors rattle can and the weather to were the tank has been aslo i see you are a newbie welcome to ARC and back to the dark side. Edited November 10, 2008 by GA.modelmaker Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HeavyArty Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 I do the same as the others. I usaully spray them with a can of $.99 Wal-Mart flat black, then weather accordingly. I have no issues with the paint coming off or damage to the tracks. Good luck. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nev Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Depending on the colour, I give them a wash with Tamiya acrylics diluted with future, then drybrush with a suitable metallic colour, then weather with pigments (just be careful if you use a fixing solvent for the pigments, it can perish the rubber tracks) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nutbag27 Posted November 11, 2008 Author Share Posted November 11, 2008 Thanks for the welcome and quick replies guys! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingSnowmew Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 I use Tamiya acrylic paint on them with no issues of it coming off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattN Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 If I use vinyl tracks (I try to look for aftermarket injection molded - or resin - clickable ones or Fruilmodel metal tracks), then I shoot them with some Krylon primer before painting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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