1:35 M1A1 Abrams w/Mine PlowTamiya 35158

Pmask 1:35 M1A1 Abrams with a mine plow, road wheel masks

A set of die-cut self-adhesive masks from the Polish maker Pmask for painting the wheels of a model of the M1A1 Abrams tank with a mine plow in 1:35 scale. The rings cover the metal part of the road wheels, so the rubber tires only have to be oversprayed with an airbrush. The edge comes out sharp and the same on every wheel. The film has a gentle adhesive and it does not tear off the dried finish underneath when removed.

The real subject

The M1A1 is the form of the Abrams tank with a 120 mm smoothbore gun and a gas turbine powerplant. The mine plow is mounted on the nose of the vehicle and serves to plow mines out of the driving lane, so that vehicles can pass through a mined belt. The chassis stays unchanged, including the road wheels with rubber tires.

Use and tips

• Spray the wheels with the base color of the vehicle and let them cure.
• Stick the ring exactly onto the hub and press the edges down.
• Overspray the tire in a very dark gray with a hint of brown.
• Take the mask off while the paint is only tacky.
• Weather the plow and the underside of the hull at the end, so that the dust and the earth carry over onto the wheels.

Who the set is for

• For builders of modern vehicles who want cleanly separated tires on the wheels.
• For dioramas with engineer vehicles, where the running gear is clearly visible.
• For those who do not want to outline the wheels with a brush.

The package contains masking film only. The paints and the kit are not part of it.