1:35 M4A3E8 Sherman

Dust and mud come last

Most unsuccessful vehicle models go wrong in the order of the work, not in the paint. Anyone who lays down dust first and only then deals with the markings gets an insignia that sits on top as if freshly stuck on, although it ought to be the oldest layer on the machine. The right order is the opposite: base, insignia from a stencil, protective coat, then weathering. A deposit of earth on the fenders, a light dusty veil in the wheel arch and dark traces of oil around the filler caps are then laid over finished markings, and that is exactly the impression a vehicle from the field is meant to give.

How much may be covered up

The answer is: a great deal. Photographs from the campaign in western Europe and from later years show machines where the star on the side was practically illegible and recognition went by the marking on the upper surface. That is precisely why a painted insignia pays off, because it takes a filter drawn over it or a pigment sanded into it. The manufacturer reports a pair of insignia sheets plus wheel discs for the item, so there are plenty of layers to build on. Anyone wanting to be sure should let the clear coat dry overnight after the stencil is lifted and only then reach for pigment.

The long service of one suspension

The version with horizontal suspension and a wide track proved so successful that tanks fitted with it served far beyond the Second World War and were still fighting in Korea. The muddy rice fields and dusty slopes there made them the best textbook example of what a vehicle looks like whose markings nobody had renewed for a long time. The star on such a machine tends to be faded, rubbed by equipment and partly painted over, and precisely that state can be built up in layers under a clear coat with impunity.