UNFINISHED GERMAN VEHICLES WEATHERING SET

Vehicles that never got their camouflage

In the last phase of the war German plants were turning out machines on which everything was economized, paint included. A number of vehicles left for their unit in the red-brown base coat alone, others were given camouflage patches only at the unit, and many never got them at all. It is precisely this unfinished look, together with fast-advancing corrosion and dust, that is the theme of this package.

The base is a red-brown paint matching shade RAL 8012. Three preparations for finishing follow on from it: a product for dusting surfaces, a wash for interiors and rust deposits of medium intensity for edges, welds and scuffed places. Together the set leads the modeler the whole way from bare plastic to a vehicle that looks as though it had just been rolled out of the production hall and then left standing for a month.

Different chemistry in one package

The base paint is acrylic and is thinned with water, while the three effect products are solvent-based and are worked with mineral spirits. That is an advantage: an effect can be blended and adjusted after application without damaging the paint underneath. The recommended sequence is paint, gloss varnish, effects, matte varnish.

The volume of the bottles differs by type, the acrylic paint being in the smaller one and the liquid effects in the larger. The set suits models in 1:35 and 1:48 and will serve equally well on a diorama with parked or abandoned equipment.

It is sensible to try the strength of the rust deposit on a piece of plastic away from the model. The intensity can be toned down markedly by blending while the product has not dried; later on there is no moving it.