We're almost there! (Patreon)

My friends, tracks are in place! They were weathered with the same paints as the JT. This time I didn't apply any Tamiya predusting on the blackened surface and went straight ahead with small amounts of Textured Earth followed with a very heavy wash of Ammo Earth + Dry Earth mix and while this was still wet I added some random brushed stains of Loose Ground. Then I had to leave this to dry before proceeding with heavy speckling of both colors. Again, leaving it to dry, this time I accelerated the process with a hairdryer, and the final step was adding the polished effects. Track cleats on the outside as well as the guide horns were sanded revealing the bright metal color while the contact points were quickly rubbed with a graphite stick. Turns out the soft enamel earth tones provide an excellent base for graphite and the whole process, usually boring and rather tedious, was done in a few minutes. 

The tracks didn't grow or shrink as Friuls sometimes tend to do, so I didn't have to mess with the idler wheel, and they're now permanently dry fitted in place (no glue needed because fit on the running gear is very tight). 

Attaching them gave me a better idea on how to adjust the weathering further, and I already started adding more earth tones on the left side of the hull, but I'm gonna keep this for the next video as part of the finishing touches. Kinda leaving it on an unnecessary cliffhanger 😆 But it's often a very good idea to put the model aside for a while before returning back to it with a clear head and better vision of the final product.

Well, off to the editing room! And more HD photos coming as well! 

The final adjustments will involve adding more earth tones to get a more balanced finish, some extra washes here and there, a few rust spots on the wheels, grease leaks and stains, wet effects, maybe some more dark mud tones on the tracks, and of course tree branches!