Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I know lots of people use bare metal / silver to represent battle damage on tanks
along with rust and such.

But i have never thought about it till now , what do tanks look like
before they are painted in the factories?

Depends on the tank.

I think older tanks would look like very hard steel, so grey and semi glossy. For example, a T-34 has a cast steel turret, so it'd look like cast steel, grey, rough, as shiny as they want to polish it (probably not at all).

More modern tanks probably have some sort of composite layer on the outside, so they're probably not as obviously metal.

Any possible pics if possible? Im not familiar with searching tanks ><

More modern tanks have several different types of out side layers ranging from titanium to Top Secret materials.

I would imagine that most modern tanks would either be some sort of metal on the outer shell, but for lighter vehicles, carbon based materials are becoming more and more popular due to their durability and light weight. I'd imagine that it's not too far to think that military tanks would take advantage of this.

They would be similar to this with modern techniques I would think:



Metal would be coated during manufacture to ensure that the special composites did not get damage or impurities into them.

tallmantim wrote:They would be similar to this with modern techniques I would think:


Metal would be coated during manufacture to ensure that the special composites did not get damage or impurities into them.

the metal itself had colors? does that mean there are no paints to chip?

Of course, with some battle damage the outside coatings of the metal may be damaged along with the paint, so you might get a color different from what the unpainted vehicle looks like.

Was harder to find than I expected but here is one:

http://www.worldisround.com/articles/156558/photo79.html

This other one doesn't really answer your question, but I thought I would include it since it resembles nothing so much as a Leman Russ assembly line.

http://historyofoldbury.co.uk/images/2140%20-%20TANKS%20BEING%20BUILT%20AT%20CARRIAGE%20WORKS%20reduced.gif

Oryza Sativa wrote:Was harder to find than I expected but here is one:

http://www.worldisround.com/articles/156558/photo79.html

This other one doesn't really answer your question, but I thought I would include it since it resembles nothing so much as a Leman Russ assembly line.

http://historyofoldbury.co.uk/images/2140%20-%20TANKS%20BEING%20BUILT%20AT%20CARRIAGE%20WORKS%20reduced.gif

Thank you so much , definitely in your debt , these are great!

The second one looks more like a mark 1 land raider factory than a Russ factory

Fafnir wrote:for lighter vehicles, carbon based materials are becoming more and more popular due to their durability and light weight. I'd imagine that it's not too far to think that military tanks would take advantage of this.

Yes, you have a point butt they'll use KEVLAR.
The same materials they use to make bullet proof vest and anti shrapnel jackets.

greetz

Typhoon wrote:

Fafnir wrote:for lighter vehicles, carbon based materials are becoming more and more popular due to their durability and light weight. I'd imagine that it's not too far to think that military tanks would take advantage of this.

Yes, you have a point butt they'll use KEVLAR.
The same materials they use to make bullet proof vest and anti shrapnel jackets.

greetz

Nah - in the future they'll be DIAMOND tanks!

Only problem is, it'll be a bitch when you get hit by a lascannon!

tallmantim wrote:

Typhoon wrote:

Fafnir wrote:for lighter vehicles, carbon based materials are becoming more and more popular due to their durability and light weight. I'd imagine that it's not too far to think that military tanks would take advantage of this.

Yes, you have a point butt they'll use KEVLAR.
The same materials they use to make bullet proof vest and anti shrapnel jackets.

greetz

Nah - in the future they'll be DIAMOND tanks!

Only problem is, it'll be a bitch when you get hit by a lascannon!

Why? There would be all kind of pretty sparkles! It wuold atract single chicks for MILES!

tallmantim wrote:
Nah - in the future they'll be DIAMOND tanks!

Only problem is, it'll be a bitch when you get hit by a lascannon!

Don't laugh... Diamond-based coatings are an idea that's been used in a lot of good sci-fi. I think one of the 2001 sequels mentioned that diamond was sued to coat buildings for durability, etc.

Bare metal tanks, are just that, bare metal, think a whole tank of boltgun metal. Problem with bare metal, is that it rusts very, very quickly, so is primed by the factory almost as soon as each piece is made. That way no rusting occurs.

The primer colour will depend on the army and country.

I recently saw a program about refurbishing M1 abrams battletanks. Apparently after the hulls are shot-blasted to remove old paint and rust they recieve a coat of rust red colored primer for storage.

Balance wrote:

tallmantim wrote:
Nah - in the future they'll be DIAMOND tanks!

Only problem is, it'll be a bitch when you get hit by a lascannon!

Don't laugh... Diamond-based coatings are an idea that's been used in a lot of good sci-fi. I think one of the 2001 sequels mentioned that diamond was sued to coat buildings for durability, etc.

And they know how to manufacture it in scale in the WH40K universe.

In "Flight of the Eisenstein", there is a reminiscence of a monument on Terra which sounds like the Arc de Triumph. It is encased in solid diamond to protect it.

There is no such thing as an 'unpainted' tank. Each heavy peice is primed by the manufacture before it even gets assembled onto the main tank to protect ti from rusting during transit and storage. So, usually a drab, easily painted over primer coat that resists fading and wear.