Surface of german armour rolled plates

Hi
do You have any good pictures or knowledge how smooth was surface of german tanks armour (rolled steel)? many modellers are making it with putty+glue and it looks great, but I’m not sure, if it’s correct. of course, there are Panzer that are still in museums today, but isn’t this surface just corroded after 80 years?


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Mannet, welcome to the forum! We’re happy to have you on board :blush:.

I think the question when it’s asked seriously has several factors to consider.

1) What’s technically correct vs what looks correct.

Having climbed around on a real Panzer IV many years ago and spent some time with other Panzers, I find no fault in subtle texturing.

The problems start when the putty texture is heavy and not gone over with sandpaper ~600 grit etc.

Occasionly, adding very thin putty texture can tone down excessive molded in texture.

2) Age of the kit

Flat open plate tends to look boring when painted. This is especially egregious on older kits before any texture was molded into the plastic.

3) What’s the modeler really doing :thinking:

Some modelers will call it texture but often its a thin coat, thin as paint that’s being flowed around small parts, especially PE parts to fully integrate with the model.

Both of these models have subtle texture applied with thin as paint putty.

FWIW - My preferred method is ~80% to 90% liquid cement with ~20% to 10% putty.

The slight additional texture from this lays ground work for the weathering to pop.

YMMV - there’s not a wrong or right way just what makes you happy with the model!

Cheers :beers:

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Some more rolled armor plate





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Oh my God! The La Gleize King Tiger! I know it so well - back when (I’m not even sure when) but I ended up lecturing on its characteristics as part of a battlefield study of the Ardennes campaign. I mean, what a privilege - and here I am folks (in this rather murky pic):

God, I was top of my bastard game back then!

Meanwhile, back to rolled armour plate - sorry about that.

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hi, thanks foe answers :slight_smile: on this photo surface is looking irregular at strange amazing way XD

but isn’t this corrosion damage? or old paind under next layer?

That’s what I was going to say: you don’t know what happened to the surface between the tank leaving the factory and this photo having been taken.

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Peened away the rust and some surrounding paint and then painted over.

I think that the surface of those plates from the factory is smooth.
The matt paint we apply to our scale models has a coarser surface
than the scaled down “armour” plate.
Rolled plate was smooth even a hundred years ago,
check any old Ford model T or other car from before WW II.
The scales that form on the surface during the rolling process
(basically when hot metal is shaped) needs to be removed to
avoid manufacturing problems.
Cast metal parts, especially if cast in sand, will often have more texture.
Applying a cast texture to rolled plate is somewhat “odd”, at least in my opinion.

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~1970’s, in original paint

No idea when

Notice the surface closest to the impact location is smoother. That area had no paint on it before the tank was repainted. That paint had been knocked loose during the impact. The oval shape around the impact leads me to think the surrounding surface on the front had paint and the paint was failing when it was pressure washed and repainted.

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