"Painting the tools on a tank" Topic

Some time ago, IIRC, someone here mentioned that the Army paints everything, including shovel handles and the like.
Totally agree.

However, sometimes things don't look right – even if painted correctly. In some ways, I don't like the look of equipment (ax and shovel handles, crow-bars, etc) painted the same color of the tank. Makes me think of those green army men all painted the same color.So I always end up painting handles brown and the metal bits the same color as infantry rifle metal bits.

What do others do? How do you paint your shovels, axes, etc.?

Just like you, brown handles and black or metallic metal bits. Provides some contrast.

Same here.

I paint wood like its wood and metal parts a dark gray with some highlights. I like the contrast. FWIW, not everyone painted wood – if the wood cracked you might not see it. Metal was painted frequently because it could rust

On my track after a couple of weeks everything was dirt colored.

I pick them out. Yes. When the get dirtied like the rest of the vehicle.

Dave

At first I thought that you were insulting the tank riders.

Brown handles and gun metal on metal parts for me. Everything then gets hit with the dip.

At first I thought that you were insulting the tank riders.

Not me, AOB 12/88

Wood & metal. For real lazy (or 1/300 ;-) I'll dark inkwash to make them show better…

Wood lightish brown or dark yellow, metal painted the tank colour and then liberally rubbed over with a pencil. Then it gets weathered and it all ends up various dirt colours.

It seems more common to paint all the tools in camo paint on modern vehicles, much less so on WW2 ones, although it may vary by Army and/or whims of the Regimental CO.

So yes, I paint mine. Wooden handles, metallic spanners, tow cables etc. Shovel heads are interesting as different armies did different things with them. The Germans sometimes seemed to paint them black, the British Army rarely did.

They all get dirty like everything's else, and shovels and pick heads will get worn metal edges from use.

As far as US tanks really no wrong answer. I attended an International Plastic Modelers Society (IPMS) convention many years ago at which Steven Zaloga presented a topic on US armor colors. According to Mr Zaloga the tools for tanks were to be supplied painted an overall OD much like the tank. Wartime necessity being what it was it was not unusual for many tools to be delivered from the factory unpainted. In essence you couldnt tell the military shovel from its civilian counterpart. He also mentioned it was not unusual for crews to wrap the tools up tightly in tarps which may be lashed to the tank. It seems the tools in their holders on the tank had a tendency to be "appropriated".

Try painted but we'll worn off where hands go when used.
Wood outside and untreated won't last long in combat situations. If it wasn't painted it was getting rotted or sucking up water.

One use and a shovel is gonna look like what it was last digging in. Mud-mud. Earth-earth. Sand-dust. Snow-snow, until you catch a warm day, so, Ostfront snow-snow, Bulge snow+mud.

Also paint 'em up

As soon as you have dug in the shovel/ spade blades are going to lose that freshly painted look and the paint off he handles are going to get worn, I paint mine dark grey with graphite highlights and handles wood