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US Army woodland camoflage
Klaus-Adler
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Posted: Friday, August 31, 2018 - 10:40 AM UTC
Hi guys and gals,

i was just wondering what would be the idea tamiya paints for painting US Army woodland camo in 1/35 scale and what would be the best way to go about painting it by hand?

Biggles2
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Posted: Friday, August 31, 2018 - 11:03 AM UTC
Different examples of the same pattern shows a wide variation of colors, although still in the same palette (not even taking into account the fading factor). Use a tiny brush (5-0) with a fine point.
18Bravo
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Posted: Friday, August 31, 2018 - 11:19 AM UTC
Twenty dudes will give you twenty different combinations, and they'll all be close. I had a set that faded so badly the sand looked almost white. For somewhat faded BDUs this is what I used:
A mix of XF1 and XF2 until you you get the shade of faded black you want, XF5 for the green, which can also be lightened, XF14 (yes, I know that is gray) for the sand, and XF52 flat earth for the brown. None of the Tamiya Browns I have come close, but the flat earth looks good.
Hopefully I'll dig up the photo of the faded uniform from 1982, which still fit in 2005.
Kevlar06
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Posted: Friday, August 31, 2018 - 01:20 PM UTC
I don't have access to my Tamiya rack right now, but I'll tell you what I think:

Red Brown
Medium Green
Wooden Deck Tan
Black

The posters above are correct about the fading, so these colors would be for a brand new set of clothing. While I was in Korea during my first tour with the 2ID, our Ajima used to wash our BDUs in the nearest river, beating them on the rocks to "rinse". They had a prerfectly good washing machine and dryer, but preferred the river in summertime. By the time my year long tour was over, my BDUs (along with everyone else's) took on a decided shade of grey!
VR, Russ
GulfWarrior
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Posted: Friday, August 31, 2018 - 02:27 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Twenty dudes will give you twenty different combinations, and they'll all be close. I had a set that faded so badly the sand looked almost white. For somewhat faded BDUs this is what I used:
A mix of XF1 and XF2 until you you get the shade of faded black you want, XF5 for the green, which can also be lightened, XF14 (yes, I know that is gray) for the sand, and XF52 flat earth for the brown. None of the Tamiya Browns I have come close, but the flat earth looks good.
Hopefully I'll dig up the photo of the faded uniform from 1982, which still fit in 2005.



I remember we used to call those faded BDUs, "cook whites"...
junglejim
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Posted: Friday, August 31, 2018 - 03:24 PM UTC
FWIW, Tamiya is the worst choice to brush paint by hand (IMO). I'd look for Vallejo matches or Humbrol for the enamel route. Personally I'd airbrush the lightest colour with Tamiya, then switch to Vallejo for the green and brown blotches and finish with the blacks crow's feet.

Jim
Kevlar06
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Posted: Friday, August 31, 2018 - 05:07 PM UTC

Quoted Text

FWIW, Tamiya is the worst choice to brush paint by hand (IMO). I'd look for Vallejo matches or Humbrol for the enamel route. Personally I'd airbrush the lightest colour with Tamiya, then switch to Vallejo for the green and brown blotches and finish with the blacks crow's feet.

Jim



True, out of the bottle Tamiya is hard to brush paint with, but properly thinned it works just fine. I mix in a nylon pallet, 1:1 ratio with Tamiya thinner and I've never had any problems. The beauty of this is it can be reconstituted if it dries while using. Can't really do that with Vallejo.
VR, Russ
exgrunt
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Posted: Saturday, September 01, 2018 - 02:55 AM UTC
The early BDU's also had some issues with the dye used for the tan. After time, it turned into a weird purplish-grey. Robert is correct, pretty much any color that is close will work. The only exception would be for Goretex wet weather gear (the best item besides the poncho liner that the Army ever came up with). That stuff never faded.
tread_geek
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Posted: Saturday, September 01, 2018 - 03:40 AM UTC

Quoted Text

...
True, out of the bottle Tamiya is hard to brush paint with, but properly thinned it works just fine. I mix in a nylon pallet, 1:1 ratio with Tamiya thinner and I've never had any problems. The beauty of this is it can be reconstituted if it dries while using. Can't really do that with Vallejo.
VR, Russ



I have basically experienced similar results as Russ with Tamiya paints. Out of the bottle they mostly will not brush paint well at all. I have found that mixing the paints on/in a water-colour pallette with the Tamiya X-20A Thinner will make them brush paintable. In my case the amount of thinner appears to vary and I use an "eye-dropper" bottle to add it to the paint until it appears right. FWIW, some people have reported using acrylic craft paint "Extenders" and even "Glaze Mediums" to make Tamiya more brushable.

HTH,
Jan
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Posted: Saturday, September 01, 2018 - 03:52 AM UTC
The black would also fade to a dark bluish gray, especially on the rip stop light weight BDU's. Those things faded quick.

John I, still use my poncho liner on really cold nights handy size and warm. I had my wet weather gear lined with a field jacket liner and a cold weather pants liner. They worked great during my tours at Ft. Lewis, where the motto is "if it ain't rainin' it ain't trainin'". Gortex was for officers, clothing and sales could never keep them in stock tho I was finally able to get one only to be told I was being Rifted.
GulfWarrior
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Posted: Saturday, September 01, 2018 - 03:56 AM UTC
We called the GoreTex jackets “Lifer Coats” since only lifers could afford ‘em
WXerock
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Posted: Saturday, September 01, 2018 - 05:13 AM UTC
Richard, I don't get why active duty troops have to buy what I consider to be an essential item. All we had to do in the ANG was show a need and they were issued. The goretex holds its color well in my estimation. I even have one of the jackets in our horrible tiger stripe. I feel that painting uniforms is all about what looks good to you, not about what colors someone else uses. It also has a lot to do with what paint you prefer. There are so many brands available now. I almost feel like there I too much choice. Just my cheap two cents.

Regards,

Eric
panamadan
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Posted: Saturday, September 01, 2018 - 05:57 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Twenty dudes will give you twenty different combinations, and they'll all be close. I had a set that faded so badly the sand looked almost white. For somewhat faded BDUs this is what I used:
A mix of XF1 and XF2 until you you get the shade of faded black you want, XF5 for the green, which can also be lightened, XF14 (yes, I know that is gray) for the sand, and XF52 flat earth for the brown. None of the Tamiya Browns I have come close, but the flat earth looks good.
Hopefully I'll dig up the photo of the faded uniform from 1982, which still fit in 2005.



I remember we used to call those faded BDUs, "cook whites"...



I was just going to write the same thing Richard!
Dan
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Posted: Saturday, September 01, 2018 - 05:59 AM UTC
[quote]The black would also fade to a dark bluish gray, especially on the rip stop light weight BDU's. Those things faded quick.

John I, still use my poncho liner on really cold nights handy size and warm. I had my wet weather gear lined with a field jacket liner and a cold weather pants liner. They worked great during my tours at Ft. Lewis, where the motto is "if it ain't rainin' it ain't trainin'". Gortex was for officers, clothing and sales could never keep them in stock tho I was finally able to get one only to be told I was being Rifted.[/quote

I still have my "Graf" jacket which was lined with a stolen wool blanket.
Dan
Kevlar06
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Posted: Saturday, September 01, 2018 - 07:33 AM UTC
David,
Ok I’m at my workbench now, and the four Tamiya colors I find that best match the woodland pattern (when new) are:

XF 26 Deep Green (not mid Green as I said before—Deep Green is a brighter green)
XF 64 Red Brown- not really red at all, closer to true brown
XF 78 Wooden Deck Tan—a very slightly darker shade than a true tan.
XF 1 Black

All these can be lightened with white for more variation in color. And as I mentioned before, properly thinned with Tamiya’s Lacquer thinner (yellow cap) they will brush paint just fine. I wouldn’t use any other thinner though. Hope this helps.
VR, Russ
Klaus-Adler
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Posted: Saturday, September 01, 2018 - 07:57 AM UTC

Quoted Text

David,
Ok I’m at my workbench now, and the four Tamiya colors I find that best match the woodland pattern (when new) are:

XF 26 Deep Green (not mid Green as I said before—Deep Green is a brighter green)
XF 64 Red Brown- not really red at all, closer to true brown
XF 78 Wooden Deck Tan—a very slightly darker shade than a true tan.
XF 1 Black

All these can be lightened with white for more variation in color. And as I mentioned before, properly thinned with Tamiya’s Lacquer thinner (yellow cap) they will brush paint just fine. I wouldn’t use any other thinner though. Hope this helps.
VR, Russ



Russ that's the colours I'm running with and I will see how I get on but I've never been confident at hand painting camo uniforms
18Bravo
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Posted: Saturday, September 01, 2018 - 08:15 AM UTC
Just don't try to wing it and you'll be fine. Copy examples of the fabric from online. It always looks "off" when someone tries to just do it without a guide.

By the way, I found a photo of a 23 year old set, but not the one I'm thinking of. Since I wore mainly ERDLs and OG 107s in Group, it was lucky enough to have stayed on a hanger for decades before going into the rotation. Still, tan is fading to white very quickly.

Epi
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Posted: Saturday, September 01, 2018 - 05:58 PM UTC
I f it wasn't for your daughter in the picture Robert, it would be an ugly picture. Just kidding brother, good looking and hard charging!!!!!!!!!!! Your daughter is a cutie also.
Kevlar06
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Posted: Sunday, September 02, 2018 - 03:45 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

David,
Ok I’m at my workbench now, and the four Tamiya colors I find that best match the woodland pattern (when new) are:

XF 26 Deep Green (not mid Green as I said before—Deep Green is a brighter green)
XF 64 Red Brown- not really red at all, closer to true brown
XF 78 Wooden Deck Tan—a very slightly darker shade than a true tan.
XF 1 Black

All these can be lightened with white for more variation in color. And as I mentioned before, properly thinned with Tamiya’s Lacquer thinner (yellow cap) they will brush paint just fine. I wouldn’t use any other thinner though. Hope this helps.
VR, Russ



Russ that's the colours I'm running with and I will see how I get on but I've never been confident at hand painting camo uniforms



If I could make a small suggestion-- I'd airbrush the lightest color first, in this case, the tan. Then seal it with a good clear coat, then move on to the next color, painting them by hand. Seal each color under a clear coat, and you'll prevent "bleed through" of the colors as you go along. When I paint camo colors for figures, I don't worry much about shading until I'm done with the basic camo scheme, then I use my airbrush set for very fine lines with a mixture of burnt umber paint and thinner--in a ratio of at least 7:3 thinner to paint-- you only need a few drops of this in your airbrush cup. This will settle into the creases and shadows nicely. If I need to highlight, I drybrush the high spots with the original colors, or a lightened shade. I paint my faces first, then use a small piece of "Silly Putty" as a "mask" over the face or in areas I don't want the paint to overspray.
VR, Russ
Reforger-Victim
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Posted: Sunday, September 02, 2018 - 04:40 AM UTC
Woodland BDU Colors need always to be mixed from different colors..there are no adequate colors ready for use..
thathaway3
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Posted: Sunday, September 02, 2018 - 05:10 AM UTC

Quoted Text


I still have my "Graf" jacket which was lined with a stolen wool blanket.
Dan



I still have mine as well although the elastic on the cuffs is now all stretched out. The original "Graf jacket" was made with the solid OD colored poncho and lined as you said with a GI wool blanket. They were "unauthorized" but pretty much ignored when in the field. This was in the days before BDU's were issued and we still were wearing fatigues. Before the Goretex jacket was invented, the "Graf" jacket was an essential piece of gear, because for cold weather all you had was either the Field Jacket (perhaps with a liner) or the Parka (also perhaps with a liner) both of which were "OK" for just cold weather, but NEITHER of which was worth a damn in Germany for all those times when it was cold AND raining. The "Graf" jacket was the only thing that kept you both warm AND dry. It wouldn't surprise me if the Gortex was designed with it in mind.
Scarred
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Posted: Monday, September 03, 2018 - 03:57 AM UTC
My modified snivel gear rotted away after several years use when I got out. Since I was from Washington I used it when I was out in the woods lined with blackberry brambles, stinging nettles while chasing raccoons and coyotes during a rainy cold night. My gortex still looks new 25 years on but the zipper busted a while back, and it's a bit snug around the middle. No idea how that happened .
Kevlar06
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Posted: Monday, September 03, 2018 - 07:51 AM UTC

Quoted Text

My modified snivel gear rotted away after several years use when I got out. Since I was from Washington I used it when I was out in the woods lined with blackberry brambles, stinging nettles while chasing raccoons and coyotes during a rainy cold night. My gortex still looks new 25 years on but the zipper busted a while back, and it's a bit snug around the middle. No idea how that happened .



My Gore Tex and my BDU Field jacket (before Gore Tex) are hanging from a coat hanger in the garage, when the weather is rainy and bad (as it is frequently here in Washington) I grab the gore Tex, when it's just cold I grab the Field Jacket. Funny thing though, mine also appear to have shrunk some while hanging in the garage-- must have something to do with our damp climate and poor quality government materials. Up until a few years ago I still had my old OD Field Jacket, issued to me in 1972. It held up quite well too, but eventually it too "shrank" and I had to give it to my daughter. It was thin and frayed pretty good at the sleeves, elbows and around the bottom, but still did the job! As for the basic colors, the three Tamiya colors I mentioned come the closest, but fading and wear will change the colors as others have said. My neighbors question my motives when I wear my BDU gear to shovel snow, take out the garbage or work in the yard. But I've saved a lot of other clothing by doing so.
VR, Russ
Scarred
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Posted: Tuesday, September 04, 2018 - 02:28 AM UTC
My niece and I were cleaning out my shed last summer and I pulled out my old duffle bag. You remember when they stenciled your name and SSN on them? She's poking thru it while I pulled out my old flight bag with my boots in it and she pulls out an old BDU field jacket. One of them, I had four at one point, this one had the old 9th ID cookie cutter on the sleeve and she asks if she could have it. I told her no but she could wear it because that was one of my initial issue jackets from basic back in 84, so she wore it all winter and some how she finagled it completely away from me. She has claimed it as her own and it's in her closet now. I don't think the old uniforms shrunk, I think we just got.... well you know. You quit running, morning PT, field time, marches, but still eat like you used to and nothing fits anymore. My boots still fit tho, my corcoran jump boots, my corcoran field boots, my jungle boots, and my extreme cold german jump boots could still pass inspection. My field boots got worn out and destroyed years ago. They held up great all over the world but couldn't handle civilian life.
LonCray
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Posted: Tuesday, September 04, 2018 - 08:10 AM UTC
Heh, I remember one guy (E5 - Army) whose BDU's turned that bluish color - we all called him Booboo, because he looked like Booboo Bear.
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