Modern tank viewport coloring

[ccarley]

Hey all,

To add some detail to my M1 and my daughter's Leopard, I want to pick up some reflective coating to simulate the real viewports on our tanks. Trying to determine what color to use is difficult though as it seems the real units change color depending on the angle you look at them. I'm leaning to "rose gold" reflective covering, not gold, not blue. I know the Leopard came with blue decals but they look like blue decals and are not reflective.

I thought I read somewhere that especially on the viewports, the lenses have a special coating on them thus producing their unique color. The funny thing is I work at a place that can produce these, but even if I wanted to make scale ones, we don't have the machine time to do it.

Anyway, just looking for some color advice. The stuff is pretty cheap so it's easy enough to change I suppose if it doesn't work out.

https://smile.amazon.com/TECKWRAP-Chrome-Light-Adhesive-1ftx5ft/dp/B091L5MTQ6/ref=pd_day0fbt_sccl_1/130-8063380-1115726?pd_rd_w=Y5pR4&content-id=amzn1.sym.28060bf9-0745-4e32-a449-e95381c8ca7a&pf_rd_p=28060bf9-0745-4e32-a449-e95381c8ca7a&pf_rd_r=X823NS0CFQNE5G3BWRSQ&pd_rd_wg=dB6Kk&pd_rd_r=5f904af9-a1cf-4282-b2f7-a2e1655bdc7d&pd_rd_i=B09SW5HRSY&th=1

Clay

[Vaseline]

Ask your daughter to find you some coverings for fingernails they have some that color which I've seen a fella use in another forum and lot smaller sheets to deal with and cheap.

[ccarley]

Thanks Vaseline, I didn't think about fingernail polish but I bet she ran out of the color I'd be looking for 😂 Fingernail painting days consist of hours painting the nails and making a mess, and then the house smells like acetone an hour later as she decides she doesn't like it on her nails anymore!

Clay

[Vaseline]

These fingernail sheets are sheets that they put on nails so there is no painting on view ports. Looks like gold leaf sheets. Wish I could remember the fella that had a Youtube video how to do it on an Abrams M1. Tank me or Tanks a lot might be the fella's

[ccarley]

Thanks! I believe I found the video from Mr Tank A Lot. His method came out nice... I don't have the lenses he used but it's still helpful to see how certain things turn out like that.

Clay

[Vaseline]

Glad you found it
I plan to just put them on the face and not have lenses either

[ccarley]

For anyone interested, here's the Youtube video:

Clay

[ccarley]

OK, so call me "lazy" but I went with holographic vinyl. Can always be changed in the future.



I was trying to find good photos online (while waiting for the Haynes manual) and on the driver's viewport appeared to have more of a blue tone in the middle, with the "rose gold" on the sides. The photo doesn't do the holographic vinyl justice, it color changes a bit depending on the angle you look at it. The commander's cupola was done with only rose gold.

https://warriormaven.com/russia-ukraine/abrams-t-14-armata-tanks

The first big photo on that page is what I was examining...

Holographic vinyl:

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07F9VKVMW?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I also got some stuff that looks like black chrome. Different colors for different bits, we'll see how it works out.

Clay

[ccarley]

Well, our CEO at work saw the tank today. He totally thought I used some of our glass on it. The rose gold is indeed the right color...

He also had some excellent descriptions of the M1A1's cupola and exactly what the glass is for...

Clay

[761st]

Brilliant work Clay!

[ccarley]

I was handed some non conforming material the other day. A couple different coatings, I definitely do not know what they are supposed to be* but I guess I'll be trying my hand at cutting glass now. We do not have any free machine time to cut it on a mill but there's enough material here for practice if things don't go well.



One of the pieces has that nice rose-ish color, the other has more of the gold-ish color. About 1/16" thick glass (perhaps this one is 1.98mm thick lol) so I'm really hoping I can cut some down small enough to fit the cupola ports and the drivers ports on the Abrams. You may notice that the color appears to change in the photo, it doesn't; it's just that with black behind it, you see different coloration. Here's hoping I just don't break either of these while cutting. I picked up one of those cutting wheel devices, as that is what was recommended at the office as something that should work but I'm open to other suggestions.

Clay

[ccarley]

I wrapped my pliers with tape, and pulled off one of the holo stickers from the driver's view port. Carefully using the glass cutter I found it was super easy to cut this stuff.



That's cut from the same material in the post above. It needs a touch more fitment there but dang... that's cool. I'm going to have to try the other piece as well to see what it looks like. We surprisingly have a very overcast/drizzly day today, so that will look different in full sun.

Clay

[ccarley]

Sanding the glass seems to work... I need to cut this out of the other piece though for sure. Interesting effect depending on viewing angle though.







Maybe I'll get more time later this weekend to work on it.

Clay