Chrisswim Stuff.

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:26 am

The black shape is a bird's claw, but the sand should be a short, irregular length, not a claw.

chrisswim · Post by **chrisswim** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:30 pm

Abrams

Evaluating CV90 mortar/AA

pmskaar · Post by **pmskaar** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 11:59 pm

Hi Chris

Here are a couple of things about MERDC.

1. The proportions of paint in the pattern were as follows
45% Green
45% Field Drab/Brown. My recollection was that at some point the Field Drab gave way to more of a brown color. The Field Drab was more of a olive brown color while the later color lost the greenish hue and was more of just brown.
05% Sand
05% Black

Begemot's rendition is pretty accurate in my opinion.

2. I served in 3rd Armored Division from 1981-1985. During the time I served, the sand was not used on the vehicles in the Division. I do believe the black was increased to about 10% to fill in the missing sand. I do not have any hard data on this particular point.
The idea was that the sand stood out too much in the German forests so was deleted. That is what I was told back in the day.

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Fri Jul 24, 2020 3:58 am

As BMO for 3-32 Armor, I supervised the first application of MERDC to our equipment in late '76 and early '77. The reason the sand was not applied then was there was none to be had throughout the division. Black was substituted, so the pattern had not only the black claw but the wavy, uneven lines from the sand pattern. The result was a darker overall effect which for the German forest very well. The patterns were applied in chalk like a paint-by-numbers project. Done by soldiers, things could get haphazard at times, so uniformity suffered considerably. Few tanks resembled the animal's pattern.

I am looking for pics, but have had no luck so far.

Begemot · Post by **Begemot** » Fri Jul 24, 2020 6:20 am

Chris - If you make the black and sand areas smaller and narrower your MERDC scheme should come together nicely. Maybe a smaller brush for those colors?

I know that you use oils. For your green and field drab colors, did you mix these colors or did you use colors basically from the tube? If so, what are these colors called?

Panzergator - No sand paint in the division! Love it! I remember our guys chalking the lines for the colors when they painted our vehicles. Don't think they worried too much about staying within the lines either.

chrisswim · Post by **chrisswim** » Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:14 am

French VLRA LIGHT TRUCK

redleg · Post by **redleg** » Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:01 pm

The tanks look good, Chris! I thought I knew MERDC, but apparently I am a MERDC Cherry! I didn't know that there were specific guidelines for it. I learned something new!

chrisswim · Post by **chrisswim** » Mon Jul 27, 2020 8:31 am

French VBCI 8x8

Cav Dog · Post by **Cav Dog** » Mon Jul 27, 2020 9:08 am

Chris, I hate to rain on your fabulously painted parade but M1 Abrams tanks were not used operationally in any version of MERDC despite what the Team Yankee folks want us to believe. They showed up in Forest Green from the factory and were repainted CARC Tan for the gulf or stayed green. Later versions came from the factory either tan or NATO 3 tone.

Of course anything is possible in the world of imaginations so roll on brother.

chrisswim · Post by **chrisswim** » Mon Jul 27, 2020 2:55 pm

Centauro
3-D printed on the left. GHQ on the right which is much better.

Tanks

redleg · Post by **redleg** » Mon Jul 27, 2020 4:53 pm

Nice looking tanks, Chris! Ad your air force never ceases to amaze me!

pmskaar · Post by **pmskaar** » Mon Jul 27, 2020 9:26 pm

Nice looking M-1s there, Chris!

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Tue Jul 28, 2020 3:03 am

Chris,

Cavdog could be referring to USAREUR, where the M1s I saw in the early 80s were all painted what I would call a very flat medium green, which he might be calling forest green.

The picture you posted is at Fort Knox, as most OLD Armor officers would recognize, the setting being in often used for tanks there, as well as the particular MERDC scheme. Ya have to be an OLD Armor guy because the Armor School is now in Babylonian captivity at Fort Benning, the Home of Infantry.

chrisswim · Post by **chrisswim** » Tue Jul 28, 2020 3:55 am

I was a outside Ft Benning a month ago. It did take me three trips to actually gain access to the museum. I did hit 3 military surplus stores last trip.
There was a portrait of one of my least favorite US generals who also had title of Field Marshall. Who is that?
Need another hint?
His father received the MOH during the ACW. Both my grandfathers meet this person before my parents met, neither cared for him. One was Army, other was Navy and State Dept. Who was it?

redleg · Post by **redleg** » Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:13 am

Was that MacArthur? I never met the guy, but definitely not a fan of his.

But what I really want to know is how do yo paint so damn fast? It takes me a week to get one MERDC tank painted and you're cranking out entire companies in a day or two!