What color do you paint tow cables and hooks?

[Phantome]

Curious what you go for. Seems to be three schools of thought:

 

1) Paint it all the same colored steel

 

2) Paint the cable steel and use another metallic color for the hooks

 

3) Paint the cable steel and paint the hooks the same color as the fuselage.

 

Seems to me most modern tanks do 3) but mostly curious about WW2 tanks since it's not easy to tell in black and white photos. I have traditionally used Gunze H18 for the steel-color of the cables and then painted the hooks in a lighter (but still dark) metallic like Citadel Leadbelcher. But now I'm increasingly of the idea that the hooks should always be the fuselage color.

 

Thoughts?

 

FYI - by hooks I mean what's at the end of the tow cable (is there another word for it?), not the hooks attached to the fuselage where you fix the tow cable.

 

Edited May 21, 2023 by Phantome

[pigsty]

I start with dark brown, then - depending on the effect I'm after - I'll dry-brush a lighter brown, or a dark metallic colour like gunmetal, or just rub a pencil over all the strands.  The core of all of this is that the cables aren't a straight metal colour, because they're attached and exposed to the weather the whole time.  However, it's not bright orange rust.  My model is a manhole cover: heavy, solid steel, constantly being rained on and driven over - and they're basically chocolate brown with a sheen of very dark steel.

 

The eye at the end is often just the cable turned back on itself and held in a collar, but even if it's separate, it'll be largely the same stuff so it gets the same treatment.

[Stef N.]

Very similar to @pigsty. A very dark brown, Dark Tracks is usually a good choice. Or if it's a newer, less weathered vehicle I'll start in a dark iron colour then add different washes of brown and dark rust shades which will flow in between the strands. The collars will be the tank colour but chipped and dirty. (I don't know how accurate this is but I like it.)

[Bullbasket]

I've always used Humbrol's Oily Steel,and then given them a dark wash. Works for me.

 

John.

[Seahawk]

Like @Stef N.I use MIG-Ammo Dark Tracks for the cables, dry-brushed with gunmetal if the detail justifies it and/or I feel keen, and MIG-Ammo Gunmetal for the eyelets.  That's for 1/72 scale.

[Stef N.]

15 hours ago, Seahawk said:

Like @Stef N.I use MIG-Ammo Dark Tracks for the cables, dry-brushed with gunmetal if the detail justifies it and/or I feel keen, and MIG-Ammo Gunmetal for the eyelets.  That's for 1/72 scale.

The AK version was very good too. It darkened when it dried to a perfect track colour. Just poor to spray though.