What's on your workbench?

[DougM]

My intent is to let the airbrush do as much of the work as possible, just adding white as I go, so some will be 'new', and others much lighter. I'm probably going to start from the Tamiya Dark Green no 2. Webbing etc I am going to start from olive drab.

[Spanner]

But by that stage, seams are going, holes etc.

That was the problem- lots of time re-sewing seams and patching holes. Late 70's to early 80's GP's and green shirts were in very short supply, though usually you could get the pixie trousers or, with a bit of luck, the good '59 pattern trousers (the ones with the waist buckles). But none in the Q or clothing store would be the only reason I got away with wearing that shirt.

Try using a field grey base for some of the faded greens, mate. At one stage the green would fade to grey, not green-white. CW Clothing may have been playing with new dyes or something, and there were still stocks of VN period greens (especially pixie shirts) floating around the Q's in the late 80's (which would have been handy if they were made available in the late 70's).

Saw a good video where the guy discusses the variance in all the kit/webbing colours too. Seems anything goes really.

Not really, mate. "Gash gear" (ie anything foreign or not issue) was jumped on, particularly British and US "jungle boots" with the canvas tops, at least in the battalions. Things were more relaxed in Vieties, where SVN and US ALICE packs and webbing were in use before the '37 Pattern stuff was officially tossed. The webbing was pretty much the same colour when issued, greens could vary a bit more. How webbing was washed, and what you washed it with, changed the way it faded, but even faded to light green it stayed taskworthy where really faded greens were replaced. Only the basic pouches ever needed much replacing, which is why they look darker than the webbing in some photos.

[DougM]

Thanks mate, very helpful, and the field grey base for more faded stuff is a good thought. Tamiya olive drab plus white also looks to be pretty close to some of the examples I have seen. I do want to have enough contrast between greens and webbing to make it worth painting the latter

[Spanner]

A COY (may have been C COY- working off memory) 8RAR cammed their webbing and pack up with paint before one of their OP's (Cung Chung II?). You can see it in a couple of B&W photos in The Grey Eight. It may be an option if you get bored?

[tim.w]

These vids have been interesting.

https://youtu.be/nCh5fjfhSsY

[Spanner]

Thanks, Tim. I'll have a look later.

[DougM]

A COY (may have been C COY- working off memory) 8RAR cammed their webbing and pack up with paint before one of the OP. You can see it in a couple of B&W photos in The Grey Eight. It may be an option if you get bored?

Aaaarrrrgghhhhh... sod that for a game of soldiers.. painting camouflage kit is above and beyond for my painting standard... here's my sample currently.

[tim.w]

Sorry yes meant variance in shades, state of wear as talked about in the videos. I collected a few Nam era bits of kit as a kid in the 80's. Even had a flak jacket at one point. With the big films all being out around then all the kids with an interest in such things were all over it and the army surplus shops were a wash with it. Surprised to see just how much it goes for on ebay now.

[tim.w]

That looks spot on Doug.

Rubicon have some tutorials out too. https://youtu.be/LaeZFtxHL-c

Anyone brave enough to make a huey yet? I know I'd snap a rotor blade withing the first 24hrs. My marines might get an M113 instead.

[Spanner]

Not looking too bad, Doug. The only thing I'd do is paint the boots black up to the trousers (ie as GP's). The ex-Vieties blokes had really low opinions of the canvas jungle boots and blamed them for bad tinea, foot ulcers and numerous other sins, and referred to them as "POGO boots". He's carrying an M79 and the GP's had replaced the old AB and gaiters by then.

Surprised to see just how much it goes for on ebay now

The old green clothes and webbing, Tim? My webbing got handed back in when I did my march out clearance (by then it was the 1990 DPCU kit, not the old VN-era stuff), my sons nicked my GP's and horse-shoe AB's, and my really old greens were used as bedding for the dogs.

And you're telling me it's worth something these days?

Anyone brave enough to make a huey yet?

No, mate, VN games are a bit close to the bone for me. All my instructors and NCO in my early days were VN, Malaysia and/or Borneo vet's. I've had a couple of goes over the years, but it just feels wrong. Don't mind others playing it, though- it's my issue, not theirs.