How can I rubber up my T-34 tanks?

[Roy]

Anyone got any ideas on what I could use to simulate the rubber matting/sheets that adorned T-34-85 tanks during the Yugoslav conflicts of the 1990s? (see accompanying images for what I'm talking about)

Suppose I could use, actual, rubber. (No. I don't own a Gimp Suit to steal some from, before anyone asks  )

[BernaDotDotDot]

10mm?  I'd use black or if possible a 90% black or so construction paper, and run it through dirt, the driveway, etc.  It will be way too black as regular and new.  Might be best to cut it up first.

The last image looks painted.  If you're going to do that then soak your construction paper in a little watery pva first then glue it on dried with superglue.

Strangely I think I like the dirty rubber look better myself. They're both ugly as sin but the bare rubber has a 90's zombie movie vibe.

PS what exactly did this do?  I am assuming attempting to foul some sort of targeting or detection?

[mollinary]

PS what exactly did this do?  I am assuming attempting to foul some sort of targeting or detection?

Or possibly against magnetic mines?

[streetgang]

I would try to use thin sheet styrene or plasticard. Bend it with hot water or a blow dryer and cut into the sizes and shapes you need.

[Roy]

Thanks for the suggestions 

I've asked elsewhere & got these ideas, too:

. tin foil
. tomato puree tube
. plastic card, warmed up
. lead from wine bottles

Just had a thought, reading "construction paper" above, about using sandpaper. 1) because we've plenty of it at our house. 2) turned so the abrasive-side is hidden, the smooth surface should take paint easy enough.

Definitely a few ideas to try out. 

what exactly did this do?  I am assuming attempting to foul some sort of targeting or detection?

Or possibly against magnetic mines?

I don't know, to be honest. I've just google'd it & found a page on Quora:

LINK

The answers given are as your speculation, plus there's also the psychological benefits for the crew, prevention of small arms fire ricocheting onto accompanying troops, and protection against certain munition-types. Mostly, the people on Quora have said, the rubber attached to the tank's armour probably had zero beneficial effects in actual reality.

[BernaDotDotDot]

If you're going to bother with any of that stuff, just use putty... Press flat on something slick (like glass out of an old frame) with a little water.  Let it cure about an hour then cut out a rectangle, slap it on, mold it around to look softer and push in some rivets.

Sandpaper or any paper would work really.  The bonus of the black is just, with some dirt, you aren't painting it, and it would be appropriately matte.  Can do it after the fact.  Prime the back of some sandpaper black and it will work as well as any other paper.  Use a little putty to attach it to help it curve and not hold it there forever.

The tomato or toothpaste tube isnt an awful idea though because it is thicker than foil but molds like foil.  Cut out rough sections, prime them black.

[Leon]

Maybe a bit left-field, but what about some thin black cloth material, kinda like the cleaning cloths you get in a glasses case?  Dirty it up with some dust/stains and then use a PVA mix to lay it over your vehicles?  It should be thin enough to look OK scale-wise, it's already black, and it'll lay in a similar manner to the rubber in your images without much forming work.

[streetgang]

I've seen a few people online state that the rubber was used to "smother" the heat signature from thermal optics. Whatever the reason, it's pretty interesting looking.

Now my mind is wandering about trying decide what figures could be used as proxies for the various militias operating after the breakup of Yugoslavia.

[John Cook]

That would work but I've used ordinary printer paper for tarpaulins and similar.  Use PVA which makes it wet and pliable and press it over the object and wait for it to dry.  I use the same method for flags.  For add-on armour on vehicle don't wet it, just cut the paper out in the required shape and attach it with glue of choice, bend it into the desired shape once dry.  Application of paint will help and set it in position when dry.  Alternatively, the foil from decent bottles of wine is quite useful for this kind of thing.

[Big Insect]

I've seen a few people online state that the rubber was used to "smother" the heat signature from thermal optics. Whatever the reason, it's pretty interesting looking.

Now my mind is wandering about trying decide what figures could be used as proxies for the various militias operating after the breakup of Yugoslavia.

That is what I'd also heard as well. As the Leopards being used by the NATO peace-keeping forces were invisible to the Serbs at night (until they actually opened fire) whilst the older Serb AFVs glowed like hot-coals!

One other thought for the rubber sheeting is to either use - thin rubber sheeting - or to use thin magnetic card.

[Roy]

Thank you for the suggestions and information. It isn't until I've read some of them, that I realised that I've previously used the methods mentioned and completely forgotten about it. As I've said, I'll play about with various materials - show the results - and discuss/decide at a later date.

Now my mind is wandering about trying decide what figures could be used as proxies for the various militias operating after the breakup of Yugoslavia.

I don't have that issue, thankfully. I'm going with a fictitious nation performing peacekeeping duties inside of another fictitious nation, that is rapidly breaking apart into warring factions wanting independence/or, to retain the status quo (like the UN peacekeeping forces in Bosnia during the 1990s).

Set in the mid-to-late 1980s. Using Pendraken stuff from across several ranges. Peacekeeper's use, either US or British gear. Warring state uses purchased Soviet or third-party gear.

I'm using the Yugoslavia wars of the 1990s as a basis to form my fiction, but am going for fictitious nations so as not to get bogged down in politics/history of the conflict.

Rules will be What a Tanker Modern (fan-made variant, from the Facebook page) Solo (using Herkybird's homebrew rules). Scenarios will be, either based on historic examples from the Yugoslav conflict, or Neil Thomas One Hour Wargames - which I've translated the random forces to work with WaT Modern.

[howayman]

I used to use the old foil toothpaste tubes for flags, cloaks, etc.
 However they are all plastic now.
 Have yet to find a replacement.

[Big Insect]

I used to use the old foil toothpaste tubes for flags, cloaks, etc.
 However they are all plastic now.
 Have yet to find a replacement.

Sainsbury's tomato-puree tubes - they are great for flags or cloaks. I am not sure what the metal is but it looks like copper (it's copper-red inside the tube). It might be a bit thick for 10mm though. But the plus side is you can get a nice spaghetti bolognaise from it as well 

[d_Guy]

I used to use the old foil toothpaste tubes for flags, cloaks, etc.
 However they are all plastic now.
 Have yet to find a replacement.

+1
It was an excellent to work with and I haven't found a replacement either.