Today's focus is on AK Interactive's Weathering Set for Green Vehicles (AKI64). This set comprises a dark brown wash for green vehicles, a light rust wash, and dark streaking grime, providing all you need to weather and add depth to military vehicle models, particularly those in shades of green.

Imagine you've acquired a military model, say an M20 Armored Car or a T-34 tank, and you're ready to give it some realistic weathering effects. First, you've painted, shaded, and applied a gloss coat to the model to prep it for the weathering process. The gloss coat aids the flow of the wash, which we'll be using shortly.

Opening the set, you'll find the dark brown wash, ideal for creating an earthy, dirt-like effect on the green vehicles. Pouring a bit of the wash into a separate jar allows for thinning it down with a suitable thinner. This thinned wash is then applied to the model using a brush, specifically targeting the panel lines and raised details.

The technique involves letting the wash flow along the panel lines, utilizing gravity to guide it downward, accentuating the vehicle's details. Even if a bit too much wash is applied, it's manageable. After covering the entire vehicle in sections, letting the wash dry for a while, it's time to clean up any excess using white spirit.

With a dampened brush, the excess wash is gently removed from broad surfaces while encouraging it to flow into the crevices, enhancing the three-dimensional effect by creating shadows and highlights in the model's details.

Besides the dark brown wash, there are two more elements in the set: the light rust wash and dark streaking grime. The light rust wash is applied to areas where rust might occur, like handrails or around fuel tanks. Once applied and allowed to dry a bit, a brush dampened with white spirit can be used to streak it down, mimicking the appearance of rust streaks.

Similarly, the dark streaking grime can be applied to simulate areas exposed to humidity or grime buildup. Applying it to edges and high points and then streaking it downwards using a damp brush creates a realistic weathered effect.

This set is a comprehensive kit available at your local hobby shop or at MegaHobby.com. These sets offer a versatile range of weathering effects to bring authenticity and depth to your scale models.