Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Navy - Military - Battleships: => Topic started by: Rottweiler on February 18, 2012, 01:03:44 am

Title: British Battleship Grey
Post by: Rottweiler on February 18, 2012, 01:03:44 am
      Could anyone tell me what colour grey paint to use on a model British Battleship, HMS RAMILLIES circa 1944 please.
 I am thinking on the lines of Humbrol or Revell type enamel paints.She is a very large model, 6foot 6 inches long in old money, and spraying is out because of advanced stage of building. I have used a semi gloss grey,but this is certainly not looking right for this era.
 Apologies if the subject is elsewhere on Mayhem, but I could not find what I needed. Please help?
Thanks,
Mick
Title: Re: British Battleship Grey
Post by: DickyD on February 18, 2012, 01:59:29 am
Dont know if this will help.

AP507A was the standard colour of warships of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet during the inter war years. It was very dark grey in colour with a hint of bluish-purple (see grey box to the left for a rough approximation of this colour). The hull, superstructure and guns were painted in this shade. An interesting colour, due to it's reflective properties, it often makes the ship appear lighter than it actually was in many old photos. Hood wore this colour for most of her career, to include the Empire Cruise of 1924 and her time with Force H in 1940.
Suggested paint match: White Ensign Models Colourcoats RN 01.
Title: Re: British Battleship Grey
Post by: bobk on February 18, 2012, 09:39:43 am
Thank you Richard.  I did not know about the White Ensign extensive range of enamel paints, previously having found it hard to match warship colours from the regular Humbrol and Tamiya paints which appear to be more geared for planes and railways.  As I write I am going through their site looking for under hull red oxide.

We learn something new every day on Mayhem.  Ta !   :-))
Title: Re: British Battleship Grey
Post by: gingyer on February 18, 2012, 09:51:20 am
Mick do you have any pictures of ramillies
As you want or painted ?
Wiki has one with camouflage and there will be others
If you had a picture then we would know what
Colour you were thinking and looking for

Dickyd is on the right track but ramillies was repainted
 during the war Several times so it may not be the darker grey
Title: Re: British Battleship Grey
Post by: Rottweiler on February 18, 2012, 11:11:01 am
Technically it would be the colour she was on D Day, but I do not want the Camo paint job, I know this will be wrong without it but I shall call it artists licence! Have a look on my website dedicated to the ship, at  www.hmsramillies.com and the photo of her in the Clyde is what I would be aiming for.
Thanks DickyD, I will have a look for the range of paints you suggest,which I must admit I have never heard of.
Mick
Title: Re: British Battleship Grey
Post by: Rottweiler on February 18, 2012, 11:15:01 am
sorry folks, only half awake this morning the link should be

     http://www.hmsramillies.co.uk

   Thanks and as they say  (embarrassed)
Title: Re: British Battleship Grey
Post by: DickyD on February 18, 2012, 11:15:53 am
Sorry, I forgot the link.

https://www.whiteensignmodels.com/
Title: Re: British Battleship Grey
Post by: Rottweiler on February 18, 2012, 11:31:33 am
Quite a comprehensive range of paints on their website ! I will have to buy an awful lot of tins to cover my model's hull at 6 foot 6 inches! I also note that they market the rare "cortiscene" colour, which I plan to use on the boat deck as should be, but they are out of stock. I also noted from visiting the HMS CAVALIER at Chatham dockyard, that the insides of HER gun turrets were covered in cortiscene, and even though I am in regular contact with the remaining crew of Ramillies, no one can tell me if this would have been the case for her 4 inch turrets also.
Title: Re: British Battleship Grey
Post by: Rottweiler on February 19, 2012, 06:59:14 pm
  just been looking at the CD of Deans Marine "Royal Oak" build. Going by the reflection from the lighting on the photos,she does appear to have been painted in semi matte grey.It appears to be a private build so I have no way of contacting the builder.It is an absolutely superb model.I have bough a lot of fittings from Deans Marine for my model of "Ramillies" and along with some from John Haynes,these too are excellent.
 When I started my build MANY years ago,I didn't think of taking photos, so I have very few.I do have some of the hull being planked, showing some of the pins holding down the spruce planks, at one stage there were just over 2000 pins on the hull! If I can find them, I will post them.I have now started to take some photos,although the main superstructure has been built,I am working on the mainmast,so photos may interest someone?
Mick
Title: Re: British Battleship Grey
Post by: John W E on February 19, 2012, 07:34:37 pm
Hi there Mick

I havent forgotten about the bulges, still working through photographs on your website and hey the website is credit to you/brilliant  :-)) Gibe me or even give me a couple of days and I will come up with a couple of scribbles that may help you.

aye
john
Title: Re: British Battleship Grey
Post by: Rottweiler on February 19, 2012, 07:41:27 pm
thanks John,
for the nice .comment on my website, and offering to help me out with the extra bulges.looking forward to hearing from you in due course
cheers,
Mick
Title: Re: British Battleship Grey
Post by: Jonty on February 20, 2012, 10:33:09 pm
  Dark grey is always a safe bet, if not strictly accurate. It is worth noting, though, that by this stage of the war the navy was using generally much lighter schemes, especially in northern waters. Had Ramillies been repainted before the end of the war it would have been in a very pale grey (G55) with a medium blue panel on the hull amidships.
Title: Re: British Battleship Grey
Post by: Rottweiler on February 20, 2012, 10:38:35 pm
 thanks for your help.I do have some colour schemes for camo,including as you say blue,but I think that was when she was in the Med/Indian Ocean.Unfortunately the ACTUAL colours are not named.
cheers,
Mick
Title: Re: British Battleship Grey
Post by: Jonty on February 21, 2012, 07:17:30 pm
  The colours, from darkest to lightest, are:

   MS1        (Almost black. Nearest Humbrol 32)
   B5          (Dark blue/grey. Nearest Humbrol 144)
   MS3        (Mid green/grey. No close match, perhaps the old Hellgrau)
   AP507C  (The old Mediterranean Fleet light grey. Nearest Humbrol 147)

  There is some evidence that the decks were painted, and the correct colour would have been B5. All wooden decks should have been painted on all warships, but it seems this was often not done. Remember too, as we have discussed before on here, the scale effect on colour.