Model Boat Mayhem

Technical, Techniques, Hints, and Tips => Painting, Finishing and Care. => Topic started by: David JP on October 02, 2007, 06:39:28 am

Title: Colour Grey
Post by: David JP on October 02, 2007, 06:39:28 am
Morning all
Can anyone please tell me the correct Tamiya colour code for mini acrylic paint that would match a RN Warship, I served and I remember a light grey, the colours I have are too dark and I am nearlly ready to start painting my HMS Vanguard semi scratch 1/128 build, it is a big lump so it has to be right.
Cheers :o
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: Stavros on October 02, 2007, 08:40:14 am
Why don't you look at the halfords primer in Acrylic or even get them to mix you the right colour in a Matt aerosol if they can not do it then find your nearest Brown Bros or Part co and look on their colour swatches and they can mix the paint for you,much cheaper than Tamya and a much better finish.

Stavros
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: badbunny on October 02, 2007, 08:50:47 am
Hi David, if you can use enamels instead, there is the White Ensign Models range of colour-matched paint. They have a range of WW2 RN paints:
http://www.whiteensignmodels.com/ (http://www.whiteensignmodels.com/)

I don't seem to be able to post a direct link, so go to their homepage and follow...
Launch Catalogue --> Complete Catalogue --> Ships (and aircraft) --> Colourcoat Naval Colours --> WWII Royal Navy Colours.

If you are set on using acrylics then maybe you could mix your own shade of grey - get hold of one of the Snyder and Short colour chip sheets as a colour reference:
http://www.shipcamouflage.com/paint_chips.htm (http://www.shipcamouflage.com/paint_chips.htm)

Pete.
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: Bunkerbarge on October 02, 2007, 11:07:36 am
Halfords grey primer seems to be a popular choice for a number of members here for RN Grey.  Obviously it is easy to obtain and use as well as being a reasonable price.
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: Bluebird v2 on October 02, 2007, 09:00:24 pm
hi there David JP

Normally, I would use Humbrol number 64 as a base coat - that is Matt Light Grey.  I find though if you paint the complete model in that colour it somehow just does not seem right.  So, what I tend to do is, use a mixture of greys - as I have said, I use 64 for the base coat around the hull.  When I come to paint the superstructures (bridges and funnels & etc.) I tend to mix to number 64 various quantities of 127 Satin US Ghost Grey, 128 Satin US Compass Grey and 129 Satin US Gull Grey, just so I alter the shading of the colour 64.   It breaks up the 'bland' image.   

The only problem is though, when you come to 'touch in' when you have had those accidental accidents  :embarrassed: you can never quite get the match.

aye
John e
Bluebird
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: bigford on October 03, 2007, 12:44:22 am
would the worlds navy's paint there boats all one color
i'm thinking of painting my amsterdam up as tenace but it's all gray :D
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: farrow on October 15, 2007, 12:07:14 am
What light grey do you like the Pusser grey has changed continually, depending on what paint firm has the contract and what the latest fad is with the Admiralty. Foer the coronation fleet review they had a greeny colour. If you see the Intrepid and Fearless together in Pompey, they have different shades, the Intrepid has a kind of greenish tinge to her grey.
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: malcolmfrary on October 15, 2007, 01:01:59 pm
All our pre-1960 equipment racks were painted "Grey, Light Battleship", and the tins had a NATO stock code on, and so might have been originally intended for use on grey fullel liners.  It was on the pale side of halfway between white and black, but had a slight blue-ish tinge.  If any touching-in was attempted, it never matched. Ever.
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: KenP on October 16, 2007, 04:23:26 pm
I tend to use Humbrol 127 on my warships.  Just like that shade of grey.
It's difficult to decide what the " right" grey is as weathering alters the shade also painting depended on what paint was available in the stores!!!

KenP
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: Colin Bishop on October 16, 2007, 04:29:24 pm
When you see warships at sea or entering/leaving harbour the apparent shade of grey can vary considerably with the weather and lighting conditions.
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: Admhawk on October 17, 2007, 12:01:00 am
You might try asking for a pint to be mixed to the RN standard. Here in Canada if we go our local Glidden paint store and give them the Navy's code for the grey they will mix up a batch right there. You can get any type you want mixed up.

As for the 'correct' colour, it differs between batches and manufacturers. Just like your house paint. Weather is real nasty, A newly painted ship came back from 2 weeks at sea and you could see where it was touched up. Two ships side by side had different shades. The paint loses it's gloss very quickly as well which makes the shade look different.

HTH's
Darren
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: bigford on October 21, 2007, 01:34:27 pm
i lost this post...   so would i just paint every thing  on the tug  one shade of
gray. as in all ghost gray or battleship gray, floors, walls, roof, rails
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: tigertiger on October 21, 2007, 02:14:06 pm
i lost this post...   so would i just paint every thing  on the tug  one shade of
gray. as in all ghost gray or battleship gray, floors, walls, roof, rails

One thing I have noticed. If everything is a uniform colour it does not look real IMHO.
Very smart, but not real.
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: bigford on October 21, 2007, 02:18:23 pm
the amsterdams sister ship tenance
(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q162/bigfordf550/856.jpg)
(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q162/bigfordf550/photo02tenace.jpg)
everything seem to me to be all one shade of gray
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: Holmsey on October 21, 2007, 02:26:09 pm
What light grey do you like the Pusser grey has changed continually, depending on what paint firm has the contract and what the latest fad is with the Admiralty. Foer the coronation fleet review they had a greeny colour. If you see the Intrepid and Fearless together in Pompey, they have different shades, the Intrepid has a kind of greenish tinge to her grey.
Here are Fearless and Intrepid, unfortunatly the light does not show the difference but I seem to remember noticing the that they are not the same. The main point about the colour grey is that it changes with the light. Compass Ghost Gray was developed for The USAF for their air superiority scheme and is designed to look blue on a sunny day and grey on a cloudy day. I guess that RN grey is not the same paint but it must do something similar.

Holmsey
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: tigertiger on October 21, 2007, 02:32:10 pm
Hi Bigford,

I know what you mean by one shade.

But I have to say I can see some variation, and I don't think it is just the light.
I can also see where she has been touched up, and I don't mean the orange.

It is very slight and very subtle.
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: Bryan Young on October 21, 2007, 03:47:23 pm
When you see warships at sea or entering/leaving harbour the apparent shade of grey can vary considerably with the weather and lighting conditions.
Is this apparent shifting of colour not due to the Rodneys habit of mixing a bit of varnish into the grey? Makes it look all "tiddly" and not in the least warlike.
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: bigford on October 21, 2007, 04:41:07 pm
one more shot of the ship
(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q162/bigfordf550/Ec89767.jpg)
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: farrow on October 22, 2007, 01:58:20 pm
Here is a new grey funnel colour which you do not see often, some one tell what shade this is ???
What do you think Bob!
Dave
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: farrow on October 22, 2007, 03:09:55 pm
The shift of colour in different lights, is all down to the colour of the light which hits the surface and is reflected back to you. The colour of the light depends on time of year, position and sky colour. That is why the Med always looks blue because of clear blue sky and the North Atlantic a dark greeny sea because the sky is usually overcaste with dark clouds. Also until the mid 60's the med fleet and Persion Gulf ships were painted a shade of blue sometimes, the triang mini ships reflects this practice well.
David
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: Colin Bishop on October 22, 2007, 06:04:55 pm
Quote
the triang mini ships reflects this practice well.

That's interesting. I used to collect all the Triang range when I was a kid and always wondered why their warships were painted blue instead of grey (although in later years they did switch to grey)
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: Bryan Young on October 23, 2007, 05:34:03 pm
Here is a new grey funnel colour which you do not see often, some one tell what shade this is ???
What do you think Bob!
Dave
Looks like her jack and ensign are both at half-mast. Perhaps she is feeling sorry for herself? BY.
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: Bryan Young on October 23, 2007, 05:36:51 pm
The shift of colour in different lights, is all down to the colour of the light which hits the surface and is reflected back to you. The colour of the light depends on time of year, position and sky colour. That is why the Med always looks blue because of clear blue sky and the North Atlantic a dark greeny sea because the sky is usually overcaste with dark clouds. Also until the mid 60's the med fleet and Persion Gulf ships were painted a shade of blue sometimes, the triang mini ships reflects this practice well.
David
The Far-East Fleet were a loveley greenish "duck-egg" blue/grey/green!.
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: westcoaster on October 23, 2007, 06:05:03 pm
A thought which occurs to me is that perceptions of colour vary from person to person. I have a suit which I describe as a brownish shade whereas my Clerk of Works (SWMBO) insists it is green. Neither of us are colour blind.
Another point is that the exact paint colour for the full size vessel often doesn't look "right" on a model. It's a case of do what pleases you best I think.
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: John @ WEM on January 16, 2009, 11:14:36 pm
Vanguard at what period? From commissioning until at least the Coronation Review she was in AP 507C Light Admiralty Grey, with steel decks painted in AP 507A Dark Admiralty Grey. Wood decks were unpainted, holystoned teak, and at least during the Royal Cruise the anchor cables were painted white.
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: wallace on January 20, 2009, 09:55:40 am
As an ex navy man the colour of the ships side yes its grey and im think im right in saying the ship sides on warships were of a gloss
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: Hagar on January 20, 2009, 06:20:01 pm
If you know the FS number, you could try this http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/stuff_eng_colorcharts_fs.htm but make sure your screen is correctly calibrated, or its not worth squat!
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: John @ WEM on January 20, 2009, 07:09:42 pm
If you know the FS number, you could try this http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/stuff_eng_colorcharts_fs.htm but make sure your screen is correctly calibrated, or its not worth squat!


Why in the world would a Royal Navy warship be painted in a colour having anything to do with the U.S. FS system? I can guarantee you that the Admiralty Standard paint she wore prior to the Coronation Review was just that--an Admiralty Standard, not FS--colour. After the Coronation Review she was in a British Standard--not FS--colour.
Title: Re: Colour Grey
Post by: Hagar on January 22, 2009, 06:13:58 pm
ops! FS = Federal standard. must hve been asleep when I wrote that. No the other hand, if you are just tring to find a shade of paint that you can get, I guess one could find some thing there.

I'm still trying to get my head around just how many greys there are  :o