Any ideas for a reasonable match

Hi Ed,

I don't know whether you have them in the UK, over in NA we have retail auto paint suppliers where you can walk in with a code or a paint chip and they will produce a can of said color in about 15 minutes. You could probably take one of the Hornby's along and get it scanned. If you can locate somebody with a scanner and the locomotive won't fit, taking a photo in daylight and printing will give you an approximation. Adjust with the software to match the already painted locomotives.

I faced this type of issue with an orange used by one of the now defunct NA railroads. The model I wanted to match (to repair a scratch) had paint mixed to a recipe long gone, and it doesn't match the official paint swatches used by the railroad (samples of which I have) or any of the modelling supply colors. It has a Dulux code,  which is way too red/dark. Taking a photo of the model, adjusting the color in the software and printing on matt photo paper gave me an almost exact match that I could have got scanned.

Using the Pantone or RAL code you can always go up a shade to give some variation to represent fading/weathering. It seems that BR used a grey undercoat, which would have lightened the final color a bit.

It's actually pretty relative, depending on your ambient light conditions (fluorescent tubes come in a range of temperatures) that blue could change from dark to light. In real life different batches of paint were never identical, so there was already some inbuilt variation.

If you took up airbrushing you could of course mix up your own color to suit at a fraction of the price of the aerosols………which is what I did after accumulating a stock of aerosol cans and nowhere to store them. That and the issue of auto paint and primer masking rivet detail.

Nigel

Forgot to mention Terry.

I got my Hornby Deltic out and tried that link you posted.

Unfortunately I couldn't seem to get anywhere near the colour and it kept telling me the nearest thing was black or blue-black.

Worth a try though, and it might come in handy for something else.


Ed

[user=1632]BCDR[/user] wrote:

Hi Ed,

I don't know whether you have them in the UK, over in NA we have retail auto paint suppliers where you can walk in with a code or a paint chip and they will produce a can of said color in about 15 minutes. You could probably take one of the Hornby's along and get it scanned. If you can locate somebody with a scanner and the locomotive won't fit, taking a photo in daylight and printing will give you an approximation. Adjust with the software to match the already painted locomotives.

I faced this type of issue with an orange used by one of the now defunct NA railroads. The model I wanted to match (to repair a scratch) had paint mixed to a recipe long gone, and it doesn't match the official paint swatches used by the railroad (samples of which I have) or any of the modelling supply colors. It has a Dulux code,  which is way too red/dark. Taking a photo of the model, adjusting the color in the software and printing on matt photo paper gave me an almost exact match that I could have got scanned.

Using the Pantone or RAL code you can always go up a shade to give some variation to represent fading/weathering. It seems that BR used a grey undercoat, which would have lightened the final color a bit.

It's actually pretty relative, depending on your ambient light conditions (fluorescent tubes come in a range of temperatures) that blue could change from dark to light. In real life different batches of paint were never identical, so there was already some inbuilt variation.

If you took up airbrushing you could of course mix up your own color to suit at a fraction of the price of the aerosols………which is what I did after accumulating a stock of aerosol cans and nowhere to store them. That and the issue of auto paint and primer masking rivet detail.

Nigel

Can't find anything like that  near me Nigel.

Most people here go to the local dealer who should (may) be able to provide touch up paint.

Failing that it's go to a coach works, or pop in Halfords for a can of spray paint.

Funny, think I mentioned Halfords car spray paint before




Ed

Here you are Ed.  Get yourself down to Brighton!

http://www.autopaintsbrighton.co.uk/custom-hand-matched-vehicle-car-paint-matched-to-sample-prices-from-46-p.asp

This is the first one I pulled off the internet.  You might find a paint supplier nearer.  I typed into Google 'bespoke car paint suppliers'.

Terry

 

Found one in Milton Keynes Terry………………………………….

I'm off to Brighton

After braving the 1⁰C in the garden, I can honestly say Reeves Acrylic Phthalo blue artists paint (Pug not flower pot) ain't nothing like Rail Blue.




Mind you, Hornby can't seem to make their mind up either :???:


Ed

At least it will make a good base coat. How frustrating but entertaining at the same time.

Marty

I noticed that the class 31 was a bit 'off' when compared to my Heljan and Bachmann models, but not enough to justify a repaint, though my Dapol class 22 seems well off and I am unsure why as when looking at period photos they would appear to be the same BR Blue

[user=19]Marty[/user] wrote:

At least it will make a good base coat. How frustrating but entertaining at the same time.

Marty

It's not a bad match for the flower pot Marty


Ed

[user=1297]new04db[/user] wrote:

I noticed that the class 31 was a bit 'off' when compared to my Heljan and Bachmann models, but not enough to justify a repaint, though my Dapol class 22 seems well off and I am unsure why as when looking at period photos they would appear to be the same BR Blue

Hi Aaron

From what I've read, the original paint seemed to bleach (if that's the right word) quite quickly and appear a lighter shade.

There also appears to have been a fair bit of variation depending when and where a loco was re-painted.

Like you, I've been looking at photos and there is quite a difference, but I'm not sure if that's just down to the photography of the time.


Ed

Just had a thought!

If I paint the AC locos 'Electric Blue', don't need to worry about how different they are from the two Hornby ones :lol:



Ed

[user=1338]Ed[/user] wrote:

After braving the 1⁰C in the garden, I can honestly say Reeves Acrylic Phthalo blue artists paint (Pug not flower pot) ain't nothing like Rail Blue.

Mind you, Hornby can't seem to make their mind up either :???:


Ed

Hi Ed,

Paint it black first (or was it already black?) to darken, or white to lighten.

Nigel

It had grey undercoat first Nigel.

I was hoping there may have been a cheap reasonably easy to source alternative to buying the specialist paints or having an aerosol made up.

Doesn't look like there is, although I've not given up on Owen's idea about contacting the local heritage railway (shut until half-term in February), or visiting Halfords for a car paint that's a reasonable match.

Probably will end up buying a Pheonix aerosol, but I think it was worth asking, just in case someone had found something in the local high street.


Ed

Have you tried mixing the Phythalo Blue with a little black to see how that comes out, if you get a reasonable match you can mix up a bigger batch.

I did consider trying to mix it Andy, but I seriously doubt my ability to consistently mix paint to the same shade :sad:.

Besides, what do I try and match it to quest:

The two Hornby locos I have are different and as mentioned photos on the web seem a little inconsistent.

http://www.railblue.com/Class%20Headers%20v2.0/class_86V.2.htm

Thinking of writing a book, 'Fifty Shades of Rail Blue'


Ed

[user=1338]Ed[/user] wrote:

I did consider trying to mix it Andy, but I seriously doubt my ability to consistently mix paint to the same shade :sad:.

Hi Ed,

Forget trying to measure the same volumes, do it by weight. Most cheap electronic kitchen scales can now read 0.1 gm accurately, postal scales are even better.  If you want to it by volume, use graduated plastic pipettes. More difficult than it sounds, as paint on the inside blocks the graduations, and you can't see where the meniscus is.

If you've ever watched the preparation of paint at the local paint store you can see why the color is never exactly the same between lots. It's done by volume with valves, the mixers never worry about the odd drop. Plus even the concentrated pigment settles over time.

Even worse in days of yore, when powdered pigments were used at the painting shops. One of the reasons most sensible railway companies stuck with black for their steamers.

I have issues with a color called Omaha Orange. Brewed up by Dupont (Dulux), first used on pick-up trucks. This was in the 1940's and 1950's, paint was prepared using so many shovels of pigment. Somebody in EMD, the diesel locomotive manufacturer, thought it would be just what the Great Northern Railroad would like. Which it did. Forgetting that the likes of Ford and GMC would order a slightly different color each year for their new models. Dulux of course obliged and also supplied the Great Northern with the new mix. Consequently Omaha Orange is a range of shades, anyone of which is correct. add to that weathering. For modelers this situation is compounded by color blindness at the Chinese factories, where they mix what they think looks nice. I stopped worrying (and arguing with the rivet counters) and now mix up various shades of orange as the whim takes me. Standard mix which I darken or lighten a shade or two.

I was having a look at some photographs of Hymeks, Warships and Westerns in BR blue. Fifty shades of blue is just about right.

Nigel

[user=1632]BCDR[/user] wrote:

I was having a look at some photographs of Hymeks, Warships and Westerns in BR blue. Fifty shades of blue is just about right.

Nigel

Which brings us neatly back to something I said in my opening post about Halfords having over 80 shades of blue in rattle cans.

There's got to be at least one that's a near match, but which one :hmm


Ed

to be honest i hand- paint with railmatch with a couple of drops of white spirit gives a great finish without brush marks

railmatch also do rail blue in aerosols - try howes of oxford or shawplan

Brush marks are what I was a bit concerned about Ian.

Been looking around and Railmatch seem a bit difficult to get at present, I did find this.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RailMatch-207-Rail-Blue-15ml-Enamel-Paint-/401041711334?hash=item5d5ff2e0e6:m:mD0cuKY6XIVpQP_dtpdQkow

Less than the cost of an aerosol from Phoenix and a 14ml Tinlet from Phoenix although only £2.90, still has a postage change of £5!

Wonder how many locos you can paint with 15ml :hmm


Ed

try gaugemaster they do all the 15ml jars and acrylics too sensible delivery rates ! 01923 884488