Re: [MV] WW II OD (was) Original paint color for M135?

From: Jim Gilmore (jgilmore@ptd.net)
Date: Sun Feb 29 2004 - 20:24:09 PST


Doc wrote:

>Gents:
>
>We have hammered around the paint color issue for a bit of time now. I was
>going to stay out of it, but call it an irresistible impulse.
>
>For my curriculum vitae, I spent six years as the regional rep for the
>Automotive Refinishes Div. of the Sherwin-Williams Co. Perhaps you've heard
>of them..."Cover the Earth" and all that? I covered West Texas and Eastern
>New Mexico. A goodly sized chunk of earth.

Excellent, Please give us the SW formula for Lusterless Olive Drab , QMC spec 1-173 , ES-474b or ORD ES-680............here are some cross references........

  Arco-No. 236-60744
Murphy- No. NU-5927
Willey- No. 1886
DuPont- No. 1070-019

   Should be simple thing to match any one of these right?

>A paint standard details how a paint will be made. It details how it will
>be applied. Inspectors check to see that the paint is made to the
>applicable standard.
>
>Damn few inspectors get into the paint booth to make sure it's applied using
>"standard procedures."

Since you were in the paint business then you should know that there are very rigid paint mixing and application standards in automotive production painting. Ford, GM, DCX all use a very controlled environment in their coatings application.

   The QMC/ORD in WW II laid out the exact way to use the Lusterless Olive Drab paint and this included the proper thinner, primer and metal prep. You should know this as this is still done in Govt. specs to this day.

>Changes in the type of thinner/reducer used can cause a color shift.

   Then you should use the correct one.

>Changes in the air pressure can cause color variations.

Changes in the color? I have never seen a change in the color of a synthetic enamel paint. The fluctuation of air pressure will have an effect on the finish, ie orange peel or flatness from paint drying before it hits the metal.

> Changes in the
>drying process can cause a color shift also. In some finishes, the color
>can deviate from standard just because of weather conditions on the day when
>the vehicle was painted.
>
>Some might reply, "Oh Doc, that only happens in metallic or pearlescent
>finishes." Au contraire, you can have color shift to to deviations from the
>norm in solid colors. I can remember six or seven distinct shade variations
>in GM's code 12 "refrigerator white."

  How does this apply to Lusterless Olive Drab paint? Are you saying that you sold paint that was not a correct match for this GM # 12 white? Did you sell this different paint to GM for production of vehicles or are you saying that the paint you sold to auto repair shops did not match the paint used by GM in production of motor vehicles.

>Standards may lead one to believe that there is no this or that out there.
>Because Standards prevent that.
>Give me a Binks 7 spray gun and an assortment of solvents and a six pack of
>beer and I will bust those standards all to hell. And I will show you that
>which you have not seen before, and therefore does not exist according to
>Standards. And I will look you square in the eye and say, "Hey, I just used
>what I was told to."

     I'm not sure what you are trying to say here..........we are trying to determine the correct color that was used in production on WW II tactical vehicles.......Lusterless Olive Drab. You appear to be saying that you can use paint in a incorrect manner and make the color come out different? Well.........I can screw up paint just as well but this is not what this discussion is about. Your ability to make paint come out wrong does not have any bearing on what was the correct color of WW II paint.
    We are not talking about how they did it at Camp Swampy or Bora Bora during the war..........we are talking about the paint used in production of military vehicles. Anyone can screw up a paint job........but using the wrong thinner, paint mixture or air pressure is not what the vehicle factories did.

Jim Gilmore



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