Correct shade of OD

Dale jordan · Post by **Dale jordan** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 8:57 pm

Hello David . Go to your hobby shop and buy a tin of Humbrol 75 . Do a test spray on some small parts . Make sure that you use the same primmer as you are going to use on your model first . I Always add a little humbrol gloss to the paint . As the flat paint tends to pick up finger prints . Dale.

Dale jordan · Post by **Dale jordan** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:16 pm

David here is a photo of the repaint I did on my jeep ..Useing humbrol 75 with 5% gloss , I then lighted up the same colour with a little humbrol dark yellow and sprayed this onto the centre of the main pannels at the same time useing a Double action air brush . I hope this helps . The main thing is to test spray first to make shore that you are happy with it before you start on your half track . Dale

Dale jordan · Post by **Dale jordan** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:33 pm

This is how the finnished colour looks on my jeep , sitting next to my Sherman as you can see my Sherman would look good painted this way . David I tryed about 15 types of hobby paint , this was the only one that had that olive shade to it !!! . The others where to green . Dale

Dale jordan · Post by **Dale jordan** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:06 pm

Robert E Morey · Post by **Robert E Morey** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:14 pm

Dave,
I like Testors (ModelMasters) 1911 Olive Drab spray. It is available in a three pack of small cans. Its a bit spendy ($13-$15 for three cans) but its good looking OD, and many on this forum have said its authentic color. I think it is a good match myself. Its available in USA by mail order from http://www.squadron.com/ Your local hobby shop should have it too. The Testors gunmetal spray (also available as three pack) is ideal for tracks and MG's as well.
Bob

Carlos Vollenweider · Post by **Carlos Vollenweider** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 5:01 am

Hello Dale,

I have watched your posts for some time with great admiration. I was floored with your scratch built Panther, and of course your Armortek early Tiger I. Your study of the M4 is outstanding, especially with the protective upgrades you've added. The semi-gloss/egg shell on the Jeep is amazing. Paint work and weathering is my weak suit. I am one of the slow builders still assembling parts. I will post pictures of my mid Tiger I build soon. Thanks to you, and the other super builders on this site.

Birt

Tony Read · Post by **Tony Read** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:30 pm

David,

The Tamiya OD is probably the closest match to factory fresh paint you will find. But to be scale it needs just a dash of yellow. For that weathered look spray random patterns of OD with slighly more yellow in the middle of the panels and slighly less on the outside. BTW it MUST be matt as per US regulations. Add stains with washes of oil paints and add scuffs, scratches etc and that will be one tastey halftrack. Matt paint on full size vehicles marks badly, that is why you see restored vehicles with a semi-matt finish, including mine. Sorry if this is teaching you all to such eggs, but it works for me. I have about 20 litres of a 'faded' OD in synthetic for my 1:1 halftracks, if someone wants a bit they are welcome.

Lucien Runge · Post by **Lucien Runge** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:04 am

One of my acquantances works for Testors Corporation. His advice is to mix the Testor's enamels with 20-30% polyurethane varnish. This will increase wearability/durability of their paint formula. I tried it on one of my helmets. It really does make a difference. He suggested that the finish on my Sherman should be handled in the same way...food for thought for all you guys out there jostling with this issue.

Lucien

Adrian Harris · Post by **Adrian Harris** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:21 pm

I'm trying to order some OD for my Sherman and am having problems arriving at a RAL number for the supplier to work to.

The thread here, and my friend Google, gives Humbrol 75 as the correct shade.

The problem is that I've only found one comparison site which includes Humbrol 75 and it equates it to RAL 6031. Then I can't find anywhere which will display RAL 6031 as a valid colour - it always seems to be missing from the colour chart

The RAL colour called Olive Drab, 6022, looks brown to me

It is mail order, so although I could post them a tin of Humbrol, it would be easier to provide them with a RAL number

Adrian.

Ad Wouterse · Post by **Ad Wouterse** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 1:45 pm

Hi Adrian,

Here you will find a colour sheet with most RAL codes (incl. 6031) http://www.csprocessing.co.uk/ral-colours.php or http://www.easywind.de/nl/de-dienst/ral ... tabel.html
The "original" colours are a permanent source for discussions on most modelling sites. To complicate matters, photographic reproduction of colours may deviate from the real paint colour.
You could consider to order a classic colour fan deck from the German RAL institute http://www.ral.de/en/ral_farben/farbkar ... .php?id=46
Good luck

Adrian Harris · Post by **Adrian Harris** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 11:07 pm

Hi Ad.

The paint arrived today and, after a trail spray on some scrap material, I'm very happy with RAL 6031 as a good dark, not-too-green Olive Drab.

The other paints I ordered were completely wrong though

, so I've ordered a RAL swatch as using the PC screen is obviously hopeless

Having said that, one of the colours may be close enough to RAL 8020 Braun for me to use on my Tiger

Adrian.

Mike Gormley · Post by **Mike Gormley** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:54 pm

Gentlemen,

The US government certifies Testors # 1911 OD as the match for the OD used on WWII US armored vehicles.

I painted my Armortek Sherman with it and then asked my father for his opinion as he is a WWII veteran and was a QUAD 50CAL gunner and he agreed it looked the same as what he remembered

Just thought I would share this info with all of you.

Mike