Another Mk.I Canadian colour question

[Ron Pier]

It's my understanding that the required colour for vehicles to be painted with at the outbreak of war was a mat light Khaki Green colour. My research over many years of motorcycle restorations has led me to realise that the Khaki colour varied considerably though. I have found several samples of original paint inside brake plates and chain covers, NOS parts etc.

The colour can vary from light Khaki, similar to the US Light Olive to a dark Green/Brown colour. I have never found a BS or Ral number and relied purely on mixing Service brown and British Olive Drab in ratios of 25-75, 50-50, or 75-25. To give my collection a range of different colours that I find pleasing.

I know that some guys have spent a lot of time coming up with a " definitive Khaki Green" based on a WW2 sample, but I don't think there is any such thing, but it is always nice to have some proof of an original colour, and therefore achieve the best match to that colour by mixing it yourself or at your local auto paint shop....or Cromadex.

by 1942 Earth or Service Brown was instigated. But of course that also depended on the shades from different manufacturers and the need to use up old stocks of paint by mixing it in with the new colour.

Nothing cast in Stone.

Ron

[eddy8men]

I reckon you hit the nail on the head there ron and you've given me an idea, the colour looks to me to be a light olive drab and it might be the case that the early carriers used U.S. light olive drab so I've ordered light olive and will try it for a match when it arrives, if it's too light I can easily darken it down with a normal drab green. i'm determined to get the colour spot on !
i'll put the results up next week when I've done the swatch.

thanks for all your help

rick

[Ron Pier]

That's exactly what I would do Rick. By using half dozen jam jars with measures on the outside with felt pen, and adding green and or brown until you have the desired shade with recorded information for your final mix. Usually all the jars can be added back into a 5 litre can without any adverse effect to the final colour. I've done it loads of times, and would undoubtedly find it easier to do than explain it. Ron

[RichardT10829]

Green carriers are a desease Rick.... Join me....paint it desert colour !

[eddy8men]

my granddad was a sniper on the bren during his time in north Africa so i'd love to paint it sandstone or better still caunter but I am going to be boring and restore it to it's original wartime colour and markings but I have a feeling it never left Canada and was used for training only but you can't win em all.

i'll post up the results of my paint experiment next week, the paint should arrive on tuedsay

rick

[RichardT10829]

Pretty much guarantee 99% of the carriers went out there never came back... Most got blown to bits... The rest given to the ruskies..

Be true to your heart you know sand is the way to go.....moohahahahahaa

[Ben]

I'm sure R&R paint will work fine.

I only used chromadex as I could match the exact colour as found on the Scout, I was fussy about keeping it as close as possible to the original sample.

I agree with Ron that the exact colour must have varied quite a bit from batch to batch.