Info needed: correct colours for WWII Aust vehicles

[Keith Webb]

It's also interesting to compare some of the new old stock parts which were painted in Canada. I'll have to gather some together, a mix of greens, sand and even brown.
By the way I found my two pint tins of khaki paint over the weekend.

[Mike Cecil]

Well spend several days mixing them up from the sludge in the bottom of the cans and slap a couple of strokes onto some flat steel panels, Keith, we are all waiting in anticipation (esp Gina W)!!!!

Good find amongst your 'stuff'..... but what else did you turn up in the 'treasure shed of Unobtainium'?

Back on deck from a very successful trip to WY and MT. Now to knock out something interesting for Richard F & KVE....

Mike

[Keith Webb]

It's OK - Gina collected a tin I gave Euan some time ago and has that with her now. She's probably burnt out several drills with paint stirrers on them by now.

[Mrs Vampire]

Keith are they identical cans to the one Ewen lent me??

I have the paint in the hands of my specialist. On Mixing machine then by hand.
We will make about a dozen plates and pass them on .

We will put some preservative goodies in the paint to extend its life hopefully we will not have to re tin it . The lid is a bit dodgy but it looks like it will open ok .

I have also aquired a couple of tins of KG3 gas detecting paint circa 1943.

Mike sent samples of the 1960s and 1980s KG . They have been spectro'd and are now available from Florite.

Slowly coming together.

[Keith Webb]

Yes, same batch.

They came from Hughes trading back in the 1970s.

Good to hear the paint is being put to good use.

I mixed some back then and painted my BSA pushbike which I still have.

Originally Posted by Gina Vampire

Keith are they identical cans to the one Ewen lent me??

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Gina Vampire

I have also aquired a couple of tins of KG3 gas detecting paint circa 1943.

Is the paint in little "WILLOW" branded cans ? I bought some of those from Aussie disposals for 50 cents each , dated 1943. A peculiar colour , a kind of browny beige , or mud colour . I think the idea was you painted a small square on the outside somewhere . I wonder what they actually put in that paint , it might be a deadly concoction

[Mrs Vampire]

Colour sounds the same Mike but mine are DD and 1944

Below the can a colour patch under artificial light and in direct sunlight the colour chip on a KG3 Colour card all on a late KGj NOS Chev part.

I understand it was used as you describe. My tins also have sand in the paint to give a grainy non slip effect.

[Mrs Vampire]

I am now quite close to concluding my research project.

I have made a series of plates from the can of paint loaned to me by Ewan . The paint compares very closely to KGJ 1942 as held in the National archive Melbourne . I now consider that a closed case.
I have , very kindly , been loaned a copy of the Australian Standard for camouflage paint 1942 (revised feb 1943) and the KGJ from the original tin compares nicely with that as well
I have also located a sample of the toned down KGJ ( march to december 1943)
and have a near exact batch made up.

From the loaned copy of the standard we have spectrographed all the colours and I will have a litre of each made up. I am contemplating making twenty five sets of sample plates of each colour and along with the spectrograph and a short history of the paint compiling a book .

Depending on interest I can make the book available to those interested at cost recovery prices.
As to the paint itself . I venture that it of Melbourne manufacture as it is short chained and high in Phenols . It is highly water and chemical resistant but not long wearing reflecting the complaints concerning paint manufactured in Melbourne during the war.

So far as KG3 is concerned it is certain it is a pre 1940 specification. I am awaiting information from Mike Starmers to establish if it is in fact the British colour.
KG3 was according to the records not used on vehicles until after December 1943. The use of eggshell matt (3% gloss) followed closely on the general use of this colour. Previous to this all paint was dead flat. ( less than 1%gloss) Interestingly the specification for tin hats was KG3 and not the same colours used on vehicles.

If I can get a loan of the Spartan chart I will do the same for the aircraft colours.

Below KGJ as compared to the melbourne colour chart.