Paint Jobs

[derekchace]

Hey guys just got a new Lightweight but she really needs a paint job! were should I have it done? how much should I pay? Im just looking for simple NATO od green with the black shadows. Im located in VT and I am looking to get it done this winter any one have any idea's? I read you should use baking soda to remove the paint as sand will destroy the aluminum is that true? Thanks for the help
Derek

[yorker]

Just hand a squaddie a brush and a couple buckets of paint.

[derekchace]

if that all it take the better. I see my self having a new Project for my Airmen under me! any idea were to find the nato paint?

[yorker]

That is all the British army did. I think my ambulance has 12 coats of paint on it.

I always thought it would be kind of neat to do a military LR in the Berlin pattern:

http://www.emlra.org/articles/berlin_brigade.htm

It reminds me of the fractal pattern the US army tried in Germany in the 1970's too.



"If it moves, salute it; if it doesn't move, pick it up; and if you can't pick it up, paint it"

[greenmeanie]

Just hand a squaddie a brush and a couple buckets of paint.

A true MOD paint job has at least 14 layers including mud and dead insects in between. You should just about be able to pick out the door hinges if you look hard enough.

Soda or walnut shells are the way to go if media blasting. Paint stripper is cheaper and you get to see what markings were on the truck in its military life.

A very general rule is that all corners should be black and you should maintain a 2/3 cabbage to 1/3 black ratio. After that it is up to artistic license as no two trucks were to be the same. There are some good stories of M-type Bedfords running around with sillouetttes of nubile women on the side.

If it is painted as a combat vehicle the bridge plate should be cabbage but if it is a second echelon machine the bridge plate would be yellow. If you are a rivet counter you can have some fun arguements about which colour your wheel nuts should be.

Cheers
Gregor

[derekchace]

Great! now i just need paint! and idea were to order and how much to paint a lightweight?

[yorker]

http://www.roverlanders.bc.ca/faq/LRpaintMain.html

It shouldn't take a lot of paint, for a lightweight. The nice thing with military vehicles is you can touch them up with a brush and they still look nice and authentic because that was what was done in the army- and like Gregor says they were freshened up frequently as a means of keeping squaddies busy.


oh yeah here are some pics of the US Army's attempts in the 1970s:




vs:

http://www.uniteddynamics.com/dualtex/

[yorker]

http://www.emlra.org/articles/articles.htm

http://www.lrfaq.org/Series/Other.paint.top.html

some good info there.

[edit] as for matching the original paint, most of the different layers on my ambulance do not match one another perfectly, since you will be repainting the whole vehicle I think it isn't super critical to exactly match the original paint job, if you come close it should look good. We've tried off the shelf US spec colors and they look good but don't quite match for touch ups, if you do the whole vehicle in fresh OD green and black it will look fine. Extend the black blobs to the wheel wells to help break up the signature of the wheel well openings- they are somethiong that really show up at a distance and help ID a vehicle, see:

vs:


also another thought- you just had an accident because someone didn't see you - right? If I had that experience I think i'd be tempted to paint my LR's all AA Yellow!

[jac04]

I'm looking into buying a lightweight that is currently OD/black camo, so I have been researching camo paint. My plan is to remove any obviously loose/flaking paint and brush paint it just the way it was (dirt, brush bristles, and runs included!!).

Here would be my first choice for paint:

http://www.milspray.com/products/mv-restoration-paint.html

My second choice, and a lot cheaper, would be to pick up some Krylon camouflage brush-on paint. It is only about $35-$40/gallon. I've heard that the color is fairly close to the real thing.

[yorker]

you could also try out the BATUS patten, another Britich pattern for different geographical areas:

[greenmeanie]

Man I love that Chieftain in your first piccie. They had an article on it a month or two ago in MMI. It makes looking after Landy seem pretty tame although I can't see that thing earning its keep doing the weekly shop.

There are reasons my wife had a no armour/no tracked vehicles clause in our wedding vows.

Cheers
Gregor

[derekchace]

cheaper is better any other ideas besides krylon?

[Alacrity]

cheaper is better any other ideas besides krylon?

Gillespie (probably the best and most expensive) and Aerovoe (still pricey). But they are very good quality paints. You can also have your local paint store mix up flat for you.

None of these are cheaper than Krylon I dont think - but Ive never done the calculation. Krylon will work - they just wont be as stable or durable.

My 109 CL only has one coat of camo (well one base OD then a slathering of black) - which is just enough to really tick me off seeing the Bronze Green underneath.





Its headed back to BG.

[derekchace]

I still would like to find the nato paints any ideas on were to order it

[Alacrity]

If you are looking for original MOD paint - Anchor Supply is the oft mentioned source - I dont know of anyone shipping it anymore. There used to be a few surplus stores in the UK that would - but no longer AFAIK. Hopefully I'm wrong and someone can point one out.

IF you REALLY want authenticity - CARC (Chemical Agent Restistant Coating) is still available from Sherwin-Williams. I mention it as evidently it ends up in US surplus shops from time to time. It contains isocyanate and isnt something you want to spray (w/o protective gear) or sand. So if you run across it, run. Other wise you might check US surplus stores.

Almost everyone I know in the military vehicle world paints with Gillispie or Aerovoe - or Krylon - or rolls their own.

If color match is important, you can go that route - I wouldnt when the two above can provide what you are loking for save the MOD connection. I'm not even sure Anchors stuff is surplus. All can be sprayed.

As far as soda blasting - if the paint currently is adhering, scuff it and spray.