thedawnpatrol Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Sorry if this has been covered in the past? But in addition to the many threads about 'what colour should i paint my 1943 truck' haw about the colour of the canvas tops on soft skins ? We all strive to get the paint colour just right, and the tread on the tyres, but what about the canvas, seat covers, and tilts ? Now, studying the wartime photos, many show the camo paint over the canvas, but if this canvas was the same colour as we get these days, ie dark green, the lines would not show up as much, i think that British canvas was more of a Brown, Khaki colour ? again, with no colour photos this is hard to prove, but can i invite anymembers with original WARTIME tilts/covers to post photos here as colour samples........... I'm looking into new canvas for my Humber & CS8 and want to get it right, just like the paint and tyres. There are different shades of canvas available on the market. I'll add some of my samples later. Jules Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Not sure if it helps Jules but Brit WWII tent canvas was a chocolate brown but the guys at Allied Forces would know........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) This is a WW2 tilt on my Tilly. It was more of a grey/green colour. But I have sprayed it with Mezowax which has made it a bit greener than it was. Unfortunately I haven't been able to buy the Khaki (buff)colour Mezowax any more. Because it seems only American vehicles count, with their Olive green?? Allied Forces had this tilt for about 2 years until Jim found an almost identical colour piece of canvas to replace the Bren gun panel in the roof. (which someone had replaced with a glaringly wrong colour panel). Ron Edited February 22, 2012 by Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Whilst on this subject. Here is my Morris with buff coloured canvas (not WW2). I spayed the canvas with a lovely buff coloured Mezowax called Khaki. It was available from R&R in the 90's. but all they sell now is green stuff. I even contacted Mezowax direct some years ago. But they just said there was no call for the buff colour. Does anyone know of an alternative please. It would be handy for faded motorcycle pannier bags and so on. Ron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woa2 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 I have watched a wartime film 'Switchover' which shows Ford WOT2 trucks being assembled. It shows that the cabs and bodies were supplied with canvas fitted before the truck was assembled. Therefore the original canvas colours didn't match, as can be seen in original photos from the IWM. In one series of photos, the cab canvas on a WOT2 built in early 1943 looks Green, but the canvas on the body looks Brown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedawnpatrol Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 Thanks Guys, Very nice vehicles Ron ! Yes, I have a WW2 1943 dated tent which is Chocolate Brown, and i agree Robert, you do see old photos with different shades of canvas, so is there a right or wrong ? Jules Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REME 245 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 British Olive drab was not adopted untill early 1944 so for the period your vehicle was manufactured both the canvas and vehicle should in theroy be in one of the brown shades. Others will be able to give you the correct shade. Early war canvas colours seem to have varied including light green. Unless Allied forces now stock it you will probably have difficulty in finding a dealer who manufactuere's in Brown Canvas. To many owners paint their vehicles green what ever the period so there is not the market to make stocking brown canvas worth while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 See http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?18973-Canvass-colours Here is what I can add: Canadian Military Pattern trucks were built to British war Office specs and followed British colour schemes. According to Canadian sources, quoted in Bill Gregg's 'Blueprint for Victory' (p.118, 1981), "Canvas came in sand, khaki and brown, depending on the colour of the truck." Ford parts books describe different canvas colours of Matte Green and Light Stone for the door tops, weathershields and tarpaulins, but not for the seats canvas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rippo Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Hello Julian, I have asked this question before, http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?18973-Canvass-colours/page2 As it says in the thread, i have an original blue print drawing for the bedford canvass. It stated the colour as khaki green on the original drawing dated 1940, then in the amendments box's on the drawing it states the colour changed to brown in 1947 and green in 1957. I think the khaki green is the colour of my canvass on willow, the green part is only a very slight "tint" which tends to fade in the sun. I have put the small amount of green used down to the shortage of green pigment you mentioned to me. I also have some original seat covers that have been weathered slightly, on the outside they are the same colour as mine on willow, but on the inside they have a slight green tint. hope this helps John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedawnpatrol Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 On another question re Canvas, why do some vehicles have a copper gauze mesh as a window, and some have plastic/plexiglass ? On my original Morris C8 cab canvas, the back window was mesh, but why when there was clearly plastic available ? Jules Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 On another question re Canvas, why do some vehicles have a copper gauze mesh as a window, and some have plastic/plexiglass ? On my original Morris C8 cab canvas, the back window was mesh, but why when there was clearly plastic available ? Jules Jules Copper mesh was used before semi flexible clear celluloid was invented/became commercially available in this country. I suspect with the British war office's reluctance to change (even thought some pre war cars with hoods were using a form of celluloid) the specs were not changed. I would hazard a guess that clear windows did not come into common use with British MV's until late 1942 early 1943 but I stand to be corrected on the exact date. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedawnpatrol Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 Thats interesting Pete, and i'd like to think that is the reason. However, just to put a 'spanner in the works' the MCC C8 original i had was dated 1950, but that had copper mesh........... but as you say, they were perhaps using up old stock ? Can anyone else confirm Petes suggestion ? Jules Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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