terrierman Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Im in two minds as you probably know im restoring my Austin K9 Do I Spray paint it or Brush paint it. Not sure what I Want, do I want a truck that looks like its just come out of the factory or is it better to have the look of a truck that was painted in the field by hand. What do you think would fit in better with the era Regards John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gas 44 Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I don't think there is any right or wrong answer here. Its your truck, you paint it how you like, if you can spray then you get a better overall finnish.But your right for that "in Unit/in field" look then slap it on with a brush. Just remember once its been slaped on its a lot of work to rub down to get that "factory" fresh look. I think that all vehicles, at some stage would have had that factory look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrierman Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 Thanks Gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulbrook Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 My impression from back then (and it is only an impression mind you) was that at the time it would more likely have been DBG than matt and hand painted. But as I say, that is just an impression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 VAOS lists DBG as both brushing and spraying versions. So take your pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean N Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 John, as gas 44 says, your truck, your choice. As you said 'fit in better with the era' I assume you're thinking as it was in the '50s? In that case, DBG gloss, prep it properly and spray it. From my experience with K9s they all started that way until there was a reason to repaint them - they got sent to Suez or Aden, for example, or they survived to the NATO green era - then they got the 4" brush! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooky Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Dad bought two K9's straight ex ministry in around 1967/68 They were both cargo versions (one was FFW with screened ignition) and were as new (only got a couple of hundred miles on them even the tool kits were in the greased paper) I suspect these had never been issued They were gloss DBG and I would suggest were sprayed (cant confirm that it was a long time ago) as they would have come out of the factory Later on at school (197?? we had a couple of wireless versions visit to maintain the school CCF radio gear (19 sets and 62 sets!!) These were matt green with black camoflage, again dont know whether brush or sprayed but suspect a 4" brush!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 When the unit in which I served in 1960 was issued with a K9, it was without any signs on it - I volunteered to paint them on and used some oridinary sellotape as a masking tape. When I took the tape off after the paint on the signs had dried, it took off some of the green as well - so I can certainly confirm that the green on that one was hand painted. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooky Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Well maybe not hand painted but not very well prepared!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrierman Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 Thanks everyone for your answers very interesting Regards John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gas 44 Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Lets remember that these vehicles came in the first place from commercial factorties. Agreed that they were military spec and the powers that be (army navy airforce) would have had huge input. But I cant believe that any of them would have specified "hand painted" on the "options list". The factories I am sure would have painted them the most cost effective way.....spraying. Once in service of course the books will say other methods, you might not have spray guns in Barracks/ Desert/forest. My impression with the vehicles I have worked on is that some seperate panels were painted BEFORE assembly and even in the 40's these appear spayed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brown cow Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I couldn't resist posting this photo, which shows how the painting was done, in a 1932 booklet from the General Omnibus Co. in London. Maybe this is high speed brush painting. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I have absolutely no doubt your vehicle would have been sprayed high gloss DBG at the factory. Whether it later was resprayed or painted by hand would depend on unit facilities, so two versions of paint were available to be demanded from stores. These are listed in Vocabulary of Army Ordnance Stores (VAOS) Section H1(a) Paints dopes & varnishes. Later listed in the Catalogue of Army Ordnance Stores (COSA) Section H1(a) that then became H1(1). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooky Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I couldn't resist posting this photo, which shows how the painting was done, in a 1932 booklet from the General Omnibus Co. in London. Maybe this is high speed brush painting. Andrew If you look closely the guy is using a watering can, the excess being caught in the trough!! A guy I worked with was a coach painter in the carriage works in Derby, they brush painted railway carriages (late 70's) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean N Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Railway carriages were certainly brush painted right into the '80s, and I know of bus companies who were brush painting into the '90s. You can still buy coach paint for brushing which flows out really well, but some of the modern synthetics don't do a bad job with brush or roller. Just to add to what Clive said, from my K9 experience all the trucks appear to have been sprayed from the factory. I have had ones that were repainted NATO green or NATO green & black which were sprayed, and ones which were brushed. Oddly green and black ones often appeared to have been sprayed green and then the black brushed on! From what I've seen and heard the quality and type of painting often depended on who was doing it and how much of a hurry they were in as well as facilities. I've seen MKs that went to the Gulf where everything - cab, body, tilt, glass, lights, tyres, the lot - had been sprayed with no attempt at masking, and then the overspray scraped off important areas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 had been sprayed with no attempt at masking, and then the overspray scraped off important areas! I had an ambulance with paint runs over the windscreens then partially removed with sand paper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrierman Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 Thanks for all your replies, Found it interesting and love the coach picture. one other think is the fan on my K9 is painted red would that have been a standard colour or would it have been green regards John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gas 44 Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 (edited) I couldn't resist posting this photo, which shows how the painting was done, in a 1932 booklet from the General Omnibus Co. in London. Maybe this is high speed brush painting. Andrew Of course there is always an exception. I think you will find that is the 2nd or 3rd colour being applied and in that case a brush/roller would have been quicker than a whole lot of masking.....I still stick to MV's being sprayed before leaving factory. Edited January 9, 2015 by gas 44 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willyslancs Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 brushed over 20 years ago , roller used on munga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughman Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I went round the old Warrington bus depot in the 70s. As we had an ex Warrington Foden Double Decker in our collection. The buses then were being repainted by hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onthecorner Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 From what I've seen and heard the quality and type of painting often depended on who was doing it and how much of a hurry they were in as well as facilities. I've seen MKs that went to the Gulf where everything - cab, body, tilt, glass, lights, tyres, the lot - had been sprayed with no attempt at masking, and then the overspray scraped off important areas! At the end of our Op Grapple tour the planties had to spray all their plant for hand over. First a jet wash to get the muck off, then mask all glass and other important areas with normal grease, spray the whole thing NATO green, then brush paint the one third bit black. Finish with another jet wash to clean the grease off the windows! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean N Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 That's interesting, that confirms my feeling about sprayed green and brushed black. Your guys were quite keen to worry about the masking, then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onthecorner Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 It would have been the MPF who wanted it all done properly. Plant ops are the "least keen" guys in the world when it comes to painting anything. Me? I was happy enough to polish my spanners after 6 months in the mountains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrierman Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 Thanks everyone for your comments, I Think il spray the truck deep bronze green (Saturn) then paint the Black camouflage (Saturn) on after. Hide a lot of faults:laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean N Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 If you're making as good a job of it as it looks on FB you won't need to hide any faults. You could spray matt NATO green and brush black but that puts it roughly post-1968. Not sure that makes any practical difference though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.