Pre WWI ASC Dennis mobile workshop

[Rob Gough]

Thank you for allowing me to join your forum.

I'm looking for some advice with regard to a radial arm drill I am currently restoring and which I believe may have been originally installed in a Dennis mobile workshop, supplied to the British Army ASC in 1912 (picture from a Jan 1915 publication attached).  An article in Mechanical World (Oct 1911) stated that 11 mobile workshops were being made by Dennis for the ASC and would be fitted with a radial arm drill and 6" lathe made by Drummond Brothers.  The grammar implies the 'motor wagons' were in production at the time the article was written but the machine tools were yet to be supplied.  Therefore, I've assumed the machine tools where supplied late 1911 or early 1912.  Surviving serial number records for Drummond start from 20th September 1913 at machine No 299 and include 4 further serial number dispatched in September 1914 with the customer identified as "Dennis Bros (1913) Ltd (for lorry), which I assume were also for mobile workshops.

My drill is machine No 103.  Based on the serial number data referred to above, a product launch at Olympia, late 1908, and various small design changes I have estimated my drill was made around the same time as the 11 referred to in Mechanical World (ie late 1911 or 1912).  Most recently my drill was painted mid-green, I would guess in the late 40's or 50's.  Underneath the green paint (which was obvious applied while the tool was assembled) there is a coat of grey/blue paint which is directly applied to the metal (see attached photo showing some gears that were caked in grease and protected by a guard - colour look 'greyer' in real life).  The only place I have been able to find the original Drummond paint (a very dark blue that looks black in most light) has been under the name plate, which appears to have never been removed.  Whoever, applied the grey/blue paint was very thorough and must have done so by completely stripping the machine to individual components and completely removing the original paint.  In my experience of restoring old machine tools this is very unusual.  Generally machines were repainted with minimal disassembly and usually over the top of the existing finish.  Being so pedantic struck me as a very military approach, and reading posts on various forums I understand that grey was commonly used by the British Army prior to WWI.  Subsequently I wondered if my drill may be from one of the mobile workshops (the serial number book also shows the Admiralty purchased numerous of these drills throughout WWI so possibly this also explains the paint colour).

So, eventually, my questions...  

Does my hypothesis about the ASC (or Navy) repainting a brand new machine tool grey/blue in 1912 sound reasonable (I have very little knowledge of military equipment or practices)?

Is the grey/blue shown in the photos consistent with the colour used by the ASC at that time?

Is there somewhere I can get a sample of the ASC colour from to do a direct comparison and/or get paint mixed to complete the restoration?

Any feedback would be appreciated.  Thanks.