FAQ:
Can I spray your Paint?
In a simple answer Yes - see our page on spraying - see here
I cannot find 'Brunswick Green'
What do you mean by 'Brunswick Green'?
Brunswick Green is a British Standard Colour and was never used by either the Great Western Railway or British Railways.
The term 'Brunswick Green' is a nickname that has been applied to the colour used by both the GWR and BR.
The official name for the colour as used by both railways was Locomotive Green.
For Great Western Railway Locomotive Green see here.
For British Railways Locomotive Green see here.
Where is L.N.E.R. Apple Green
In simple terms 'Apple Green' is another nickname. - Firstly what colour is an apple.
The official term was again Locomotive Green although the official nickname which was even used in minutes was 'Grass Green'.
The correct colour is Doncaster Locomotive Green.
Darlington Locomotive Green was the closest that Darlington Works could get to the original North Eastern Railway Green without upsetting Gresley to much.
For L.N.E.R. Locomotive Green see here.
Smokebox Black
Generally we do not recommend the use of so called 'Smokebox Blacks' - In most cases they are very low cost and extremely low quality black paint.
Our Recomendation for the majority of smokeboxes is Precision Paints P975 gloss. Whilst this may seem strange, it is actually no different to the real thing which left the works in full gloss paint.
The heat from the first few steamings, will dull the paint and eventually turn it matt, however, it will retain all of the oil and scratch resistance of the full gloss paint.
For P975 Black see here.
For Traction engines of 3" scale and above we recommend the use of Cherry Paints C975 Higher Temperature Gloss Black.
For C975 Higher Temperature Black see here
How long will your paint last?
All of our tinned enamel paints, in original unopened condition, will last until the tin rusts through.
Paint stored for a very long time will require stirring extremely well.
This does NOT apply to either etch primers or aerosol paints - both of which now carry Best Before End (BBE) dates.
How do you stop your paint from 'skinning over'?
The problem of paint 'skinning over' is as old as paint itself, and is caused by the interaction between the paint and oxygen.
It has however been exasperated in the last few years by the removal of lead from paint. In order to stop paint from 'skinning over' you need to remove the air from the tin - this can be done in one of two ways:-
- decant any remaining paint into smaller airtight metal or glass containers. or
- add clean ball bearing or pebbles etc to bring the level closer to the rim of the tin.
Always ensure that an expansion gap is left at the top of the can.
Tricks to avoid 'skinning over'
Always ensure that the lid can close down and seal properly - an improperly sealed can or jar will allow solvents to escape and the paint to dry out.
After sealing the can - turn it upside down and leave it that way. This does two things - firstly it forms a seal around the lid, and secondly if it does skin it does so under the useable paint.
Using 'skinning over' Paint
Just because a can has 'skinned over' it does not mean that it cannot be used. Depending on the size of the can the thickness of the skin will generally be very thin.
Firstly - with a sharp knife cut around the edge of the can to seperate it from the skin, and Secondly with a pair of tweezers of pliers carefully remove the skin from the can.
The paint can now be stirred and used as normal.
I have just opened a can of your Green and the paint inside is Blue?
This can of your paint has a lot of sediment at the bottom - is it alright?
All of our 'enamel' paint is extremely high quality and traditional 'Coach Enamel'. It is manufactured from the same base materials as are currently used by the number one supplier to the UK Bus and Coach industry.
Because of its traditional nature the paint will tend to settle and over time the pigments will settle at different rates depending on their weight.
As blue is one of the lightest pigment we use, it will tend, in the short run, to float at the top of the tin.
Over a very long time (five years plus) all of the pigments will settle and the top surface will be almost clear, this is because the resin is sitting on top of the pigments.
The sediment at the bottom of a can is made up of either two or three major components:-
The pigments
The drying agent or catalyst and any matting compounds.
Stir thoroughly with a power mixer or a flat (6mm [1/4"]) stick, a used Ice Lolly stick is ideal, until the colour in the tin matches the colour on the lid and the paint will be as good as new.