Caulkhead

There’s reams of info and advice regarding chipping, dust, rust, mud, general wear etc but I can’t find anything about what sensible weathering at the muzzle brake should be. Most people use a black soot pigment which is not really right because the combustion products of nitro cellulose based propellants are a dirty brown colour or grey. Moreover the vented flame will burn off any paint and leave what, steel colour, rusted steel, blackened paint residue or something else?. Any comments appreciated

Thanks for the update Jack. To back up what you said I've found a copy of British Vehicle Markings by Peter Hodges and that says that the colour was light Khaki. Taking into account the statement in your link that the stuff faded rapidly I think a lighter shade of khaki similar to the sample I found is the one to go for. Regards Rod

Just when I thought that I'd exhausted the web I stumbled onto the BSA WD motorbike site which has a gas detection paint page http://www.wdbsa.nl/Gas detector paint.htm. so a tint mix based on yellow chromate should do it. I've an ex work colleague who owns 2 Bedford QL's (a QLB and a QLR) and he agreed that something based on yellow chromate would do. Rod

I’ve been trying to find out what colour should be used to replicate the gas detection paint used on allied softskins. I once made a note from somwhere that Humbrol 81 was a near match - does anyone know different please?. I’ve made a long and frustrating search of magazine articles and the web and haven’t got anywhere. Thanks