Tamiya alternative for Boeing Gray?

[Columbia20713]

Hello, all!

 

I'm working on Revell's Boeing B777-300ER, and upon research, the most appropriate color for the wings would be what is known as "Boeing Gray". It comes in X301 for XtraColor Enamels, and Canadian Voodoo Grey for Model Master paints - Except where I live there aren't any local suppliers of both paints. The only really widespread alternative is Tamiya, and their color range is highly limited.

 

 

Does anyone know any mixing formula for Tamiya acrylics to match said color, or any Tamiya colors in spray can form?

 

 

Thanks in advance!

[pinky coffeeboat]

Hi,

 

I've read that Tamiya grey primer from their spray can range is a pretty good match for Boeing grey.

As for a mixing ratio, there is a well known modeller who recommends starting with a jar of white paint and then adding black until the correct colour is achieved. 

 

Hope these little bits are of help. The Revell/ Zvezda 777 is a lovely model, what colour scheme have you chosen?

 

Jeff 

 

Just looking at your avatar, I think I know what colours you've chosen!

Edited July 15, 2017 by pinky coffeeboat

[Skodadriver]

Don't get too hung up on the "correct" colour of Boeing grey - when your wing looks like this the underlying colour is fairly academic.

 

I suggest you get a selection of Tamiya greys plus black and white, look up some good photos on Airliners.net or your favourite aviation photo site then mix and experiment until you get a match that you're happy with.  (I absolutely love mixing paint - it brings out the kid in me!) When you come to paint the model always mix more paint than you think you'll need and keep a note of exactly what you've mixed for future reference.

 

Dave G

[Ben Brown]

Here are some possible alternatives that I've picked up from various forums. I've switched to the Tamiya primer, now that I've used up the last of my Canadian Voodoo Gray. 

 

Mr. Hobby/Mr. Color light gray #338 (exact match to sample from USAir paint shop)

DACO Airliner Wing Grey (PA40)

Tamiya Light Gray Primer (very close to Mr Color #338)   EDIT: Turns out darker than the others. I'm not switching after all.

Model Master gloss white (6 to 8 parts) and Testor's 1138 gray (small bottle)(1 part).

Model Master 36495 Light Gray

 

HTH.

 

Ben

Edited September 9, 2017 by Ben Brown
Testing shows Tamiya Primer is a little too dark.

[Columbia20713]

On 7/15/2017 at 3:11 PM, pinky coffeeboat said:

Hi,

 

I've read that Tamiya grey primer from their spray can range is a pretty good match for Boeing grey.

As for a mixing ratio, there is a well known modeller who recommends starting with a jar of white paint and then adding black until the correct colour is achieved. 

 

Hope these little bits are of help. The Revell/ Zvezda 777 is a lovely model, what colour scheme have you chosen?

 

Jeff 

 

Just looking at your avatar, I think I know what colours you've chosen!

 

Thank you! It's lovely indeed, quite detailed but not overly complex.

 

Actually, the scheme I'm working on is Cathay Pacific; Though, given that the Philippines is my homeland I was very close to modelling one in that livery!

 

On 7/15/2017 at 5:29 PM, Skodadriver said:

Don't get too hung up on the "correct" colour of Boeing grey - when your wing looks like this the underlying colour is fairly academic.

 

I suggest you get a selection of Tamiya greys plus black and white, look up some good photos on Airliners.net or your favourite aviation photo site then mix and experiment until you get a match that you're happy with.  (I absolutely love mixing paint - it brings out the kid in me!)  When you come to paint the model always mix more paint than you think you'll need and keep a note of exactly what you've mixed for future reference.

 

Dave G

 

I'll try that - It's not as if the color is simple enough to simply fully match to one shade, so anything that's very slightly off can be dismissed as fading or weathering. Thanks!

 

On 7/15/2017 at 5:39 PM, Ben Brown said:

Here are some possible alternatives that I've picked up from various forums. I've switched to the Tamiya primer, now that I've used up the last of my Canadian Voodoo Gray. 

 

Mr. Hobby/Mr. Color light gray #338 (exact match to sample from USAir paint shop)

DACO Airliner Wing Grey (PA40)

Tamiya Light Gray Primer (very close to Mr Color #338)

Model Master gloss white (6 to 8 parts) and Testor's 1138 gray (small bottle)(1 part).

Model Master 36495 Light Gray

 

HTH.

 

Ben

 

Hmm, I could see if Testor's 1138 has a Tamiya equivalent and use those ratios for mixing. I'll keep those for future reference - Thanks!

[woody37]

Tamika primer isn't far off their medium sea grey, that could be an option

[colbee2004]

Having use the Hobby color 338 I would say it was an almost exact match for the Testors Canadian Voodoo Grey

[Ben Brown]

Hi All,

 

An unscientific update to the Boeing Grey search:

 

I primed my PAS 717 with Tamiya grey primer, intending for it to do double duty as both primer and Boeing Grey for the model. It turned out considerably darker than Model Master Canadian Voodoo Grey, Mr Color 338, and Xtracolor Boeing Grey. I wouldn't call it "very close." I went back to fill some gaps and pinholes with Mr Surfacer, and that color is a closer match to the Voodoo Grey and Mr Color 338. The Mr Surfacer 1000 can be thinned and airbrushed, so there's another possible option for Boeing Grey.

 

Sorry I'm not posting pictures. I haven't set up a replacement for Photobucket, yet. 

 

Ben 

[Ridgeline]

Have you compared Tamiya XF-80? That is my current go-to color, and is what I used on my 738... 

 

Edited September 10, 2017 by Ridgeline

[Ben Brown]

On 9/9/2017 at 11:01 PM, Ridgeline said:

Have you compared Tamiya XF-80? That is my current go-to color, and is what I used on my 738... 

Ooooo, nice build!   I need to pick up a couple of those, myself. 

 

I don't have XF-80 to test. It does look pretty close in your photos. 

 

Cheers!

 

Ben

 

 

[Ridgeline]

Thanks Ben!

 

If you do get the chance to compare it, I would be interested in hearing your results. Voodoo Grey has, to my eye, a slightly tan tint. XF-80 is the lightest grey I could find that has a blue/grey tint instead.

[Ben Brown]

Hi Andrew,

 

I agree, the Voodoo Gray, as well as Xtracolor's Boeing Gray, has a slight tan tint. Many years ago, I compared the Xtracolor to a factory-fresh 737-700 that had been on our ramp for just a few days, and it was so close, I couldn't tell the difference. The Voodoo Gray is very close to the Xtracolor. I read somewhere that the gray Boeing used on the 737NGs was slightly different than the original Boeing Gray, and our 737-700s definitely had that hint of tan in the gray. Perhaps someone who knows more about Boeing Gray can comment on this.

 

I think for my own purposes, since I'm fairly lazy, I'll just stick with Mr Color 338 or Model Master 36495, since I can get them fairly easily. I think I will leave the Tamiya primer to primer duty, since it is quite a bit darker than the others.

 

Cheers!

 

Ben

[Columbia20713]

On 9/10/2017 at 11:01 AM, Ridgeline said:

Have you compared Tamiya XF-80? That is my current go-to color, and is what I used on my 738... 

 

 

Hmm, I never tried that before - I always thought it would dry too dark, but looking at your pictures, I'm reconsidering. I'll check it out.

 

Great build, by the way!

On 9/9/2017 at 6:39 PM, Ben Brown said:

Hi All,

 

An unscientific update to the Boeing Grey search:

 

I primed my PAS 717 with Tamiya grey primer, intending for it to do double duty as both primer and Boeing Grey for the model. It turned out considerably darker than Model Master Canadian Voodoo Grey, Mr Color 338, and Xtracolor Boeing Grey. I wouldn't call it "very close." I went back to fill some gaps and pinholes with Mr Surfacer, and that color is a closer match to the Voodoo Grey and Mr Color 338. The Mr Surfacer 1000 can be thinned and airbrushed, so there's another possible option for Boeing Grey.

 

Sorry I'm not posting pictures. I haven't set up a replacement for Photobucket, yet. 

 

Ben 

Strange, I have a bottle of Mr. Surfacer 1000 myself and it dried far darker than what seemed to be a decent match for Boeing Gray. You might have used the darker grey shade for Tamiya Primer - They offer two shades of gray for their primer.

 

I did manage to try out a mix of Tamiya acrylics to recreate the color - An extremely rough ratio of 4 parts XF-2 to 1 part XF-19. Do note that it was mixed by eye and I didn't have any color shade at hand other than reference photos of what Boeing Gray was on a B777, and I lightened/darkened the color as I saw fit.

 

I'll post some pictures of what the rough mix looked like when painted once I manage to snap some photos of the build.

[Ben Brown]

The Tamiya primer i used was their Surface Primer in the 180 mL rattle can. It turned out a lot darker than the cap, which is pretty close to the Mr Color 338 and Mr Surfacer (not that the plastic cap is that good an indicator of the paint color ).

 

Ben