A Humbrol Curiosity - the paint that never was

[John]

Humbrol never released a colour called 212 Tile and Red Brick, but I nevertheless recently managed to acquire 6 tins of it.

 

A few weeks ago a listing was added to Ebay UK which consisted of a selection of boxed Humbrol tinlets, apparently from the early 1970s. 3 of the paints were quite familiar, 24 Matt Trainer Yellow, 25 Matt Blue and 65 Matt Aircraft Blue but the listing also included a red oxide colour I'd never heard of, 212 Tile and Red Brick.

 

2** is in the Authentic Scenic range and were later prefixed as HS2**, but 212 was never used. Further, the red paints were in the short-lived early 1970s "bright blue band" standard matt tins rather than Authentic tins. I was sufficiently interested to contact the seller and he was kind enough to list a 6 tin box of 212, which I purchased and took delivery of a few days ago.

 

The box and 6 tinlets:

 

2121 by John Walker, on Flickr

 

The label on the end of the box:

 

2122 by John Walker, on Flickr

 

I suspect that Humbrol's plans for this paint changed from including it in the Authentic Scenic range to adding it to the Standard range and it's the precursor of 70 Brick Red, which first appeared in the early 1970s. Perhaps the existence of HS216 Rust in the Scenic range argued against including another very similar shade.

 

The oldest tin of 70 I have is an early 1980s "Blue Band":

 

2123 by John Walker, on Flickr

 

Brushing out samples of both shows they're very similar. These are wet (but rapidly drying) samples:

 

2124 by John Walker, on Flickr

 

An interesting curiosity, at least for paint and colour geeks like me!

 

John

[Jinxman]

As a Humbrol enamel fan I have to ask if they both have that lovely, heady smell?

[John]

The nearest thing humanity has ever invented to a time machine!

 

J

[Mr T]

Thanks for that interesting slice of Humbrol history. I am always intrigued by subjects that never quite made it to market. Could these have been part of a test batch that escaped? I wonder what other colours there were think ING about producing. Even as a callow youth I always thought that the Humbrol range had some odd colours in it. 

[Darby]

2 hours ago, Mr T said:

. Even as a callow youth I always thought that the Humbrol range had some odd colours in it. 

Yeah; Brunswick Green. What was that all about? Many were the aircraft liberally coated with this back in the day.

[fightersweep]

A very nice and interesting find there! So much so, that I found myself on evilBay to have some of those Trainer Yellows. Wonder what the story is on Humbrol 212?

 

I like the time machine analogy. As a keen collector and user of old enamels on my models (they just seem to work better, especially with a hairy stick), I do love the smell of those old paints. Sends me right back to 1981. The smell of Gloys are still my favourite, although Compucolour has an interesting aroma!

 

I have a feeling Lasermonkey will be along to comment shortly!

 

Steve

 

PS! Yes! Brunswick Green! Still have a few tins of that. I once painted a Airfix B-17 Brunswick Green in 1978 aged 9. I've no idea why!

[Black Knight]

12 minutes ago, Darby said:

Yeah; Brunswick Green. What was that all about? Many were the aircraft liberally coated with this back in the day.

Brunswick Green is actually the very correct shade of green for many veteran [ie pre December 31st 1919] cars, eg; 1905 Rolls Royce

Not all Humbrol colours are for aeroplanes

[John]

Light, Mid and Deep Brunswick Greens are BS381c colours, as were a lot of the original Humbrol gloss range. I think Humbrol 3 was originally Mid Brunswick Green. Probably still is.

 

They were originally aimed at a much wider audience than just modellers. I had at least 2 bikes repainted by my dad from his stock of Humbrol gloss paints - no matt!

 

J

[stringbag]

2 hours ago, John said:

 no matt!

 

Do you remember the little tubes of Humbrol flatting agent that were available in the 70s.  Most of my models of that period had the flatting agent added to the nearest shade of gloss. Couldn't afford the correct paints in those days, just had to make do.

Chris.

[Graeme H]

1 hour ago, Darby said:

Yeah; Brunswick Green. What was that all about? Many were the aircraft liberally coated with this back in the day.

Black Knights comment that it is mostly not for Aircraft is also a bit off, as we Australian modellers know it's a near perfect match for CAC interior green, long may it stay in the range, and boy could I have used some of that '70's Trainer yellow that John acquired, ços the new stuff is 

 

A sample of the real CAC Interior green  

 

DSCN0933 by qfa_tsv, on Flickr

 

[Graham Boak]

Look to model railways - GWR Green and BR Green were deep Brunswick Green.  A number of the early British plastic models were railway engines, notably Kitmaster, and at  least some of these appeared in the Airfix range.

[Rabbit Leader]

22 minutes ago, Graeme H said:

Black Knights comment that it is mostly not for Aircraft is also a bit off, as we Australian modellers know it's a near perfect match for CAC interior green, long may it stay in the range, and boy could I have used some of that '70's Trainer yellow that John acquired, ços the new stuff is 

 

A sample of the real CAC Interior green  

 

DSCN0933 by qfa_tsv, on Flickr

 

Graham, 

I think you’ll also find that Humbrol 101 is also a ‘passable’ CAC Cockpit Green and has the advantage of being a Matt paint. 

 

Cheers.. Dave

[John]

24 minutes ago, Graeme H said:

Black Knights comment that it is mostly not for Aircraft is also a bit off, as we Australian modellers know it's a near perfect match for CAC interior green, long may it stay in the range, and boy could I have used some of that '70's Trainer yellow that John acquired, ços the new stuff is 

 

<snip>

 

I've got some real vintage Trainer Yellow - 2 fluid ounces Imperial, no less.

 

24 by John Walker, on Flickr

 

John

[Graeme H]

Wow that is a time machine you have there, I used to have some of those, back when I was a youngling, along with some Airfix paints, long gone now

[dogsbody]

Wow! There's an olfactory memory. If I get nostalgic for my old days of modelling, I dig one of my FROG kits out of the stash and pop the lid on a can of Humbrol enamel.

 

My somewhat disorganised Humbrol stash.

 

 

 

 

Chris

[spaddad]

Further to what Grahams just said I can remember Railway colours being quoted in quite a few IPMS magazine articles as close matches to aircraft colours, Ive still got two tins ( resplendent in their Humbrol Railway Enamel tartan tins) - No. 111 BR freight stock grey & No. 118 L.N.E.R. Garter blue which was the accepted standard in those days for RAF PR Blue. The blue was bought for a "Blue Nosed Bird of Bodney" Monogram P-51B copied from an IPMS magazine (man, see how sophisticated a 12 year old I was!) but I can't remember what the grey was for, most likely it was a match for an RAF shade. I also recall having a couple of tins of two shades of green which were accepted as suitable representations of the two early war Luftwaffe greens, ah, those were the days. 

ps - and of course a tin of Brunswick green !

Edited April 29, 2018 by spaddad

[Black Knight]

2 hours ago, Graeme H said:

Black Knights comment that it is mostly not for Aircraft is also a bit off, as we Australian modellers know it's a near perfect match for CAC interior green, long may it stay in the range, and boy could I have used some of that '70's Trainer yellow that John acquired, ços the new stuff is 

 

A sample of the real CAC Interior green 

 

I think you are mistaking Humbrol 3 Brunswick Green for Humbrol 2 Emerald Green maybe

Brunswick Green is a very dark Green, Emerald Green is nearer to an Interior Green

This Airfix 1905 Rolls Royce is done in Brunswick Green

[Graeme H]

You are right, I have HU2 and used that, I don't see any Hu3 in my collection at all

[spaddad]

52 minutes ago, Graeme H said:

You are right, I have HU2 and used that, I don't see any Hu3 in my collection at all

HU 3 was equivalent to Humbrol 176 which is described in the relevant Humbrol paint chart as 'Neutral Gray (US spelling used intentionally) & Light Grey. HU3 was initially released in Authentic Paint set 3, USAF. HU 2 was Olive Drab 41. Emerald Green & Brunswick Green are just 2 & 3 without the HU. prefix Which was used specifically for the Humbrol Authentic range of paints, HU being the prefix for USAF & some USN aircraft colours.

Edited April 30, 2018 by spaddad

[Black Knight]

We're getting our reference points mixed up; HU are in the old Authentics range. Its usually a capital U, which generally indicates a USA colour match.

H with a lower case u is usually short-hand just for Humbrol, the regular colour range in which numbers 2 and 3 are glossy greens

[spaddad]

Well spotted Black Knight, force of habit, I've now corrected it.

[lasermonkey]

I remember seeing those Humbrols on eBay some time ago, when the seller was trying to shift the whole lot in one go. I hadn't seen that particular packaging before and the Humbrol collector in me (there, I said it!) was most intrigued, but I have to admit, I found the asking price over the intervening months a little ambitious.

 

I hadn't been eagle-eyed enough to spot the number 212 though and I've now thought of an excuse to get some- Spitfire seats! Yeah, it's a stretch!

 

Like many of you, I still generally prefer the older enamels for coverage and consistency of use. I finally got around to cataloguing my paint stash and at last count there were over 1700 tins and bottles! The majority of these are Humbrol, Gloy and Compucolour/DBI, plus a hundred or so Colourcoats, as they're by far my favourite modern brand. While old Humbrols regularly crop up on eBay, it's very unusual to see any Gloy paints, but I still buy DBI (ex-Compucolour) paints from the lady on eBay who  has a sizeable stash of them. I've probably mentioned it before, but I've been helping her catalogue them, as she didn't really know what she had and we're almost done.

 

Speaking of Compucolour/DBI, I cracked open a bottle of DBI Steel paint the other day and the smell took me back to a moment in my childhood. It's said that smell is the sense most closely linked with memory, and it was uncanny just how vivid the memory was: sitting in my parents' living room with my modelling board on my lap, painting a Hasegawa A-10 with some Compucolour 34092, no doubt stinking up the place!

 

Anyway, I shall keep my eyes peeled in case the Humbrols mentioned by @John surface again, as I don't think I have any in that nice, blue colour scheme. I know it's a bit sad, but I'm past caring! 😛

[fightersweep]

@lasermonkey

 

I think that we're both enamel paint-a-holics! I know we've spoken about the smell/memory thing before, but it is so true. I only have to crack open a Gloy paint, and I'm back in my bedroom mottle painting a Revell 1/32 Bf-109G and listening to Invisible Sun by the Police on the radio.Must have been around 1982 and the 109 cost £1.00 from a local cheapie shop. Happy days!

 

I only have 2 Compucolour paints! Don't know why, but I've just never found them! I was using an old tin of their Aluminium today, and it's a fantastic paint. Who's the lady on eBay selling the DBI paints? I'd love to buy a few.

 

Best regards;

Steve

 

 

Edited April 30, 2018 by fightersweep

[lasermonkey]

@fightersweep she goes under the name 1mrsanna111 and actually has a listing ending in the next couple of hours, though she almost always relists soon after . Her current listing is considerably less all over the place than it used to be! She does have some useful colours that I haven't seen elsewhere, such as PRU Mauve, Deep Sky, Extra Dark Sea Green, Dark Sea Green, etc. Definitely worth a look.

Strangely, my wife seem at least vaguely understanding about my obsessiveness about old enamel paints. Goodness knows why!

 

Cheers,

Mark.

[fightersweep]

Thanks! I've put in a bid for tonight's auction. Not sure how it works? I take it I bid on one and then let her know which ones I want. Certainly some unique colours there.

 

Steve