American Revolutionary War period American ships-what red paint would be the best for inside the bulkwatrks and gun carrages?

[bear]

I have seen lots of shades of red from pink to Ferrari type red used. What would be considered the "right" shade of red? And  who makes it,so that I might not have to mix it? Looking for water based paint.

 

I have the Model Expo MS4802-B Gun Red-which is to me on the pink side of red. Is this correct for the period and ship?

 

Is there is a paint that I can buy thats correct for the color,or what mix combination would I use to get to the shade of red thats right.Just let me know. 

 

Ship that its for now will be the Model Shipways Armed Virginia Sloop,then their Fair American.

 

As for the hull below the waterline,they call out a "tallow" shade of white. Would the classic racing white(which has a cream tint to it,be close to what is called out as "tallow"?

 

 

Thanks

Keith

[overdale]

Keith,

I'm open to correction, but 'Tallow' is much more cream than white. As for the bulkhead red, take a look at some 18th century models for the shade that you like best. I don't think there is a definitive shade of red but generally I go with what I see on contemporary models. The red that seems to work best (for me) is a darker, crimson 'blood' red. I think it looks more natural as the paint in the 1700's didn't have anything like the range of pigments modern paints have today and were based on natural pigments like iron oxide etc.

 

Dan.

Edited March 20, 2014 by overdale

[russ]

The red ochre was probably a bit on the dark side. Nothing really bright. Likewise with the white, either a dull creamy color or something with a slight greyish hue.

 

I like using artist's acrylics that can gotten at crafts stores for under a dollar. And they last for a while. I can use them right out of the bottle mixing as needed with water to thin them, or I can spread some on a pallet and mix with other colors to get what I need.

 

Russ

[trippwj]

Not sure how much red was actually used for privateers and such - also some conflicting recent research on actual amount used on war ships.  Goodwin (I think) studied several sets of carpenters invoices and logs for the Victory and found very little red paint or pigment - not nearly enough to do the full cockpit let alone the bulwarks.  Looking at several lists of stores for the Colonial ships in the Revolutionary war, I have not come across any that had red pigment or paint included (see, for example, the lsit of materials for a frigate of 36 guns) Appendix B in Naval Documents of the American Revolution Volume 9 (1982).

 

http://www.ibiblio.org/anrs/ndar.htmlhttp://www.ibiblio.org/anrs/ndar.html