Re: [MV] M-38 Paint

NIGEL HAY (Nigelhay@tanksrus.freeserve.co.uk)
Wed, 17 Feb 1999 09:12:42 -0000

I recall a series US Signal Corps photos of some GI's stencilling GMC's in
WW2.Obviously uninspired by the task, they were not masking up,(or wearing
masks themselvesfor that matter) and casually dusting white paint over the
stencil.Masses of overspray resulted and many stencils were out of line
etc.They had totally white hands as they were holding the stencils.
One assumes this was not an isolated occurence.
The british army however hand painted with some degree of care all its div
signs and many markings.Indeed the cold war era saw mostof UK Army Inc
vehicles painted in gloss green.There was an expression often recalled from
the days of National Service
"If it moves salute it, if it doesn't -paint it!"
enjoy the hobby
NIGE
White M16 halftrack
M3A3 Stuart tank
CCKW 352
M35's from time to time
-----Original Message-----
From: Cougarjack@aol.com <Cougarjack@aol.com>
To: m151a1@micron.net <m151a1@micron.net>
Cc: mil-veh@skylee.com <mil-veh@skylee.com>
Date: 17 February 1999 08:26
Subject: Re: [MV] M-38 Paint

>The one thing which distingiuishes a mail list from other venues is that
when
>you post something, ten people will join the debate, trade information,
and
>bring in new experiences. A few will jump to an argument. Please don't be
>strung so tightly that every hint of disagreement brings up your ire. In
group
>discussions, very often someone will request clarification, propose a
>different idea, or shudder to think, even flat out disagree with you. IT
all
>goes into a good group discussion. It's not intended to draw anger and hurt
>feelings. Chill out!
>I was NOT arguing, and I am not a purist. My interest and curiosity are
quite
>oppositely directed. I observed a restored WC a few issues back on the
cover
>of Army Motors, and noticed how nice and "correct" the paint job looked,
>without color smudging, spots, or variations in gloss. It certainly was an
>attractive truck. Unfortunately, no such truck ever existed in an Army
motor
>pool lineup.
>
>My own interest in restoring my own trucks is to make them look like they
are
>intended. Dave brought up a good question when he asked what "proper" is
when
>the Army wasn't too picky about color. I don't know how to answer that, but
>SOMETHING has to be correct, no? As a Regular Army retiree, and long time
MV
>owner, I've walked enough motor pool lineups to know that the WC I
mentioned
>would have jumped out like a sore thumb among the other vehicles. Even the
>Colonel's truck didn't look that good!
>Assignments in the service were seldom long enough to follow individual
trucks
>and see how they aged. I'm always amazed when I acquire a new one, and see
how
>the years have treated it. Like I said before, you see every color of OD
>imagineable, and it always made me curious about how the different paints
>weathered differently. I don't believe that the military views paint in the
>same ways a civilian truck maker does.
>
>Paint to the military is a preservative, low reflecting, background
blending
>coating. LIke a lot of other things military, these coatings are made to a
>spec, and it's possible that there is enough variation in the spec that all
>these paints can be this different and still meet the written spec. As
John
>mentioned, very little documentation is available on a lot of these items,
>because no one thought to keep records. I fear that once those of us who
>actually drove these things in service pass on, assuming the military does
>stop surplussing new ones, who will be left that knows what is correct or
>acceptable anymore? I mentioned long ago on this list that field practices
>produced trucks appearance that few of us would care to take to a judged
>contest, but isnt it true that they are probably more correct than that WC?
I
>can recall looking down rows of new trucks of every kind, and no two were
>exactly the same color. I recall being able, after working with them, to
>identify a particular truck by it's odd coloration and markings. I can
still
>remember the troops out in the motor pool spot painting trucks with plain
>white spray cans of issue paint, (Bob's Paint?) every can a slightly
different
>color. I remember men sitting there cutting bumper stencils from cardboard
>cartons, newspaper, and brown bags, freehanding stars, and rubbing their
>M151's down with jet fuel to make them shine. Correct? Who can say! If it
>happened, perhaps it IS correct!
>Jack, raising the white flag...
>
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