Paint matching advice

[Peter Naulls]

That's very interesting Andy. 20 years ago that's exactly what I would have done but now I am unable to buy the base tints.

I will give Brooks Paints a call but do you happen to know if they supply cellulose? and the name of the chap with good eyes?!

[Ivor Hawkins]

Don’t forget Andy blended that repair rather than going for an edge to edge match. You can blend black to white if the panel’s big enough!

[Peter Naulls]

Yes indeed!

   

[Ivor Hawkins]

A chopped American Austin…I think you might have to sit in the back to drive it!

[Andy Bennett]

Hi Peter, with my apologies but no I don't.
And Ivor, whilst that is true I have used the pots as chip repair and the match really is spot on. He was even careful to point out to me that he allowed for a small degree of change in drying.
       
Andy

[Ivor Hawkins]

Who needs a spectro when you have the eye of an experienced technician eh Andy!

[Andy Bennett]

Absolutely, and being red/green colour blind I have always envied those who can even see a red flower in a green plant...

[Peter Naulls]

Following Andy's recommendation I had a very interesting conversation with a helpful man at Brooks Paints today. I explained my dilemma and he immediately asked what colour I wanted to match - Triumph Royal Blue 1969. "No" he said, the base colour for that is no longer available in cellulose apparently because one of its constituents has been banned from use. The same is true for many dark blues and some dark reds. He went on to explain that a colour spectrometer would suggest something similar but it wouldn't ever match.

He can supply 2-pack to match and doesn't need a sample.

Just for a laugh I asked what he thought would happen if I used a tin of 40 year old paint and to my surprise he said it should be fine. "As long as it's been sealed and is scraped right back to the bottom of the tin it will be just the same as when you bought it"! 

I will try a small area before I commit to a whole bonnet. How reassuring to meet someone who not only knows his stuff but was happy to talk me out of buying anything. He may well get my business in the future.

[Ivor Hawkins]

Hi Peter, he is talking from experience, if those resins or constituents have been banned, due to them containing lead or chromate, you’ll struggle to get an exact edge to edge match from a new formulation.

The spectro may achieve what appears to be an exact match, but without those original constituents in the original formula it’s likely to be metameric, which basically means it will only appear to match in certain light conditions.

Fingers crossed when you prize open that can it is still liquid!

[Chris KC]

I cleared out some old tins of paint from Dad's garage this year - bearing in mind he died in 1994 they are well "matured".
That said I opened a tin of (previously opened) Tekaloid black primer and that was still useable. I decided not to use it on my car as it smelt a bit off - as if someone had thinned it with petrol or paraffin, perhaps. I simply didn't want to risk having to re-paint my car's roof if things went bad. I brushed some on a test piece though and it seemed fine.