Heathkit Grey.
 

As anyone with an interest in Heathkit products from the 60's will be aware, Heathkit / Daystrom equipment sold in the U.K. was generally finished in a particular shade of smooth silver grey.

This finish is fairly thin and damages quite easily, it also often displays significant rust pitting if left in a damp environment for any length of time.

This brings me to my question:
Would anyone care to offer an opinion as to the closest modern finish (aerosol spray) which could replicate the original as far as possible?

I'm thinking a rub down to give the new paint a key, some rust inhibiting primer and a couple of top coats would be the way to go.

Re: Heathkit Grey.
 

That would be of interest to many of us.

Re: Heathkit Grey.
 

I think it was a commercial paint from Tri-M-ite.

It might produce results by going through their colour sample charts of yesteryear and looking for Pantone colour numbers.

Unfortunately, I no longer have access to the sample books.

Otherwise, there are good paint suppliers who will mix by eye if you have a decent unfaded sample to show them. They'll do liquid in cans, or in aerosols.

David

Re: Heathkit Grey.
 

I use Holts Duplicolor for all my vintage restorations. Its a fine spray automotive lacquer with a volatile fast drying solvent and excellent adhesion and it comes in a myriad color/shade variants and in small aerosol spray cans and its usually possible to find a near exact colour match. It also does not obscure underlying surface textures if they are there. Scroll through the charts in this link:

http://paintcolorselector.com/dupli-...int-chart-pdf/

These small spray cans are readily available in AU, I'm not sure about the UK, so you might have to order them in.

Re: Heathkit Grey.
 

This would be my preferred way to go. Remember that old paints fade, both by oxidation and exposure to the bleaching effect of UV light. If you're only partially-repainting a piece of gear, getting access to some of the 'original' colour paint may then result in a mismatch with the aged paint you already have.

Re: Heathkit Grey.
 

Just Google "Holts Duplicolor UK" which returns a number of UK suppliers.

Very interested if someone can find the exact match for the "particular shade of smooth silver grey" used by Heathkit? Colour matching not my area of expertise!

Re: Heathkit Grey.
 

I think if near enough and sprayed well it will look fine.

Re: Heathkit Grey.
 

That's a two-edged sword. If you mix to match the current faded state of old paint, then the new paint is early in its fading cycle, whereas the old stuff has done it all and stabilised. As time goes by the colours will drift apart.

If the new paint is mixed to the pantone number or recipe of the original, then they start apart and age together. Slowly, very very slowly.

Reds and maroons are devils for fading, and they tend to go matt with time.
The UV-powered brightening agents in some of those poisonous looking yellows and greens that car makers went for in the 70s and 80s age a lot too, also beware of ultra bright whites.

The full frontal assault is to redo all the paint, and then it will certainly match and age together. Rotate stored sets so that all faces get similar exposure to sunshine.

David

Re: Heathkit Grey.
 

Not sure if I can be of assistance but having spent the majority of my life in the switchgear business one must bear in mind that most of our products and the manner in which they are packaged rely totally upon other sciences.
Most notable of which are not just mechanical engineering but also the world of chemical engineering including painting techniques.
The expense and knowledge required to set up professional painting processes has for a long time involved the need to sub contract any such needs to contractors. They in turn, as well as their clients look to standards for such processes as well as colours. To cut a long story short probably the most standard colour ever used not just for this industry but also office furniture is RAL 7032.
I reckon it would come close to the original requirement discussed hereof; this link refers https://www.ralcolorchart.com/ral-cl...32-pebble-grey