I'm Back! (new pics)

Hello all,

I just got back on the site, it looks real good. I've been busy doing a little painting. check out the pics here:

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=29723

I decided to go with the four color MERC pattern from 1975. I think I really like it better than the 3 color NATO pattern. So tell me what you all think. Do you like it? Dislike it?

Welcome back. I like it, good looking paint, good looking truck. Nice work. You almost never see the dodges anymore, especially here in the north.

McGuyver:

Looks good, But, IMHO, ya should have added a bit more black, like some of those Y's need to be connected. Did you use a pre-exsisting pattern or do it by eye? What does MERC stand for?

Later
Ugg

Er, ah, sorry, that's MERDC, not MERC. Not that I was here for a long time, but I'm back too now since the changeover and I can't figure out how to edit my mistakes.

Ugg

Edit?

Ugg013,

Good to see you over here! To edit your post, look at the lower right hand corner of your post, and you will see a small white bar that says [edit]!

That will take you back to your post where you can make any changes, then choose [submit]!

Thanks guys, I've been waiting a long time to get this pattern just right. by the way Ugg013, yes I did follow a pattern to repaint this. It's not something that's easy to find so I had to do something a little "unconventional" to get it right for the M880. You're right, the MERDC pattern doesn't have as much black as the 3 color NATO pattern, but I still like it anyway. I don't remember what MERDC stands for, I'll have to look it up again.

Oh yeah!
Copying paint numbers down now.

Oh! oh! I know the answer to that one.

MERDC is the acronym for the US Army Mobility Equipment Research & Development Command.
(MVM, Dec. 02, p. 84)

Also, check out TB 43-0147
COLOR, MARKING AND CAMOUFLAGE PATTERNS USED ON MILITARY EQUIPMENT (4-color MERDC Dec. 1975)
in the Steel Soldiers tech manuals section here:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?module=pagesetter&type=file&func=get&tid=1&fid=file&pid=43

For even more merdc chit-chat, check this recent thread:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=2894&start=20


Jeff

McGuyver,

Nice job!

I really like your substitute for the forest green. I agree that the #34094 looks much better. . . . wonder if it's because the forest green fades over time to the lighter shade? I too am jotting the numbers down.

It appears to be sprayed, not brushed, right ?

Aervoe or Gillispie?


I want to repaint mine someday keeping the same scheme - current pic below

Thanks JWC. I got the 30118 field drab and 34079 forest green from RAPCO, but didn't like the forest green at all (way too dark). I understand these are Alkyd enamel paints.

As luck would have it, after some research I stumbled across a very happy finding. PPG (an automotive paint) has the 34094 color already programed in for an acrylic enamel. They even have notes on what proportions of hardener (DXR80) and flattening agent (DX685) to add to get it just right. I had some of this mixed up in spray cans and it cost ranging from $11 a can to $12.95 depending on where I went.

One down side to spraying from cans: You can only hold roughly 5 oz in a can and by the time you add all the flattener, there's only enough room for about 3 oz of paint. The rest is flattener, and it does tend to thin the paint out. Also you can't put any of the hardener in the cans so you'll never get as durable a finish as if you mixed it up and sprayed it from a gun.

Oh, by the way, if any of you are interested, the PPG paint for 34094 green is DAR46260 (I believe the DAR stands for Ditzler Acrylic Resin) As I mentioned, The formula includes mixing proportions for paint, flattener and hardener. Though it might be more expensive, this may actually be a better paint to use than the Alkyd enamels since it is an acrylic enamel. I think I recall the guy at the paint store saying that it is available in a polyurethane too, which is an even better paint.

I have a hunch that if the 34094 is in the PPG paint data base, some of the other colors may be too, however I haven't verified this yet. This would be really cool if so, since it would mean I could virtually have a local paint source just about anywhere I go, all I'd have to do is find a PPG dealer, and know the paint codes and I'm set.

Another benefit to the PPG paint is that they come in an "OMNI-PAK" spray can that has a much better spray tip than your typical spray can and it it applies the paint much more consistently. I don't mean to criticize RAPCO, I love the field drab I got from them, but the spray tips on the cans aren't real great. They cause the paint to sputter and drip, and I got large drops of paints sputtered onto the surface I was painting.

McGuyver,

The green paint that is on your truck in the pictures. Is that the PPG green or the Gillespie green??

Also when you had the Humvee tires on your truck, were they on the original military type 16.5 wheels. Or did you have them put on some wider ones?? Thanks....

The green in the pictures is the PPG paint. The field drab is Gilespie from Rapco. At the time, Rapco was all out of the 34094 in the alkyd enamel, which promted me to look for an alternate source, thus I found the PPG 34094 (DAR46260 acrylic enamel). I'll have to get you guys some more pictures in better lighting, the colors really do look good. The humvee tires were mounted on some white spoke wheels, 8.25" wide? not the original humvee wheels. I would have cut the centers out of humvee wheels and redo the offset to get them to work on my Dodge.

That paint being PPG is very interesting. Sure does save on some HAZ-MAT charges.

A friend of mine just bought 6 new Humvee tires at a Gov't sale and was thinking about putting them on his M880. He's wanting some wide wheels though, 9.75's or 10's. By the way your truck looks great, keep up the good work!!!

Thanks Larry. I'd like to get a set uf the 37" humvee radials, but I gues I'll have to be content with the 36" humvee bias plies I've got. Well, I posted some more pics I took tonight to give you a little bit more of an idea of the true colors in some brighter light, but I think it only made it look darker in the glow of sunset. You can check them out in the thread I posted in the member's rides section.

With the recent revival of interest in 4-color MERDC camo, I was browsing through some really old posts. I found this one from a few years back, and noticed that the pictures from McGuyver were lost (most likely from one of the old server crashes). Luckily, I had long ago saved these and I hope it is ok to repost them for McGuyver.

I think his truck looks great.

Uh oh....I see a little cancer forming above the rear driver's side wheelwell. Cut and weld buddy! C'mon, show us how you got the name McGuyver!

camo

I would like to paint my deuce int he MERDC pattern can anyone tell me the colors used on this truck? I know the base Forrest Green and black but what is the very light color? I assume the brown is Field Drab Brown ?

The brown is Field Drab, the light color is sand ( which can be altered to match the " dirt " of the area where the truck is being used ) This is why the " Dirt " color on my M880 looks a little darker than the sand on McGuyvers truck....

Here is a link that will help you out when doing this pattern...

MILITARY VEHICLE CAMO: TC5-200


Altho it is the same pattern...McGuyvers truck is done in the winter version, and the M880 in my avatar is done in the summer version. ( field drab VS light green )


Enjoy !

Merdc

Thanks, that is what I thought. Is the Earth Yellow a darker "dirt" color option than the sand? Your 880 looks nice

Hi guys,

haven't been on the site for a while, but I will try to answer you question about the colors used as best I can.

The pattern (for the winter MERDC pattern) is supposed to use these FS595A colors: forest green (34079), field drab (30118 ), black (3703 and sand (30277), however I substituted the FS595B 383 green (34094) for the the forest green because I thought the forest green was too dark. Hope this helps. You can probably substitute the 37030 black as well.

This link gives some details:

http://www.olive-drab.com/od_mvg_camo_carc.php