Painting Noob; How To Paint Camo?

[Jinx]

Simple question from a painting noob. How is camo applied? Is it done freehand or are the various colors taped off to keep over spray to a minimum? Also, do they spray it on, or is it painted with a brush?

 

[Recovry4x4]

Simple question from a painting noob. How is camo applied? Is it done freehand or are the various colors taped off to keep over spray to a minimum? Also, do they spray it on, or is it painted with a brush?

Freehand? Yes!
Taped off? Yes!
Sprayed on? Yes!
Brushed on? Yes!

Sorry but that is the way they do it. There is a TM that covers such. TB 43-0209 IIRC. http://vietnam.net.pl/TB746_en.htm

Link to the TM (now dead link) http://old.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?module=pagesetter&type=file&func=get&tid=1&fid=file&pid=7

 

[Jinx]

A little bit of everything, eh? Thanks for the quick response. I'm downloading the TM right now.

 

[datsunaholic]

I've seen some that look like they were painted with a broom. The straw military-issue type. And not new ones, either.

My Reserve unit wasn't much better... we painted our Mobile Command Post (an M109A3) using forest green latex house paint and rollers. Touch up what the rollers missed with a 6" bristle brush. That's what happens when you ask Navy guys to paint something. One coat for dust, 2 coats for rust...

 

[BillIdaho]

There is a TM that explains the process.

It is a paint by number thing. Brush, roller, spray gun, broom, sponge, and derivitives/combinations thereof.
I have seen rigs come in (at Idaho Motor Pool for example) with some of the best and worst looking patterns and applications. So technically speaking, would it not make sense that any "quality" of camo paint job could be considered "accurate"?
To take it one step further, the specific pattern is determined by that TM. Even that says there is a margin for error. So I think the only constant should be the color. And with that being said, there are volumes of threads on the variations of that, too.
It boils down to whatever trips your trigger. Within reason. (Bright purple and orange, in a checkerboard digital pattern is going to raise some eyebrows.)

 

[roscoe]

Straight camo will raise eyebrows. Bright purple and orange checkerboard will raise some eyebrows and likely be followed by a wink.

 

[Cucvnut]

is it ok to switch from green camo to tan desert camo ?

 

[FM5332FF]

im switching from green to 686 Desert tan, so far so good. . I Hope to have my truck finished before the 4th of july.

 

[littlebob]

In the TM, it should also note that in the paint by number thing, that different colors are used for each number depending on the enviroment of its intended use.

 

[ONTOS66]

There are a number of resources for information on painting military vehicles. Since there were several thoughts on camouflage (4 color, 3 color, etc.) plus different time periods and different types of equipment.

Some references include:

TB 43-0147
TB 43-0209
TB 43-0242
TB 746-93-1
TM 43-013
AR 58-1

and others that I don't come to mind right now. Most of those are availabe in pdf format for download from resourses at SS.

If any of them are not there, let me know and I'll upload what ever is missing.

 

[gunboy1656]

i found a trailer on GL about a year ago that shows a good example of a paint by numbers system...they just did not get to putting numbers on yet

 

[Jones]

The procedure we use is to paint the entire truck 383 green (or 686 tan, whichever you prefer) then we come back with the black and brown. This is so that we don't have any places where the primer shows through... especially important with a CARC coating.

With very few exceptions where a definate dimension is given, the patterns are only a guide; but are vehicle specific. A pattern for a 5-ton isn't just a scaled-up deuce pattern.

Overspray ("transition zone") is pretty close but still there. The idea is that there are very few sharp lines in nature.

This is what the clear plastic overlay gauge looks like. The "Actual Boundary Designator" line is placed over the centerline of any two colors and if the overspray extends beyond the broken line, the paint job fails. and that area has to be re-done.

 

[vinny-socom1]

Nice gauge!! I was thinking of masking off the colors for sharper look, any thoughts?

Vinny

 

[davidkroberts]

i usually dont mask off anything other than glass, tires,lights, and gauges. Im kind of an odd bird when it comes to painting though. I dont really care if things are "correct" or not just if i like it or not. When i painted my Gama Goat and M715 I used multiple color Camo paint from the hardware store (about 10 dollars a gallon) and i usually spray gun on a base coat and use rattlecan for the camo off colors freehand. My gama goat and M715 were both painted in about three hours and still look good.

 

[GIJoeCzar]

OK Gents, I need the three color CARC camo pattern for an M998 HMMWV. The TM doesn't show the M998, so am I to use the pattern for the M1038? If I use the M1038 pattern, will the camo on the doors and cargo cover line up with the camo on the truck? Here's of photo of an M998:

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/hmmwv_imgw_011.jpg

Thanks,

Joe

 

[BG6]

Anyone got good pics of an M151 with desert camo? That's most appropriate for one in Nevada . . .and I'm really gonna make people wonder when I put on the Nevada Test Site Museum license plate. Go look at it, and you see that the word "museum" is all but invisible from 20 feet away, so all anyone sees is the atomic symbol and:

NEVADA TEST SITE
ATOMIC TESTING <smudge>

 

[infidel got me]

Gunboy thats just wrong lol