How would you mix Colortone liquid pigments to get British Racing Green?

[Cagey]

I'm having trouble getting a color that I like that resembles BRG. I'm not an artist or a paint guy, and I know that BRG is not a "standard" color. What I want is something like this...

I suspect I don't have all the right pigments. I have the Colortone liquid versions of straight green, black, red, and white. The green is nearly black, it's so dark. So, add some white, right? No. Even small amounts make it look creamy. Add some black to compensate, and because of the white I've essentially added gray to the green, which is NFG. I'm pretty sure if I add red, it's going to turn it brown. So, this batch is going to color the inside of the sewer system.

I need help here. Anybody play with pigments much?

 

[mullyman]

There has GOT TO BE a page out there somewhere that goes into detail about mixing colors of paint.
MULLY
not saying you shouldn't ask this here, just thinking out loud about what resources we have available to us these days

 

[Pelagaard]

The trouble with that is BRG technically doesn't exist, every manufacturer has a slightly different color (and some have different ones depending on the year).  If I had to guess, I'd say an 80's Jaguar green is probably the closest production color to that image.

 

[Cagey]

You're right - there are a million of them. But, I'm finding out there's a LOT more to mixing colors than you might think. It's a freakin' science, and I don't want to become an expert. I just wanna mix up some British Racing Green as shown above. For some reason, I can't find where somebody says "just do a 1:9:2 ratio of this, that and the next color in X amount of clear base, and you're there." When they tell me Pantone colors, PPG codes, and use the color wheel, and CMYK vs. RGB, and saturation vs. hue vs. intensity, etc. etc., my eyes start to glaze over and I start thinking about making fatty bacon cheeseburgers or watching internet porn or taking a bottle of scotch and pack of cigarettes on the back deck with a good book...

 

[Cagey]

The trouble with that is BRG technically doesn't exist, every manufacturer has a slightly different color (and some have different ones depending on the year).  If I had to guess, I'd say an 80's Jaguar green is probably the closest production color to that image.

Right. And that's fine. But, I don't have a production paint mixing shop, so none of the code numbers everybody uses mean anything to me. Just gimme a starting point. I got eyes.

 

[Pelagaard]

How off is your current green?  The best way to lighten paint/pigment is with a lighter shade of the same color.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

Hmm ... according to WIKI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_racing_green

BRG has the RAL6005 number: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAL_6005#RAL_6005

The "local" European supplier for nitro-paint in Holland advertises that they can make the paint from RAL-code. So I would guess your US-supplier could do the same?

I understand you want to do it yourself. But maybe it's better just to get the right product from scratch?  :dontknow:

 

[SustainerPlayer]

And this post: http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/luthiers-corner/172688-british-racing-green-finish-anywhere.html#post3306752
talks about the RustOleum colour called Hunter Green ... http://www.rustoleum.com/
Maybe you can source from there?

 

[Cagey]

I understand you want to do it yourself. But maybe it's better just to get the right product from scratch?  :dontknow:

Thanks for looking that stuff up. Been there, done that. Unfortunately, it doesn't help my current situation unless I do as you say and have it made. That may be what I end up doing. I already bought the pigments and nitro and reducer, etc. so I wanted to do it myself. But, it's not like any of that will go to waste if I have a paint shop mix what I want from some magical secret recipe. We have such a shop not too far from here.

 

[bagman67]

I realize you've already invested in the primaries from Colortone, but Mixol provides a universal pigment in "fir green" that may be a more useful starting point for you.  If that's not already what you're after, add some blue or black or a little yellow and you are there.


http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2005522/16597/mixol-tint-fir-green-12-20-ml.aspx#ProdInformationTab

 

[Cagey]

So, just for fun I called the local über-trick paint supply house and asked if they could mix me up a custom color nitrocellulose lacquer. First thing out of the guy's mouth is "Nitro? What in the world are you gonna shoot nitro at?"

Uh, oh. I think we're in trouble already.

Turns out they'll do it, but you gotta twist their arm with a pair of $100 bills. For a quart!

I told him I can buy quarts of clear nitro all over the place for $20, so wtf?

Apparently, 99.9% of their business is in automotive, and nobody does lacquer on cars any more. Too many better finishes are available that are a lot less work and produce better finishes. I told him I was doing a guitar, and he said "Ohhh... ummm... yeah. Hmmm... Y'know, there are a lot of much better finishes available these days..." and went on to describe some of them and why I should use them. All made sense and didn't teach me much I didn't know, but he didn't know I was painting in a garage. Can't use most of those fancy chemistries around people and pets without special gear and setups. 

Never thought I see the day when I could do catalyzed urethane for less than lacquer.

 

[Cagey]

I realize you've already invested in the primaries from Colortone, but Mixol provides a universal pigment in "fir green" that may be a more useful starting point for you.  If that's not already what you're after, add some blue or black or a little yellow and you are there.


http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2005522/16597/mixol-tint-fir-green-12-20-ml.aspx#ProdInformationTab

That might do it. I called the local Woodcraft, and they have some in stock. Their finishing guy was too knowledgeable for me, though. I could see me getting in a fight with him. Literal to a fault.

"No, we don't color paint. We don't even sell it."

"Well, I've bought lacquer from you before a number of times..."

"Oh, well, that's not paint. That's a finish."

"C'mere, so I can kill you..."

 

[leo12.]

Cagey are you trying to mix that color in transparent lacquer?
BRG is more than likely mixed in a medium or deep opaque base coat.
If you can find a paint store that can work with RAL color chart codes like Sustainerplayer
mentioned bring a plastic food container (with a clip lid) they can squirt the pigments
into your container (say the mix for a quart).
You should ask them what base that color uses ( medium or dark) get them to put the
Quart can into the can shaker, when its shaken open it & you will see the color of the
base coat that you will need to find  where you buy your nitro.
If you dip a piece of white card in that base coat it will be your reference.
If they will sell you the pigment mix, You should be out the door for a few dollars then
add it to your base Nitro & make samples. Good Luck.

 

[Cagey]

Yes, it's going into clear nitro. I hadn't thought of just getting the pigment mix. That's a good idea. There's a Sherwin-Williams store near here that does a wide variety of finishes. Maybe I'll give them a call tomorrow.

 

[Re-Pete]

Interesting thread, will be interested to read how it all turns out.

As an aside. what sort of car is that in your original post, and is it yours? (envious).

 

[Cagey]

I don't know for sure what that car is - I think it may be an old Bugatti. It's not mine; I just found that picture while researching mixing colors to get British Racing Green. Some forum or another where the members restore old sports/race cars had that one and some others, all interesting. Old Jaguars, MGs, Morgans, Bugattis, etc.

 

[JaySwear]

I can check our colors tomorrow (work at a Sherwin myself), but there will most likely be more blue and yellow (and probably some black) in the color formula than you'd expect. It'll give you a bit of a deeper green than just green colorant itself. But I don't know if we have a color called "British Racing Green." HOWEVER, I bet somebody in our system does. We store formulas for Behr, Benjamin Moore, McCormick, etc. If you find a color you like we can get you damn close.

EDIT: Of course, if you're going with a product they don't stock then it'll only get so close. I've been thinking VERY heavily lately about using some of our stuff to refinish a body I have.

 

[Cagey]

I'll appreciate any help you can provide. Knowing I was going to be playing with greens, I should have bought some blue and yellow pigments as well. Wasn't thinking, I guess.

 

[JaySwear]

Did some playing around here. I printed formulas for 3 SW colors that I think are the closest to BRG. I'll post the formulas when I get home. I put them on my Flickr but I can't get a URL from my Flickr app. Technology...

Edit: Forgot to say... Hopefully they'll help, but they're different colorants going into paint that's mostly white already (our "ultradeep" base for dark colors). Hope it helps some, but I saw the pigments you have are meant to go into a clear. It'll be different but hopefully gives you an idea.

The ultradeep base is meant to hold colorants, but not nearly a clear. It would be like painting with a really thin white paint if you tried to use it without colorant in it. It starts with 3 ounces and 11/16ths of paint in the can before pigments are added.

 

[pabloman]

Reranch has aerosol Cadillac Green. Has to be better than BRG :dontknow: