Marx OD color matching

I don't think there is a direct match since no repaints I have seen are the correct color. It's not olive drab. I think it would be a lot of trial and error finding just the right shade. Possibly a paint supplier might be able to match it

 

Jim M

 

here are some Marx Army pieces i put side by side to illustrate the variations in color...

 

these are not faded pieces and all are original paint and lithograph.

 

i offer no explanation other than Marx did not seem to put a lot of emphasis on standardizing their color shades.

 

compare this group of NYC Mail Cars...

 

again, no faded cars here but quite a range of blue and grey.

 

cheers...gary

Thank you for the information. 

 

   Kevin

My personal view is that the variations due are not due to paint but the lithographer's ink blend.

 

Best of luck duplicating it.

 

Ron M

unless it was unclear, i was trying to point out the differences between the frames (painted) and between the car bodies (lithograph ink), both of which differ in the examples i put together.  there is rarely a good match between a painted frame and a lithographed car body.

 

whether or not this was a goal in producing the blue frame 6" passenger set...

 

the best you can hope for, as with the military cars, is that the paint and litho are consistent through the entire set.

 

cheers...gary

Good point Ron.

  There are slight variations in large ink batches.

It used to vary much more in the past too.

   Better inks had lot control numbers on cans to help mixing of cans of "the same color" to actually be the same color).

  Often it doesn't matter, but with multiple passes and one color it can show up like a bad auto repair.

 

 But you wont be doing it in ink will you? If you do go nuts, try Flint ink. Wear gloves and keep your hands away from your face .

 

 A professional painters supply house, or real good auto-body shop, will normally have a light refraction device that looks like a grocery clerks scanner.

  It can do a pretty good job matching with about a square inch worth of color. Those devices might be even better now.

 Ink normally has a very high pigment count. Paying extra for a custom high pigment paint can be worth it

 

 

They make camo spray cans.

Hi,

    I was mainly looking for a current spray paint to use to repaint a frame and not touch the litho part.  Thank you all for the great information and photos.

      Kevin

I will check my LHS for the army od green spray paints.