mysteron | 28 Sep 2017 1:50 a.m. PST |
I am about to start painting my first ACW guns which are 3 Union Rifled models. I know the barrells are black but what should the colour of the gun carriage be? My first thoughts was grey like British Nap pieces but after seeing some pictures in what appears to be natural wood looking and others in a dark grey ,I am now not so sure. For future reference what colour would confederate guns be ? I am of course looking for the most common colours here rather than exceptions. If it depends on the year then I am looking at mid 1862 ish . Thanks guys. |
mysteron | 28 Sep 2017 1:51 a.m. PST |
I am about to start painting my first ACW guns which are 3 Union Rifled models. I know the barrells are black but what should the colour of the gun carriage be? My first thoughts was grey like British Nap pieces but after seeing some pictures in what appears to be natural wood looking and others in a dark grey ,I am now not so sure. For future reference what colour would confederate guns be ? I am of course looking for the most common colours here rather than exceptions. If it depends on the year then I am looking at mid 1862 ish . Thanks guys. |
robert piepenbrink | 28 Sep 2017 4:10 a.m. PST |
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ScottWashburn | 28 Sep 2017 4:29 a.m. PST |
US Army Olive Drab is the best match. Hasn't changed in 150 years :) |
Frederick | 28 Sep 2017 5:41 a.m. PST |
Agreed – all my ACW pieces are solid Olive Drab |
avidgamer | 28 Sep 2017 5:42 a.m. PST |
link The Civil War in Four Minutes: Artillery Try these links |
avidgamer | 28 Sep 2017 5:44 a.m. PST |
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Extrabio1947 | 28 Sep 2017 5:48 a.m. PST |
The 1862 Ordnance Manual provides this olive paint recipe in parts per hundred: Yellow Ochre (French) 46; Boiled Oil 40; Litharge 5; Lampblack 2; Spirits of Turpentine 5; and Japan Varnish 2. So the olive color used on ACW carriages we essentially a mixture of yellow ochre and black. Obviously you couldn't just run down to the nearest paint store and purchase several gallons, so it had to be mixed from the ingredients listed above. Therefore, based on shortages and what was available, I would imagine the actual color seen in the field would have ranged from dark olive to perhaps even mustard. The Manual also states that for a field gun carriage, limber, and implements, you will need 6 pounds of lead color (primer), 10 pounds of olive paint, and 0.75 pounds of black paint. For new woodwork, the manual requires one coat of primer, and two coats of olive paint, and 1 coat of primer and one coat of black for the iron work. |
robert piepenbrink | 28 Sep 2017 7:38 a.m. PST |
Out of curiosity, since we're doing this again, has anyone ever seen anything to support the notion that Confederate guns were sometimes painted gray? It used to circulate as a sort of miniature wargaming legend. |
donlowry | 28 Sep 2017 8:52 a.m. PST |
Guns imported from Britain would supposedly have gray carriages. |
Extrabio1947 | 28 Sep 2017 11:16 a.m. PST |
The Confederate Ordnance Field Manual also dated 1862 includes the contents of a Battery Wagon. According to the manual, the Battery Wagon should include seven cans: Two marked "Neat's Foot Oil;" One marked "Linseed Oil;" One marked "Turpentine;" Two marked "Olive Paint;" and One marked "Black Paint." Per the Manual, Olive and Black Paint were the only two paint colors to be carried by a field artillery battery. |
robert piepenbrink | 28 Sep 2017 12:32 p.m. PST |
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mysteron | 28 Sep 2017 1:05 p.m. PST |
Thank you guys. I nearly messed that up .At least I can use the grey as an undercoat. Its sometimes difficult defining the colours in some of the pictures. I think I have some olive drab in my WW2 paint Box. |
Trajanus | 29 Sep 2017 1:12 a.m. PST |
Guns imported from Britain would supposedly have gray carriages. Well yeah, unless you could request a custom colour they would but outside of the odd Whitworth how many were there? The postage must have been horrendous! :o) |
donlowry | 29 Sep 2017 8:51 a.m. PST |
In addition to Whitworth's, the CSA imported some 6-pdr Wiard rifles, 10-pdr Wiard rifles, 12-pdr Blakely rifles, muzzle-loading 3" Armstrong rifles, and breech-loading 3" Armstrong rifles -- not to mention heavier guns. |
Wolverine | 29 Sep 2017 12:52 p.m. PST |
Don, How were Wiard rifles imported by the CSA? Weren't Wiards produced in New York City? |
Trajanus | 29 Sep 2017 1:46 p.m. PST |
Ah! I always forget Blakelys and Armstrongs. I think its somehow because I tend to associate the names with Naval peices. And I thought Wiards were made in New York too! As I recall, the Confederates also tried some Austrian 6 pounders, which now makes me wonder if they came in Yellow! |
donlowry | 30 Sep 2017 9:22 a.m. PST |
Oops, sorry bout the Wiard's. So they were imported … from New York? |
Trajanus | 30 Sep 2017 9:48 a.m. PST |
Well imported from NewYork is fair enough. After all, as far as the Confederacy was concerned, New York was in another Country. Even if the Lincoln administration didn't think they were! :o) |
Clays Russians | 30 Sep 2017 11:05 a.m. PST |
Olive drab mate……..both sides, you can't go wrong |