I am now quite close to concluding my research project.
I have made a series of plates from the can of paint loaned to me by Ewan . The paint compares very closely to KGJ 1942 as held in the National archive Melbourne . I now consider that a closed case.
I have , very kindly , been loaned a copy of the Australian Standard for camouflage paint 1942 (revised feb 1943) and the KGJ from the original tin compares nicely with that as well
I have also located a sample of the toned down KGJ ( march to december 1943)
and have a near exact batch made up.
From the loaned copy of the standard we have spectrographed all the colours and I will have a litre of each made up. I am contemplating making twenty five sets of sample plates of each colour and along with the spectrograph and a short history of the paint compiling a book .
Depending on interest I can make the book available to those interested at cost recovery prices.
As to the paint itself . I venture that it of Melbourne manufacture as it is short chained and high in Phenols . It is highly water and chemical resistant but not long wearing reflecting the complaints concerning paint manufactured in Melbourne during the war.
So far as KG3 is concerned it is certain it is a pre 1940 specification. I am awaiting information from Mike Starmers to establish if it is in fact the British colour.
KG3 was according to the records not used on vehicles until after December 1943. The use of eggshell matt (3% gloss) followed closely on the general use of this colour. Previous to this all paint was dead flat. ( less than 1%gloss) Interestingly the specification for tin hats was KG3 and not the same colours used on vehicles.
If I can get a loan of the Spartan chart I will do the same for the aircraft colours.
Below KGJ as compared to the melbourne colour chart.
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