CMP C-15 Toggle Switch Plates - base colour?

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Chris et al,

I think the colour refers to my post on restoring my switch plates.

As a bit of background on my choice of colour:

I tried numerous grey colour paints to find a close match to what was left on my original plates. Over the years I had accumulated quite a few different shades of grey aerosol remnants. Primers were too light and being matte finish they were not a good surface on which to apply decals. Other gloss greys were too dark or too light or too blue/grey. I also took the plates to the local hardware store to compare cap colour and chart colours. Again, no match.

I turned to various Humbrol and Testors paints which I had to seek a match, making at least 8 colour swatches. Again, much the same results as with the aerosol greys. Looking at a Testors colour chart it appeared Canada Voodoo Grey looked a good match, and a closer match than any of the previously tried colours in any event. Taking the switch plate to the local hobby shop and comparing it to the bottle confirmed it.

As we all know colour matching of 70 year old paint is very difficult. In the case of my original switch plates I had retouched them many years previously and even the original paint areas had been rust stained which I had cleaned with weak phosphoric acid. See photo attached. I also noticed a fine coat of blue dots on the grey paint, a result of someone in the past getting a bit too close while spraying some blue paint? No doubt there was some inground dirt on the plates too which would affect one's perception of colour.

So as per the attached photo it is a close match, but not a perfect match to the "original" colour. Yes, it possibly could have been tinted a bit darker in hindsight but with all the variables, rust, weathering, overspray and dirt on the original who is to say what is the exact original colour.

If anyone out there has a NOS switch plate it would be great to see a photo of it here by way of comparison of the colours.

Cheers,