Hull Red?

Wilbur Wright wrote:

The Tamiya hull red is accurate

... for IJN ships.    It is not really appropriate for other navies.   For the US Navy,  this is an example of WWII era hull red, the USS Swordfish at her launching in 1939.   Note the insignia red on the flags and bunting as a reference. 

For that I use American Tradition Red Primer from the local Lowes hardware store.   Another option is White Ensign's Colourcoats.  They have several hull paints, both the USN and the RN used a similar color.   They also have a German schiffsbodenfarbe   which translates to ship's bottom color.

Then too check the model railroad side of the local hobby emporium.  Look at the various boxcar reds, mineral reds, and caboose reds.  Floquil/Polly Scale Mineral Red is a good match for the hull red.  ModelMaster British Scarlet (a uniform color) is also a good hull red.

Oh, and before any of you ask about painting the hull red on your new Revell Gato.   This is two-classes prior to the Gato, and almost two years prior to the Gato's commissioning.   The world was still 5 months away from the Invasion of Poland.   Wartime subs were black-hulled.

  The American Tradition Red Primer is a pretty close match, for some odd reason, I get better drying time with Krylon Red Primer.  Remember, the primer colours changed from time to time, and once in the water, changed even more!  I agree that the Tamiya hull red seems too brown, still a usefull colour though.

                greg

I prefer Humbrol H70 Matt Brick Red for RN vessels.

It's a pity that Humbrol discontinued their old H177 Hull Red, which was a much better match.

I steer clear of acrylics, since they don't seem very durable when handling the model.

I have lived and grown up around ships at sea (and in lakes) all my life, and I don't find any fault what-so-ever with the Krylon color "Red Primer."  Also useful is "Sprayon" red primer. 

All primers, by whatever name or brand they are known, tend to change colors once they are applied to the ship's bottom as "anti-fouling paint."

They all contain chemicals to prohibit or reduce the amount of marine growth over time - and over time these chemicals tend to "leech out" because they are "doing their job."

Dependant on how long you want your model to reflect that she has been exposed to the marine environment - all depends on the color you choose.

Ships about to be launched generally are semi-gloss red; ships that have been in the water but still show no marine groweth tend to be more reddish-brown to brown.

-Bill C. 

wcraik is correct. As Dana M. Wegner, Curator of Ship Models for the United States Navy, once stated; "..... there is no standard red for hulls on Navy ships". When discussing museum standards (note the small case) there are standards used by the Smithsonian Institution and ones by the U S Navy. The Navy standards are higher, Mr Wegner had a part in maintaining that standard. So use the red that best meets the pleasure of your modeling eye and the particular vessel you are replicating.

Yankee Clipper

Interest re-kindled.   Bumping up.

Adding back the  USS Swordfish at her launch in 1939 Photo.

   Nino

Wow this is an old thread!  I did just start the Minicraft 1/350 Titanic and did a bit of poking around and found True North precision enamels - USN Norfolk 65A Anti-foul red.  Here's how it looks on the Hull

Wow that's a good match to the USS Swordfish photo!

Glad you spotted this.  I bumped it up as there is a build going on for the USS Texas and this link was mentioned but the original photo was gone.

        Nino

 P.S. I had family on BB-35 during WW2 . 

Lifecolor and AK Interactive make new Colour Sets now for all major WW2 Navies so you probably can find the exact match you are looking for with them.....Cheers mark

I use MM British Crimson on most ocean going ships.  For freshwater ships I use an oxide red, usually an oxide primer.

USS Pennsylvania in 1944. Certainly not a bright red, but much more red than Tamiya Hull Red

I have used the discontinued Model Master acrylic #4228 anti-fouling red in the past. I just used the last bottle of this I had.

Also, I've used White Ensign Colourcoats #US14 Norfolk 65A antifouling red. This one is oil base paint.

Both of them, to me anyway, look like the color we painted the bottom of the USS ESSEX with in 1962 during the FRAM II while in drydock for 6 months. That's in my minds eye anyway. Supposedly, they are color matched to US NAVY samples. All very subjective.

Just like Navy grey's. - "Hey Chief, this grey doesn't look like the last pail". -

"Just use it. That's what the paint shop gave us. And paint the lower part of the bulkhead up higher a couple inches to cover up those scuffs while your at it. And keep the line straight". -

"Got it Chief"

White Ensign also has a #M06 modern antifouling red, although I've not used it. The samples I have show a more rusty red color on the 65A than the modern. The White Ensign oil base enamels seem to "stick" better to plastic and seem a bit more durable than the acrylic. They thin and spray very nicely and have a nice flat sheen.

True North precision enamels - USN Norfolk 65A Anti-foul red color look interesting to me. They also are oil based paints. I'm going to order some to try out.

EJ

I find that mixing Tamiya Flat Red with the Hull Red (which is brown) gives me a good color. Don't have a precise mix, but start with the red and gradually ad the Hull Red until you're pleased with the color. This is like Olive Drab in armor. Two vehicles painted one after the other can come out of the factory looking different. From different factories, not even close. Same with Panzer Gray. And they all change with weather exposure, or in this case, salt water exposure. Mix what looks good to you and don't stress over it.

And yes, I know...this post list is WAY old...

I don't build ships really but I started the Titanic some time ago and used True North hull red

Holy necrothread, Batman!

Personally, I find Tamiya's Hull Red best for IJN linoleum decks; and NATO Brown a better match for the under hull coloring (and there are those who reverse those, and more power to them).

Since around 1900, under-hull colors are largely at the whim of who was paying for them.  After you got the copper and similar anti fouling 'stuff' in the paint, the pigment tinting it was of no real consequence.

There were any mumber of Mediterranean nations that used green for bottom color, and from a Kelly to a Bronze green, too.  

Both Royal Navy and DKM used a dark gray hull paint--arguments abound about whether Panzer Grey, or Gunship Gray, or some other similar dark gray best suits those examples.  (HMS Hood, for instance, had a dark gray hull bottom for her encounter with Bismark.)

Many submarines have had black or near-black, hull bottoms, and that going back to USS Holland.

As with so many things relating to Ship Modeling, it comes down to the references you select, and how you intend to interpret those on your own specific model.  (As Bill quips, it's one more excuse to buy more books )

Thanks for resurrecting this dead thread!!  Working on my first model ship in over 20 years and this is helpful in figuring out hull colors for the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor.  

Thanks everyone for your comments; they are very informative!!

TAD