Primer Color for Honest John

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lowga

A.K.A. 'Mr. HoJo'
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I've always loved this photo of the Honest John missile being tested at White Sands, NM. While I've never found much detail on this photo, it's pretty clearly a primer coat over bare metal, with crude roll patterns added for photography.

Would love to do a model HoJo in this paint scheme. Much easier to find in the field than olive drab. Can someone recommend a spray paint (rattle can) color that is similar and works well on fiberglass?

MGR-1_Honest_John_rocket.0.0.jpg
 
Rustoleum and Duplicolor both have rattle can primer in red rust color. Maybe that will suit you. I've used both on fibreglass and they work well. Might want to finish with a clear coat though.
You can use basic water based hobby acrylics, if you have a way to spray it, and finish with a clear coat. You can get any color under the sun for less than a dollar a bottle, just can't wet sand it. But if its a big rocket, the price will add up.
 
I always figured that that round was painted a hi-viz daglo type red that ended up looking brownish on the old Kodachrome film. Very cool looking at any rate, I might need to do one that way too!
 
Mike--as a professional cinematographer, I can tell you one thing for sure. You're right about that photograph being Kodachrome. The intense saturation of that emulsion threw me for a loop at first too. I studied the picture for a long time, before finally realizing that it had to be basic primer--and that the film was making it look some intense.

Searching for documentation to support that theory now. And a paint that will approximate primer, only with more saturation.

Good eye!
 
For what is worth Peter Alway's book 14 US missiles of the cold war says that is fluorescent orange. Old color photographs can often be misleading.
 
I don't see a picture.

I'm glad it's not just me as I don't see it either.

FWIW Krylon used to have a fluorescent orange matte paint. I can't find it doing a quick search right now but I picked up 4 cans just last year and still have 3 and a bit cans in my paint cabinet. I suppose it is possible that they discontinued it. If you're after a really dry matte fluorescent orange then this is a good option. Although I have not used it on FW/FG but I have used it on canvas phenolic and PLA. I should say I used it over Dupli-color filler primer over the canvas phenolic and Dupli-color adhesion promoter over PLA with Dupli-color filler primer over that, both of which it adheres well to.
 
Michael,

Thanks for posting that. Ordered some online now. What do you recommend for a clear coat on top of the decals for finishing? I'd love to keep the matte look.

Jeffery-thank you for posting the link to the alternative photograph. I'd never seen that image before. The film emulsion appears to be Ektachrome (possibly slide film) which provided more accurate color reproduction without the intensification of saturation that you got from Kodachrome. Of course, it also didn't have the way cool theme song from Paul Simon. :)

Can't wait to finish a HoJo with these paint scheme. Accurate and much easier to find in the field.
 
Krylon has a matte clear that goes over the camo paints really well and finishes nicely. The camo matte paint is far too dry for practical purposes so the matte clear does a good job of protecting it. The end result is somewhere between a matte and satin finish. So dry looking but durable.
 
Picked up the Krylon Matte Clear at Wal-Mart. Found the Krylon Camo Orange online (it looks like it may have been discontinued.) Can't wait to try this combination out. Thanks to all of you for sharing your expertise. The HoJo is a great rocket, and the orange color will make the MMX versions easier to find! :)
 
For what it may be worth, my favorite matte clear come from Tamiya. It dries quickly and is remarkably flat. It also seems to go on "thinner" than others, if that makes any sense.
 
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