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Exact Paint Matching for Any Color

Started by WEBellSystemChristian, November 12, 2017, 08:02:23 PM

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WEBellSystemChristian

I think I have found a new way to match existing colors to spray paint. I only ordered the tool used to scan the color so far, but if this works the way I think it will, we'll be able to duplicate any color just about perfectly in the form of spray paint. The paint isn't cheap, but being able to match the impossible paint colors that phone companies used is worth it to me.

The company I found makes paint in 11oz aerosol cans, wall paint, and touchup markers. The markers are $8
for a set of 8 (can't choose any fewer than that), and the aerosol cans are almost $50 per can, but the number per can drops in half when you order 2 or 3. There are potentially hundreds of thousands or even millions of colors to choose from based on Pantone numbers, and they will even match exact gloss levels for you.

If this works out, I'll post the Pantone numbers that I find for the whole 500 series colors (to start), and you can simply order what paint you want using the provided number for the corresponding color.

The scanner is supposed to be here Tuesday. I'll update here when it comes, and how well it works.

Are there any colors in particular that anyone needs matching paint for?
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

cihensley@aol.com

I will watch for your follow-up report with interest.

Chuck

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: cihensley@aol.com on November 12, 2017, 08:38:30 PM
I will watch for your follow-up report with interest.

Chuck
Thanks for the support, Chuck!

I should be getting the scanner by Tuesday (day after tomorrow), so stay tuned! It'll take quite a bit longer to pick, order, and wait for shipment/delivery of the paint, but it shouldn't be too long.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

oldguy

#3
Sounds like an outstanding idea. Thanks for checking into this Christian. The ivory color on an Imperial handset would be my 1st choice.
Gary

WEBellSystemChristian

#4
I got my scanner today!

I tested it out in my room on my Green Continental. I was excited to see the color that showed up on the screen after the scan was very close to the phone's color (screen color isn't accurate, I just made sure the scanner wasn't completely wrong). I tested another area an inch away. It showed a significantly different color. I frustratingly went to another section. Different color again! >:(

How could it be so wrong? Then it hit me--I'm in a room with ambient light. The company claims that you don't have to worry about proper lighting when using this scanner, since the camera that scans the color has it's own LED light, and both are contained in a little upside-down crater in the scanner's base. Still, outside light was able to sneak through and distort the picture. Plus, the D1 doesn't exactly have many flat surfaces, so little divets that distort that 'light seal' show daylight through the crevices. I went into a pitch-black closet and scanned the flat side of a Green 500 housing (painted Green, so there isn't any fading or staining). After numerous scans, it showed only an extremely tiny difference in color (only about a .8% difference each time).

I'm pretty sure I found an exact color match here! ;D ;D ;D

I'm going to do a few more tests before posting any actual data here.

I'm also thinking about buying matching colored paint in bulk and selling it individually on eBay. The more I buy, the cheaper the individual price per container becomes, so I could sell cans or markers of paint for a lot cheaper than it would cost for one. I'll still post the Pantone numbers here for each color I find, but you would be able to buy that paint cheaper from me! ;)
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

LarryInMichigan

If you are good at painting (and don't hate it as much as I do), you might want to offer your services painting phones and things.

Larry

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on November 14, 2017, 07:10:12 PM
If you are good at painting (and don't hate it as much as I do), you might want to offer your services painting phones and things.

Larry
Nah, I don't hate painting so much, it's the prep work that gets annoying! ::)

I don't think I'm that great at painting...certainly not for doing it as a service. There are many others who use much high quality paint with better painting skills.

I am decent with painting smaller parts, though! :)
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

cihensley@aol.com

Does the scanner give Pantone color numbers only?

Chuck

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: cihensley@aol.com on November 14, 2017, 10:44:35 PM
Does the scanner give Pantone color numbers only?

Chuck
No, it gives several numbers, codes, values, etc. Those include RGB (Red Green Blue), CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black), HEX code, and others. The only part that matters in this case is HEX, which is a unique code given for the exact color that was scanned. You can use that code in an online converter to find closely matching Pantone or RAL numbers, which may or may not match exactly. The paint company I'm using only uses Pantone, RAL, and some US Federal colors (any color that's publicly available). You give them the number you want, and they ship that color. They don't accept HEX, unfortunately. They can do special custom matching, but it's really not practical for doing multiple colors like I want.

I had my heart set on using a Pantone color for Moss Green, since it's such a standardized color system that the paint company accepts, but the two colors that matched the closest were more Gray than Green. They were 417 C and 418 C, for anyone interested. They were actually both listed as Yellowish Gray in descriptions on other websites.

I spent 2 hours tonight trying to find a better matching Pantone color, but every one was either way off, or had equal parts Red with Green, making Gray.

Finally, my Dad suggested trying to find a matching RAL color. I think I finally found it--RAL 7009. It's not exact, but it's very close, according to the HEX converter I used. The difference between this and Moss Green most likely won't be distinguishable. I ordered 2 cans for just over $50--essentially the price of one can! :o

They should ship tomorrow, and should be here in 4 days. Stay tuned, once again!

Scanner:
https://nixmini.com/product/nix-mini-color-sensor/

Paint Company:
www.hedrix.com
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

cihensley@aol.com

Thank you for sharing sources. The scanner is most interesting. I look forward to your extended evaluation of it.

Chuck

WEBellSystemChristian

#10
As far as color matching goes, this has been as close to perfect as I'll ever get. I realize that there are more colors out there than existing paint shades, so I'll have to keep that in mind when trying to match existing 60-year-old paint. The scanner is far more accurate than RAL or Pantone's accessible shades.

I still haven't ordered any more paint in new colors yet (-50 Ivory is next on my list), but I do have a little advice so far.

If you order from Hedrix, DO NOT get water-based lacquer. I cannot stress this enough. Get the regular oil-based, fast-dry stuff. For me, the water-based has been nothing but a complete pain. The problem I've found is that it goes on extremely thick, but dries extremely thin. I have had to repaint the caps three times, because the paint runs and drips very easily. It also takes 15-20 minutes to start showing runs, so it passed my initial check. I came back to check on it again, and heavy sags started showing. Also, the nozzle spurts little blobs of paint everywhere, which end up all over the piece being painted.

I painted the handset and caps over a week ago, and they were still very tacky. I tried scuffing the surface a bit before I applied clearcoat, and it was still gooey underneath! I actually wore through in a tiny spot, but was able to lightly touch it up. The only saving grace is that it's significantly less smelly, but it does have a faint latex aroma. The problem there is the latex smell lasts for a week or more, and it still smelled when I applied the clearcoat. The bad significantly outweighs the good here, so I'm getting the regular stuff next time!

The clearcoat I used was U-POL Clear #1, a German paint that I found on Amazon. It's safe for water-based paint, so it's safe to use it on this stuff. I can't find one word of English on the entire can, other than "FOR PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY". That's when I knew it was perfect for what I'm doing! ;D I applied it about an hour and a half ago, and it's already harder than the color coat was after a week. It s already incredibly smooth and glossy, more so than any paint I've ever used before.

I'll update when everything's dry!
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford