Airbrushing spray paint

[BobRunty]

That's what I remember also.  They looked a little less yellow and a little more on the brownish yellow side.

About the same time they switched from the old block letter CAT logo to the current one with the triangle.

Bob

[chicken45]

Interesting about the paint. Thanks, guys!

[muktown128]

Josh,

The color of CAT yellow paint used today is different than the CAT yellow paint from the era used when the D2 crawler was made.  I don't know when the change in pigmentation / color occurred, but sometime in the 1970's is a reasonable guess.  This is because the pigmentation was changed from chromate pigments to non-chromate pigments.  It was not possible to match the bright yellow color, obtain good durability and reasonable cost with the pigments available when CAT moved away from the chromate containing pigments.  The current color is browner than the old yellow.  I won't repeat what people call this color at the plant that I work at that makes the CAT yellow paint. 

John Deere on the other hand did try to match the bright yellow color obtained with chromate pigments and used more expensive non-chromate pigments.

Scott

[chicken45]

Anyone know of a good match for older color CATs?

[seusscaboose]

just model them as D2's that have been restored in 2015 and painted with "the closest thing possible".


besides... you're gonna dirty them up anyway.

so the clolr can work for all era's


Eric

[Lemosteam]

Aaaand I quote @chicken45  :

I'm starting to think paint matching is a crock.

[chicken45]

Heh.... problem is that I am modeling new D2 crawlers as flat car loads. Can't really weather that.
There's got to be a match out there that's easy to find.

[seusscaboose]

dozers coming out of Peoria on flats were / are not covered. 
therefore, weather would get to them

that's why local dealers prep everything prior to sale.

besides
fidelity is overrated
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https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Caterpillar_D2_Tractor_located_on_the_grounds_of_Appleton_estate_in_Jamaica.jpg
url]

[Santa Fe Guy]

Anyone know of a good match for older color CATs?

Josh. When I was looking at painting my Construction yard vehicles I looked everywhere for a colour that I thought was close to the Cat colour. The closest and what I eventually used is Tamiya Brilliant Orange TS-56. It looks close. I must admit I did weather my vehicles, cranes, dozers etc as they had all been worked. I would give this colour a try and hit it with some dullcote. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]
Trust this is of some help.
Rod.

[bnsfdash8]

You can get "new" and "old" CAT yellow in spray cans (or cans) at farm supply stores and some implement dealers.

Amazon might sell it too.

[craigolio1]

I do this with my Testors clears, 3M plastic adhesion promoter, and the odd colour.

I use 1/4" styrene tube, the 12" long ones, and just hold it up to the nozzle. It goes in fine and dribbles out the end no problem.

I don't reckmmend a funnel. I think you would wind up coverd in iver spray as the air current will circulate it right back out and into your face.

Oh, and definitely don't drill a hole in the side of the can when you think "it has no more propellant". In actualy fact your nozzle is clogged and you will have a grey power drill, hand, respirator, safety glasses, face, shirt, thigh, and part of your lawn when you drop it and run away. Just sayin'.

Craig

[chicken45]

So finally, we had a nice day where I could decant my spray paint outside. I made a mess, but I knew that would happen. I basically just masked off the bottle rim and blasted the spray in to the the bottle outside. I didn't have a WD40 straw so I just went for it.  Thanks for the tip about not tightening the cap.
I found that Rust Oleum makes old style CAT paint. So I used that. It was a little on the thick side but it all worked out. I'll start a new thread on how I plan to detail these DKS D2 crawlers. 

[peteski]

So finally, we had a nice day where I could decant my spray paint outside. I made a mess, but I knew that would happen. I basically just masked off the bottle rim and blasted the spray in to the the bottle outside. I didn't have a WD40 straw so I just went for it.  Thanks for the tip about not tightening the cap.
I found that Rust Oleum makes old style CAT paint. So I used that. It was a little on the thick side but it all worked out. I'll start a new thread on how I plan to detail these DKS D2 crawlers.

Often the spray-can paint has to be thinned a bit more for airbrushing.  I use ordinary lacquer thinner for that.  Having a nozzle with a straw makes the decanting process much neater and less messy.  I have about a dozen of various size spray nozzles and tubes.

[chicken45]

Here is the painted, but incomplete crawler. I'll paint the seat black and maybe give it a wash.

D2 by josh_surkosky, on Flickr