How to match paint colors?

[EF510]

Hello,

 

I am new to forum and hoping I could get some help. I am working on a gauge one project scratch building an EF510, and I am looking for a source of Pantone color numbers or their equivalent for Japanese locomotive colors, specifically the EF510 blue.

 

Thank you.

 

-Adam

Edited February 27, 2013 by EF510

[CaptOblivious]

Adam,

 

You may or may not be in luck. All JNR colors were specified using the Munsell color system—there is a page on the Japanese Wikipedia listing them. Insofar as the EF510-500 "Hokutosei" livery matches the blue used on the Blue Trains (Blue No. 20), that color will appear in that table. The bad news is that there is not a single method for translating Munsell color codes into Pantone colors, to my knowledge. I might be wrong.

 

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%BD%E9%89%84%E8%89%B2

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9D%9220%E5%8F%B7

 

 

Edit: The Wikipedia articles says that the EF510-500s were in fact done in Blue No. 20.

Edited February 27, 2013 by CaptOblivious

[marknewton]

I suspect the only way to get a Pantone equivalent for Blue No.20 would be to visually compare PMS swatches to a painted sample such as a model or the real locomotive. FWIW Pantone is primarily intended for specifying prtinting inks and dyes, I've rarely seen it used for paint.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[Davo Dentetsu]

I would be tempted to say there would be a Tamiya spray can option.  White primer followed by TS-15 would produce a lighter effect.  TS-15 was the colour I used for the EF66 kit I had, but I sprayed grey primer then followed by a sand colour for the line details, producing the darker shade I required.

 

Oh, would a few pics of the build be out of the question?  Sounds like a great project!

Edited February 28, 2013 by Azumanga Davo

[EF510]

Thank you for the color information. I should be able to use that to get a paint that matches. No pics to show yet, still working on the 3D modeling. My plan is to 3D print most of the body, and cast the other parts. The goal is to make it as realistic as possible. Once I have something to show, I will begin posting pictures.

 

-Adam

[CaptOblivious]

Very cool. What scale? Very interested to know if 3D printing for N is reaching a good level of detail.

[EF510]

It will be 1/30 scale so a lot larger than N. I have seen some places advertising N scale bodies from 3D printing though.