Original paint recipe?

Does anybody know what the ingrediants are for 1920 paint?I think that the old paints don't have the smooth gloss that our modern paints have.it would be interesting to mix up some original paint and brush it on to see what the engines really looked like when they were new.Rob

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Paints made back then were from pigments ground up in pure linseed oil. They took days and weeks to dry. Sounds like a sticky mess to me

I wonder if we could use boiled linseed oil with japan drier in it There also must be some powdered lead in it Rob

You could definitely try that. The japan driers will help. What color do you want? Powdered lead when used in paint from the "old days" was usually white lead as they called it. This is no longer used. Today..industrial and auto paints use some lead but its only in colors such as oranges, yellows and a few reds. The pigments needed other than colored pigments usually involve talc and some form of calcium carbonate. Naturally titanium dioxide if you need to get a white or some shade of gray...Eric

[Harry]

You bring back memories of a quart sized glass jar of "red lead" that was kept at our place. (As a kid, I was told to stay away from it and I did.) I suppose this was for mixing in paint, but did it come in various colors? Its appearance was more like what you would expect to mix into gasoline.

Lead came in 2 colors, when I was a kid, Red was for priming iron, and also for lubricating the center on the lathe. White lead was also used for priming metal, when the finish coat was going to be something the red would bleed thru. Linseed oil & whitning was mixed togetherfor a waterproof wood filler, but I have no idea what Whitning was.

that sounds correct. white lead was used in oil base paints in the beginning. that's the material that the government and the health dept is concerned with that exists in old oil base paints covering the walls and woodwork in historic communities like the new england area of the US and others

There seems to be a keen interest in reproducing the antique look of old engines. the following came from this site: http://www.windmillantiques.co.uk/const.htm

Paintwork: After carving, the rocking horse body was covered in several layers of gesso, a mixture of glue and whiting used for centuries by artists and gilders to give a hard, smooth surface to wood prior to painting. The horse body was then given several coats of paint, dappled by hand and, finally, finished with a layer of varnish. It is this coat of varnish which yellows with age and gives old rocking horses their characteristic and very appealing yellowish hue.

some may be interested in this also: Terms and Definitions used in the Surface Coating Industry http://www.occa.org.za/paintopedia/glossary.htm

Hi All, My dad has 2 10 lb cans of original dutch boy white lead for mixing up paint.We think it has linseed oil in it.What would I need to put in it to make a green paint like that used on Mogul engines?Thanks rob

Hi All, I am looking at the can and it says pure white lead 88%(basic carbonate) pure linseed oil 10 % turpentine 2% What do I need to do to make green paint? Rob

If that paint is a "White" paint you won't be able to make a dark dreen which is what I think you desire. You won't be able to overcome the "whiteness" of the titanium dioxide (white pigment"

Example: no matter how much black you add to a white paint you will always have a shade of gray. Here you will only wind up with a pale green

Hi,This can doesn't say anything about titanium dioxide on it.It looks to be about 70or 80 yrs old.Would it have that in it even though it does say so?Rob

Maybe not. I think they used lithopone and other pigments or simply stuff, maybe scraped off the ground....or the bottom of shoes :}

Hey open the can and see if whatever's in it is not settled to the bottom so bad, or solid that it's even usable. See if you can mix it first, then brush some out and see what it looks like...

Hi, Will do and post the results Rob