Were the MG08 Sleds Primed with that Red Primer before Paint

[IMBLITZVT]

Were the MG08 Sleds Primed with that Red Primer before Painting? I am getting started redoing mine and would like to do it right. Let me know. Also if anyone has the codes for the German field gray, I could use the paint combo.

Thanks!

[IMBLITZVT]

I started stripping the paint today... a few layers on there for sure. If anything was original... it coming off with the rest of it... but doesn't look like much of the original paint is left.

Please help me out if you know any of that info...

[IMBLITZVT]

Hey Guys, I am at a stand still on my project until I can get this answered. I have a line on some Lead based primer but I don't know if I need it. Were your sleds primed?

Also any have that field gray paint color?

If you don't have the info, let me know too so I know I need to keep looking... Thanks for all the help!

[MarkFinneran]

Matt hello and good to see the site back up and running.
Of course I am seeking the same answers as yourself and bearing in mind the amount of different colours out there - it is difficult.
Having tried to study as many sleds as possible, original and re-painted, I am leaning towards the NOT primed school of thought. However if they did prime them, I think they stopped doing that for the 2nd and 3rd patterns as it was just overkill, war economy and speed of production.
I say that as I have looked at (very very closely)(and licked!) an original 3rd pattern and there are many layers of paint but also parts down to the bare metal, and no primer.

So not a definitive answer from me and maybe David can help, but on my sled restoration I will not be using primer but will paint several layers...............once we all get the correct colour code. I will ask the museum for their thoughts on the original field grey, but even that differs.
Regards,
Mark

[dwmmg08]

Hallo Matt!

I have been thinking about this for a while, and the more I think about it, the less I think my sled was primed at all. I've worked on a fairly small sample (stripped two) and can't remember any primer on either. Of course, it's possible both were wore smooth off of paint (or someone else stripped it) over the 60 or so years before I got to it, but it's more likely that they just weren't primed. I don't recall most German WWI stuff being primed actually, helmets are not. I've actually always thought the sleds were probably done the same way as the helmets.

[MarkFinneran]

Matt I think Glen's independant email confirms other message, and is correct. I shall be doing mine this way. Can't wait to see your pictures!!
Mark

[IMBLITZVT]

Guys,

Thanks so much for the help, I tend to agree. I have not seen any of them primed and did not come across any primer on mine when I stripped it. So normal paint it is.

So I did not see any field gray paint on mine when I stripped it, it seemed like a brown or tan under it.

So what to paint it? Field gray or some kind of tan. Does anyone have the color code for either?

David, what is the base color under your camo? Eventually I would like to use Davids pictures as a pattern to repaint my sled and repro MG08 armor.

[IMBLITZVT]

OK guys I think I am set. Does anyone know the field gray color code?

How about a WWI helmet restoring sight. (I talked to one guy but he would not help). Maybe a good WWI Militaria/re-enacting website??? I can't find anything.

[Blanksguy]

Guys,
Of the five original-condition/what was left of paint MG-08 Sled-Mounts that I have owned over the past 20-years.......none had any primer on them.
One had that gaud-awful bright-green part that the VFW had painted on it...but under it (as the other four) all only had that dark-gray paint. One coat from what I could see.

Regards, RichardS in MI.
Blanksguy2001@chartermi.net

PS: Has anyone asked "Rick-Keller" of "Great-War-Militaria" (Chambersburg, PA) about this subject (?). He has alot of information on these and WWI in general.......and has many contact over in France.

[IMBLITZVT]

Guys,
Of the five original-condition/what was left of paint MG-08 Sled-Mounts that I have owned over the past 20-years.......none had...."Rick-Keller" of "Great-War-Militaria" (Chambersburg, PA) about this subject (?). He has alot of information on these and WWI in general.......and has many contact over in France.

Thanks for the info! I think only very early MG08 sleds were primed. I have seen only one primed in france and its a per war sled. You know I was thinking of calling up to GWM today and asking them. I think I will be giving them a call. Thanks again!

[dwmmg08]

Great War used to carry paint for repainting German WWI stuff, and 1944 Militaria has a WWI Field Grey in a spray can, also. The actual WWI field grey varies slightly batch to batch; it, like most paint colors back then, was made up on the job site from a combination of a few shelf-stable colors. Your end result will change slightly depending on how much of each item you put in it. The modern paint you'll be able to get will be much more uniform batch to batch.

Incidentally, the constituent colors are the ones that are later used for the camo; combine them in the right amounts, and poof, you have feldgrau, I was shocked when I tried it and it worked, and well. Rather than mixing them up, they instead just painted helmets with the paint in the camo patterns, easy. The camo stuff started with stuff that was too big to hide well from the air (cannons, etc) and then got picked up as near as I can tell by the heavy machine gun Sharpshooter detachments, and then quickly copied/aped by lots of people. Ive seen one order relating to the helmets that even said to paint them in the "style currently in use by the artillery and the MGs". I'm thinking the people with the most ability to paint stuff, after all, were the artillery; the infantry probably didn't have nearly as much paint laying around in the trenches!

As an aside, ever seen WWI naval paint camo for ships?? Wow!

[IMBLITZVT]

Incidentally, the constituent colors are the ones that are later used for the camo; combine them in the right amounts, and poof, you have feldgrau, I was shocked when I tried it and it worked, and well.

Do you have the "Constituent Color" codes? I would not mind mixing it myself it thats how they did it back then.

Otherwise I will check with GWM.

I don't think I can afford enough spray paint! Also they brushed these sleds right? They did not spray stuff back then did they?

[MarkFinneran]

Hello everybody - good to see back online again.
Matt any latest images of your project so far? I am sorry I cannot help you with the paint id answers, I too wil be following the advice you have received from Richard and Glen.
I assume it would not be incorrect to have ammo boxes and water can in field grey too?
Mark

[dwmmg08]

Hi All!

They did have spray paint, that was actually invented for the Columbian exhibition in Chicago, (they painted the buildings of the exhibition that way, all white, hence the name the "white city" for the exhibition grounds) and I swear I've seen a picture of a rack of helmets being painted exactly that way at the factory.

That being said, I think every sled finish in Feld grau I have seen appears to be smooth and pretty uniform; I didn't see a lot of brush strokes, so I always figured they were probably done exactly the same way, sprayed, but it's of course possible it could be just a good job on the part of the painter. Not a big deal if you're the factory, but in the field they did not have spray systems as yet, I'm pretty sure. The good old fashioned brush would have been used at the front or in any repair depot, I would think.

[dwmmg08]

Incidentally, the constituent colors are the ones that are later used for the camo; combine them in the right amounts, and poof, you have feldgrau, I was shocked when I tried it and it worked, and well.

Do you have the "Constituent Color" codes? I would not mind mixing it myself it thats how they did it back then.

I'll look, I'm pretty sure I don't have the codes, more the names. I'' check that and let you know!

Glen

[MarkFinneran]

Matt - any updated images on your sled restoration project please?
Mark

[IMBLITZVT]

not much... I got another cradle with no break on the traverse rail with an nice top strap. Hopefully I can get moving on it soon but something always sees to be popping up.

[dwmmg08]

I'd sure like an original top strap, if I could find one. Wouldn't mind a good original early sled too, if I could find one I could afford!

[IMBLITZVT]

I just might happen to have one. However it could be a long wait for it as nothing is forsale until a certain deal involving 2 MG08 sleds is finished, one way or another. I just don't know if I will need the spare parts or not. I will keep you in mind if it comes up for sale.

I'd sure like an original top strap, if I could find one. Wouldn't mind a good original early sled too, if I could find one I could afford!

[MarkFinneran]

Holy crap - Matt are you buying more sleds???

Not long before you can kit out a MG Kompanie?

Mark