What colour

Hello all thought I'd better say hello, I've bee on here for s few days now and forgot to say hi upon joining. My hobbies cover vast amount of topics, but the means of them are to renovate items properly learning along the way. From petrol remote boats, cars and helicopters to autocycle and machinery. I've always looked at the lathe as an item to learn so when I came across one that needed restoration what better way to learn. I live in clitheroe lancs.

This lathe i have is a 1947 3"1/2 M type myford long bed, it needs thoroughly cleaning and renovating which is just what I like. As far as I can tell everything is there. In the process of stripping it down and I've come across 4 colours, myford dark grey, myford green, red and an oaty beige being the most covered.

But which colour should it be ?

Welcome from another newby.

I would vote for green.

Be a little careful stripping it down, the original paint may have been lead based.

Ideas about colour have changed over time, so you can take your pick.

As made pre-war by Drummond, likely to have been hide-the-dirt Black, even though Grey had been favoured by progressive makers for about fifty years. Black would give it a thoroughly retro look.

Unless someone completely stripped it in the past, Myford in 1947 were probably responsible for the Myford Dark Grey layer; if you want to recreate the original paint job that's it.

Greenish colours pushed grey out after WW2 because they create a better working atmosphere. Not Feng Shui magic but because the colour makes better use of the available light - green is brighter and less contrasty and boring than grey.

Machines made today often favour very light colours like cream; modern machine rooms tend to be kept very clean and tidy, and light colours make it easy to spot problems.

Dave

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Had a sample of paint checked at local paint factory and it came out spitfire grey probably spare paint left over from the war.

David