Renault FT and TSF – Internal Paint Treatment – Final Steps - Inside Track | Renault TSF Tank Kent

Our previous piece covered the primer layer of green black on the engine bay interior. The crew cabin was mentioned to have a red oxide first coat without the green black overlay. The next paint layers had also been analysed a few years ago but would need refreshing as we moved into this area of the project. It was important that we paint the hull interior sides and the angle iron cross members prior to installing the foot pedals, steering levers and control rods. This was not possible in the case of the Renault FT as the team did not have the break in their time to get this done. We had the challenge of completing the task at the weekend while the rest of the team were taking a well earned rest at home. Two of us spent the two days painting both the Renault FT and the TSF. The matt ice white interior paint was applied in two coats to all areas of the hull sides and front plate. This adhered to our instructions from the scientific paint analysis that had been conducted on the plates when we had originally recovered them. We had taken extensive notes, made a photographic record and marked up the panels when they first arrived at the Foundation workshops. The lower are of the plates had been treated in the same way as the Germans over twenty years later. The grey covered the lower area of the panels from floor to shoulder height. The problem was there were two layers of grey. A darker grey was the last application and the earlier lighter grey was not very obvious but was just visible from under the white paint above. With all measurements in place we sent the plates off to our paint conservation experts for analysis. The eagerly awaited report followed a week later. The lighter grey was indeed the earliest white. The colour of the white changed over time but our only interest was in the earliest application. The grey was very interesting it had been applied at the same time as the white proven by the absence of a dust layer between the two paint treatments. This grey was much lighter than the later. Very light grey much lighter than we thought. The grey and the white NCS referenced paints were ordered from our local NCS specialist ready for the interior paint treatment. The turret was the first to be painted in the white. We had experienced a problem in the café au lait tan paint on the turret. This tan paint was initially sprayed on by our workshop paint specialist and proved disappointing as the sprayed paint appeared to be very light – too light when compared to the colour card we had received after the plate analysis. Our enterprising team member took his trusted set of brushes out and hand painted a section of the turret alongside the sprayed area. The brushed section was considerably darker so we returned to the local NCS paint supplier for SEM analysis. The correct code was to be found in the brushed paint!. The white would be done in the same way. An application of two coats in the turret interior proved very satisfactory. The hull was next. The microscopic analysis had shown the white layer had been applied over the entire plate prior to the grey. The grey had been hand painted over this white layer. The thickness off both the white and grey layers indicated brush paint application – quite unlike the very thin green black layer primer, which could only have been applied by spraying. The corroded flat plate surface area was quite time taking to paint. The corroded angle iron sections too twice as long as they were significantly corroded and were fitted with the oversized bolts as per the original set up. A smaller brush proved very adept in dealing with this task. All of the hinge bolts and internal visor fittings had also to be addressed for both the Renault FT and TSF. The Renault TSF was much more of a challenge given the large turret interior with the accompanying multitude of bolts. The next phase was the grey. We knew the colour. We also knew the height the grey had to reach - the earlier higher level as seen under the later darker grey. This grey reached a height of 500mm from the base of the panel. Allowing for a 60x60 mm angle iron at the base of the plate on the floor we marked up the Renault FT with masking tape. Much debate ensued at this point as the Renault TSF plates showed a variety of the light grey paint top line.

Membership

Corporate Membership available on application.

Affiliate Member