Rushton Moss Green?

[JClearwater]

I've been working on my Indian Girl and have a scrap of what I presume to be the original canvas and the green paint. The Rushton 1910 catalog reprint shows that Rushton offered three colors of green as standard colors; Moss Green Light, Coach Painter's Green Light and Brilliant Green Light. I know what moss looks like so I'm going to call this Moss Green Light. We are a long way away from having to pick a paint color but I thought it was an interesting bit of history for this canoe.

Thoughts anyone?

Jim

 

[pklonowski]

Take that piece to your local paint store, find a matching color chip? Then send the chip to Kirby...

Whatever that's worth.

 

[Dan Miller]

I always assumed that moss green was exemplified by Dave Davidson's canoe, which was featured on the WCHA rack card for a long time. His sample, like yours, came from beneath a gunwale.

However, a name is just that.

 

[MGC]

That bit of canvas and paint looks exactly like what I found under the keel of my IG when I restored it. I sent a piece off to Kirby hoping that they could match it. We went back and forth a few times and came up with a paint that was acceptable, but not a perfect match. I still have a can in my shop. I'll shoot you a PM with the details if there is anything marked on the can. Good luck. That would be a really cool color to duplicate.
Mike

 

[JClearwater]

Friends,

Yes, I thought about sending the scrap off to Kirby for them to match and I probably will but like I said painting the canoe is a long way off. I have replaced six ribs so far with another twelve to go plus a couple backside repairs, planking, new inwales, the list goes on and on. I may have to write an article for Wooden Canoe when I get further along. This canoe is in worst shape than any other one I have worked on. If it didn't have J.H. Rushton stamped on the stems it may not have been worth it. Stay tuned.

Jim

 

[Mud Bug]

Who's Kirby? I thought they made vacuum cleaners.

 

[Michael Grace]

Turns out there's more than one Kirby in the world. This one is the George Kirby Jr. Paint Co., marine paint manufacturer in New Bedford, MA. Searching these forums will yield quite a few testimonials about Kirby paints.

https://kirbypaint.com/

 

[Mud Bug]

Ahhh. Notta mail-in vacuum service for paint shreds after all. (But if I remember it that way, there's a chance I'll remember the name!)

Thanks. Good to know. Thanks for the link too.

 

[MGC]

Jim, if you want to ask Kirby for a starting point, my extra can is labeled Mike Cyr Gloss, Antique Canvas Green. The canvas sample was returned and is attached.
It's a nice green color but it doesn't seem to have the yellowish/bluish sheen that is present in the original paint.

 

[JClearwater]

Thanks Mike. I'll mention it to George Kirby when I send off the canvas scrap to him.

 

[Howie]

Jim... What did you end up painting your IG with? I'll be ordering some soon for mine & am looking for recommendations.

 

[dtdcanoes]

JIM,

I think Epi has a close match and if not close enough you have no problem in mixing theirs and they would be helpful with that as far as I know. I have mixed a lot of their product to get what I wanted to see.
Pam Wedd has done it as well for years. Just sayin' can't wait to see your new resto.
Dave

 

[MGC]

None of the Epifanes paints matched the old canvas sample I have. That is what lead me to send the canvas sample to Kirby.
As I previously mentioned, the Kirby color is not quite what I had hoped for. That's not say it isn't a good color.
When I eventually repaint this particular IG, I will probably use the Kirby can I still have as a starting point and add a significant amount of dark blue to it to attempt to get a better color match.
WRT mixing Epiphanes, my Indian is painted a much different green that does not match the old Rushton paint, but it really looks great. That is a 1 to 1 mix of Epifanes black and green.

 

[Howie]

Decided on Kirby Bottle Green. I used it on the HW I completed a few months ago. Nice. Plus by getting the paint & mud together I get free shipping.