M4 Helix Red

A red shade from the Number Five range

Number Five is a range of paints that mixes its shades not to military standards but to the particular lacquers used on real vehicles. On car and motorcycle models that is a fundamental difference. A generic red from a standard palette always looks a little different next to a photograph of the real machine, because automotive lacquers tend to have a different proportion of yellow or blue in them and a different character of pigment. A shade from this range, by contrast, matches. The paint comes in the bottle in a state ready for spraying, so all it needs before use is stirring.

Use

• Stir the bottle thoroughly before use; the pigment settles at the bottom.
• Red shades need a light base; on a gray base coat they lose their depth.
• Spray in thin coats and let them become tacky between passes; a heavy coat runs.
• Thin and clean with the thinner of the same brand; mixing in chemicals from elsewhere is a risk.
• Once dry, go over it with gloss varnish, and only then does the shade gain its depth.

Who it is for

The paint is for modelers of cars and motorcycles who are building a particular machine and want a shade that matches the real thing. Working with it calls for an airbrush and a mastered surface preparation, because on glossy bodywork every unevenness the preparation left behind shows.

Store it tightly closed, out of the reach of children and away from sources of ignition. Ventilate thoroughly when spraying and use respiratory protection.