Products from Admiralty Colours

Admiralty Colours – Speciality paints for historical model ships

Admiralty Colours is a paint range from JoTiKa’s Caldercraft range. These water-based acrylic paints are designed for use on historical sailing ships. Particularly when replicating British warships, the coordinated black, ochre and decorative shades offer an alternative to freely mixing general-purpose model-making paints.

For RC model-making, the key consideration is whether a particular colour shade is suitable for both the substrate and its subsequent use. A paint intended for a historical wooden display model is not automatically a suitable, durable exterior finish for the hull of a sailing model that is constantly exposed to water.

Historical colour effects rather than arbitrary standard shades

The range distinguishes between a slightly silk-matt ‘Dull Black’ for the hull and general fittings, and a more heavily matt ‘Ironwork Black’ for iron fittings. ‘Yellow Ochre’ and ‘Red Ochre’ are intended for typical surfaces and details of historical ships. White, blue, olive green and metallic shades are also part of the range. The choice of colour should be based on the prototype, era and desired state of preservation.

What to bear in mind for plastic, GRP and metal

Admiralty also offers a special metal primer for etched and cast fittings. Before painting, workpieces should be clean, free of grease and suitably prepared. For plastic and GRP, it is advisable to carry out a test coat to check adhesion and compatibility with existing coatings. For RC model boats, a suitable, sufficiently water-resistant coating for the entire hull must be planned separately.

Brushes, airbrushes and useful accessories

This paint range is ideal for small, detailed areas; additional thinning may be required for airbrush application. In our RC model shop, under the category Model-making paints, you will find further systems available for various applications, as well as airbrush accessories and masking tapes. A primed wooden surface requires different preparatory work to a smooth plastic structure or a GRP fuselage.

Advice on paint and material selection

We help you distinguish between historical detail paints and coatings for high-wear RC models. For your specific application, we’ll work with you to determine the substrate, primer, application technique and protective clear coat. For RC ships, we also advise you on propulsion, shafting and other internal fittings, so that subsequent painting work and access for maintenance are taken into account during the planning stage.