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One of the hardest things to do when restoring a classic telescope is selecting a color to repaint the tube and trim. Essentially two routes can be taken - you can mimic the original colors as much as possible, or you can go in a completely different color(s) making the scope more an expression of your own personal tastes.

Repainting in an original color is harder than you may think. There are just about a zillion shades of white out there, and matching white is further complicated by how white ages over time. The white on your telescope tube today may not be the white it was when it was new 10 to 15 years ago. Some years ago when I was trying to match the "Unitron White" of my #152 4" Unitron for a photo-guide scope rebuilt, I came as close as I could, but still could not get it quite right. Same thing with the repaint of a Takahashi finder scope. It seems like I spent hours at "Auto Zone" going thru all the import whites trying to find something close. I wound up bringing about 4 or 5 cans of different whites home to see what was best. As it turns out I finally found a very close match in the form of Plasti Kote FM 8141. I never did find what I consider a good match for Unitron White. With a complete rebuild of a 3" Unitron I went with Krylon "Ivory", a color I like much better anyway.

Often I like to go in a completely different direction. The disadvantage of doing that is it will hurt the resale value of a scope, particularly something like a Unitron or a Takahashi. Keep in mind however that your "replacement" paint job has to match so well and look so close to the original that if it is not mentioned, it has to completely fool someone into thinking that it is original. I don't recommend deceiving anyone in this way, you have to mention a rebuild or a repaint if that was done. For some purists, a repaint, no matter how good, detracts from the value of a classic scope like a Unitron.

I do think that going in a different direction with a totally different color can be lots of fun if you know the telescope you are repainting is a keeper or if it was bought cheap, strictly as a fixer-upper. In fact I would thoroughly recommend that everyone buy a cheap garage sale telescope or a less than perfect scope from eBay or AstroMart with the intention of fixing it up. Doing this will help you develop some rebuilding skills, primarily tube repair and painting skills. A good looking telescope that has some of your personal effort in it, that draws lots of compliments will give you plenty of personal satisfaction. Restoring telescopes is a hobby unto itself.

Anyway with a current project, rebuild of a Milo 3" f/18.4 refractor, I have been trying to find the equivalent of what I will call "Vespa" Blue-Green to replace the white that originally was the color of this tube. I think I have found a color that I like. See the attached Dupli-Color color chart. There is a color called "Malibu Mist" which comes close to what my "Mind's Eye" envisions as a good color for my rebuild project. Let me know what you think.

http://www.duplicolor.com/products/colors/premium.html

I am going for kind of a different retro look and I think this color will do that. I also think it will contrast nicely with the semi-gloss black focuser and objective cell.

The attached photo shows a repainted guidescope used with a Takahashi FCT 76. The guidescope was repainted with the previously mentioned Plasti Kote FM 8141. Not a bad color match in my opinion, but still not a perfect match.

Barry Simon

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Barry..great thread. I needed to find the exact color of my 6"f/15..the one my father built. So I took several parts and had them color scanned. I got both greens matched.

You mentioned in your post..everything I did...great post.

Except my tube was 8 ft long, and 7" in diameter. After it spent 2 days on its rotating jig under heat lamps. I made a rotating jig so I would not have any drips form as the thicker apoxy paint dried. It then spent a week standing upright in my (vaulted) cieling livingroom.

Great post.

Rob

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