Blog and ye shall receive?

Just over a week ago, I posted a blog about chalkies, and I included information and pictures of 1960s chalkies that had been factory repainted over decorators and woodgrains in order to repurpose models that were not selling well. A handful of painted-over-decorators are in the hands of collectors, but the painted-over-woodgrains seem to be less common. So you can imagine my surprise when I stumbled across one only a matter of days later on eBay.

This chalky bay Clydesdale Stallion looks ordinary from this side...

But from this side, you can see there's something peculiar under that bay paint.

Here's a close up of the chipped spot on his rump revealing the original woodgrain paintjob underneath. You can just see the white layer of paint in between the woodgrain and bay paint.

Here's a better shot of the layers of paint on this model. The bay paint has rubbed away revealing the white basecoat, the basecoat has been chipped to reveal the woodgrain paintjob underneath, and the woodgrain paint is a bit rubbed, too, showing the creamy colored plastic underneath that.

The white basecoat paint is cracking and lifting in various places on this model, so I think it didn't adhere well to the topcoat Breyer put over the woodgrain finish. The paint in the chipped area on the rump is very fragile and flaky, and if I wanted, it would be easy to peel it away to reveal more of the woodgrain paintjob. If it were a particularly rare woodgrain, I might be tempted, but even in this beat up condition, I think my Clyde is much more interesting as is. He's a weird and wonderful piece of Breyer history.

Other hobbyists have tried to strip painted-over-decorators with varying success. Collector Karen Hoagland found a chalky bay Running Mare that had been painted over a Gold Charm, and because the white basecoat didn't stick well to the gloss, she was able to easily peel away the bay paint revealing the decorator underneath.

Chalky bay Running Mare with some of the paint removed (neck) revealing
the Gold Charm paint underneath. (Photo courtesy of Karen Hoagland)

Chalky bay Running Mare with nearly all of the bay paint stripped except on her face,
legs, mane, and tail. (Photo courtesy of Karen Hoagland)

The chalky bay paint pulled away in strips although it did take a layer of
gold with it. (Photo courtesy of Karen Hoagland)

Sadly, this chalky Five Gaiter painted over a Wedgewood did not fare so well. Wedgewoods lack the glossy finish other decorators have as well as the clear coat sprayed over woodgrains, so the white paint layer in this case stuck firmly to the wedgewood paint below, making it impossible to strip.

(Photo courtesy of Sande Schneider)

Needless to say, I'm going to have to go through my collection and have a good look at my chalkies from the 1950s and 1960s. Could there be a woodgrain lurking under my chalky honey bay Old Mold Proud Arabian Mare? Probably not, but I'm definitely going to hold her up to the light to check anyway! :)