Unfinished Mills No.5 Body Casting

[peregrinvs]

Picked this up at the Thetford militaria fair in January. According to the seller, it was one of around 80 that a had friend dug up. It proved to be in very good condition - there was a smell of oil when I cleaned it in citric acid and I think it may have had a coat of cosmoline or suchlike prior to burial. There are various casting flaws between the lugs that I assume condemned it.

I decided to paint it practice white as this allowed me to conceal a casting flaw hole near the filler plug inlet that I filled with epoxy. I initially used a white oil paint, but it looked far too bright and new. I therefore changed it to an interior off-white paint that I hardened up with a top coat of clear matt lacquer.