Thanks Korm. Thanks Rooster. I think an answer is beginning to take shape.
I like the thought of easy-peel-off electrical tape. Its adhesive isnāt as gummy as duct tape, and the pro grades say they seal well. It doesnāt tear easily, while removing it. And I like the option of spraying the box black, if needed. So I got some pro quality electrical tape, and will use that on the seams. Then, if the halo effect is noticeable, Iāll shoot the box with black Fusion. That way, when I peel the tape back off and replace it, thereāll be clean plex substrate to adhere to.
Will try it out over the weekendā¦
About paint. I came to the sad realization that you canāt get those little sample paint colors (from Sherwin Williams, Behr, Ben Mooreā¦) in specifically exterior grade. Theyāre only to test color, not to be the final thing (at least outdoors). So Iām ordering quarts (smallest I can find!) in certain colors from Home Depot, and theyāll deliver for free (for over $45).
The good news is that I received great info on Virginia City building paint colors from some historically-savvy friends out west (Mike Collins, Dan Ball, Andrew Brandon). They pointed me to an official document (āComstock Historic District Construction Standardsā) that says what colors you can use in Virginia City today: basically anything in the āHistorical Color Collectionā by Benjamin Moore or the āHeritage Colorsā by Sherwin Williams is fine. The web sites of those companies have palettes, and it was easy enough to pick out similar colors in Behr Premium Plus exterior latex, on Home Depotās site.
And now, a sideline for we who are historically anal about such things. Theoretically, one could try to go further into historical accuracy on this, and which actual color / formulation was used. But then youād run into which era and which substrate of a particular building; then, archaeologically uncover actual fragments of paint, and have it analyzed and color-corrected for degradation from age or other effects. Thatās what is being painstakingly done for, say, the V&Tās first Mound House depot which is currently under restoration (in Dayton). But for hobby purposes, and for Virginia City in general, itās a level of information which is impossible to acquire. And fortunately, I really donāt care.
Bottom line, Iām really relieved that the buildings donāt need to be all whitewashed!! And Iām looking forward to painting them with a good breadth of historically permissible color. I suck at painting, but Iām glad to finally have a plan.
===:>Cliffy
PS, a friend (Andrew Brandon) gave me this excellent link on historical paint and color choices, per time frame:
http://www.pacificng.com/template.php?page=/ref/color/index.php&pg=refbooks