how to tint a canopy??

[oppenheimerj]

Hi there, i need professional advice, i am working on an EA-6B PROWLER and need to tint the canopy window in gold yellow, is there any way to tinted without loosing the transparency of the plastic?? i have tried with tamiya clear yellow but at the end it looks trasparent but with a opaque finish and a need a clear finish

Thanks in advance on any help

Jorge

[Kaibutsu]

Hello Jorge,

You might find this helpful. Tinting

Good luck.

Andrew

[Janissary]

Hi Jorge. Here is what I did on an F-18:

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=206922&st=40&p=2034089entry2034089

You will likely need to use gold paint instead of yellow. Also, here is a thread with multiple ideas:

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=288550

[oppenheimerj]

Thank you guys i will give it a try at the end of the paint process

Jorge

[balls47]

This has worked for me when tinting F-16 canopies to get that gold tint on the canopy. I use three ingredients:

1. Future (I have experimented with Denatured Alcohol instead of Future. It works fine, but you've got to pay attention, because it dries quickly.

2. Tamiya Smoke (X-19)

3. FW Acrylic Artists Ink - These come in 1 ounce bottles with a rubber eye dropper on the top. Use Gold (#701).

If using Future, tint the Future with the Tamiya Smoke. Then add the FW Gold, one drop at a time, until you get it where you want it.

If using the Denatured Alcohol, do the same. Tint the Denatured Alcohol with the Tamiya Smoke and then add the FW Gold, a drop at a time.

IMPORTANT: PRACTICE on some clear scrap first until you get the results that you want. This isn't that difficult. If you use Future, you will still

need to spray it. You need to constantly stir the mix to keep everything in suspension. Good Luck!!!

[chuck540z3]

Hi there, i need professional advice, i am working on an EA-6B PROWLER and need to tint the canopy window in gold yellow, is there any way to tinted without loosing the transparency of the plastic?? i have tried with tamiya clear yellow but at the end it looks trasparent but with a opaque finish and a need a clear finish

Thanks in advance on any help

Jorge

Hi Jorge,

I've used a number of methods to tint canopies, but my favorite one right now is to add clear acrylic paint to Future, then dip the canopy in the mixture. In this case clear yellow and maybe a touch of clear red to make it a bit more orange. Experiment on a few clear plastic pieces until you get the right color and look you want before you commit to the canopy. I also sometimes re-dip the canopy in the Future mixture a few times to build up the color. I would avoid spraying the canopy with anything, because if you screw up, the canopy is ruined. Some do spray the canopy with great results, but why take the chance? If you don't like the Future dipped canopy, you can always re-dip it in Windex to remove it and start all over. Make sure the canopy is on a paper towel or something similar to wick up the solution at the bottom where it will be naturally thicker (and darker)

Also, don't use food coloring in Future because it looks good at first, but it fades over time.

Cheers,

Chuck

Edited November 27, 2015 by chuck540z3

[oppenheimerj]

Thanks Chuck/ i tried that and the tamiya yellow wont dissolve completely in future will try again this weekend<br><br>Jorge<br>

[chuck540z3]

Thanks Chuck/ i tried that and the tamiya yellow wont dissolve completely in future will try again this weekend<br><br>Jorge<br>

Try Model Master Acryl in their clear colors.

[MoFo]

Alternatively, try artist's inks, or food coloring.

[Grant in West Oz]

Fabric dye, Rit brand in Oz, work well for tinting plastic.

G

[modelguy2]

Future/yellow food color