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Tinting clear plastic and chassis parts color


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Ok I'm trying my best to make the Sox and Martin 67 "GTX" SS/B car.

Has anyone tried using Pledge and food color or ink to tint clear clastic ?

I do have a Ebay single action air brush also.

I know Tamiya makes a translucent blue but thought about making my own.

Also chassis paint color. 

From what I can find the suspension parts were semi gloss black.

Your thoughts on this ?

 

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I would not use anything water based if spraying. You’ll have a drying issue. You may want to try Dykem, an ink based layout fluid that machinists use on steel and aluminum. It’s fairly dark in red or blue and can be sprayed full strength or watered down with denatured alcohol. It also looks pretty good over chrome exhaust pipes creating that hot tint hue. Be sure to clean your painting surface first. Dykem can be purchased many ways through MSC, McMaster Carr, Grainger, Amazon or EBay. Good luck.

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23 minutes ago, Rick L said:

I would not use anything water based if spraying. You’ll have a drying issue. You may want to try Dykem, an ink based layout fluid that machinists use on steel and aluminum. It’s fairly dark in red or blue and can be sprayed full strength or watered down with denatured alcohol. It also looks pretty good over chrome exhaust pipes creating that hot tint hue. Be sure to clean your painting surface first. Dykem can be purchased many ways through MSC, McMaster Carr, Grainger, Amazon or EBay. Good luck.

I am a retired mechanic that has used Dykem.

Why would I buy a product that cost  more than mixing Pledge and food color or craft ink ?

Thanks for your idea though.

 

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Dykem uses a very hot fast-evaporating solvent - I highly suspect that it would instantly craze clear styrene.  Do not use it!

And if somebody has not noticed yet, model car builders are very frugal bunch.  Like Scotish people, the own wallets that use Velcro to keep them closed - they "scream" ever time someone opens them up! :D

Edited by peteski
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11 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

No, you didn't mention anything about cheap.

He was only offering an idea.

Sugar is going to get you a lot further on this board than vinegar.

 

 

 

Steve

Sorry if I ruffled some feathers when I wrote that.

 

Edited by RDF
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3 hours ago, Bills72sj said:

Yes food coloring and Pledge will tint windows. Keep in mind it will need to be very dark in your mixing cup prior to applying it to a test window. I tinted my 1/25 Hot wheels El Camino this way.

DSCN3870-vi.jpg

Thanks for your answer.

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Another low-cost alternative (cheaper than Tamiya anyway, and probably comparable to artist's ink) is Createx candy airbrush colors.  They're about $4 or $5 a bottle and you get 2 fluid ounces of the stuff for the same price as 1/3oz in the Tamiya jars for about the same cost.

Hobby Lobby carries them, if you have one nearby, or failing that they're readily available online.

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8 hours ago, Venom said:

I saw a YouTube vid where a girl tinted her plastic glasses lenses with this stuff and by the looks of them I think it might do great on model car windows

798D1B12-E22A-489F-B042-5BB153F43A35.jpeg.c5987c3d781b8aa3bc8b158a79db8f81.jpeg

I have used this on the Flintstone Flyers, it doesn't do bad. You must be careful, even coat(s) are a MUST, as it is translucent. Takes awhile to dry, and make SURE there is no dust or debris, it will show. Material stays on top like paint, doesn't soak in like a dye.

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