What's your favorite taillight red and orange paints

[64SS350]

Getting ready to do some  clear taillights, calls for clear red and orange. What favorites do you all have or have gotten the best results from?

Thanks,Karl

[Snake45]

Model Master Turn Signal Amber and Model Master Clear Red Acryl.

[yh70]

Tamiya clear paints are the best..

from left to right...smoke , blue , green , yellow , orange and red

 

 

Edited January 19, 2017 by yh70

[StevenGuthmiller]

Model Master Turn Signal Amber and Model Master Clear Red Acryl.

I use the Testors paints as well, except I have the enamels.

 

Steve

[espo]

Tamiya clear paints are the best..

from left to right...smoke , blue , green , yellow , orange and red

 

 

X2

[Snake45]

I use the Testors paints as well, except I have the enamels.

 

Steve

I think they might make the Turn Signal Amber in acryl, but I use the enamel. I've never seen Testor or Model Master Clear Red in enamel, only the acryl. I used to use their Stop Light Red enamel, but like the Clear Red acryl better.

I've also been known to do red lights with a red Sharpie in some cases, and that's worked great. One good use for that is "darkening" old JoHan taillights.

[Belugawrx]

Tamiya

[crowe-t]

I think they might make the Turn Signal Amber in acryl, but I use the enamel. I've never seen Testor or Model Master Clear Red in enamel, only the acryl. I used to use their Stop Light Red enamel, but like the Clear Red acryl better.

I've also been known to do red lights with a red Sharpie in some cases, and that's worked great. One good use for that is "darkening" old JoHan taillights.

Testors does make the Turn Signal Amber in Acryl.  I have some.

[The Creative Explorer]

I use Tamiya and will not use anything else anymore! definately the best choice (although I don't have access to the Testors)

[peteski]

Just like others I use the Tamiya transparent paints in the little glass jars.  But sometimes I feel that I need to spray them on too thick to get the desired darker shades of red or amber.  I have just recently picked up a set of Alclad II transparent paints to try (but haven't yet). They seem to have much denser colors and should go on very thin.  But Alclad II is a "hot" lacquer so I'm afraid it might craze the more delicate clear styrene. I'll be sure to try them on a piece of clear runner before spraying any actual parts.

[stitchdup]

I use tamiya now, I used to use humbrol but their orange is more like a brown and take much longer to dry

[cowboy rich]

I use the model master clear enamels, and like the results.

[GeeBee]

Tried the Testors many years ago, which ii didn't think looked that realistic, been using Tamiya clear orange, red & yellow now for many years, wouldn't use anything else now 

[Kit Basher]

I use Tamiya for clear lenses, and Testors Stop Light Red for chrome tail lights. For some reason, Tamiya Transparent Red doesn't look right over chrome. Tamiya Transparent Orange looks fine to me over chrome.

[64SS350]

Thanks for all the replies, I have used the Model Master red and orange clears with good results. I will be trying the Tamiya as well now for a good comparison.

Thanks again, Karl

[Snake45]

And remember, there's amber and then there's amber. Some of it is in the yellow/gold range (like the Testor/MM color) and some of it is of a definite orange tint.

I used to have a bottle of "Turn Signal Orange," which was TSA to which I'd added some red or orange or something. I either used it up or it dried out years ago. Now if I'm doing "yellow amber," I use the Testor/MM TSA over a base of white or yellow. For "orange amber," I'll first paint the lens Testor Orange and then put a thin layer of TSA over that.

Sadly, Tamiya paints aren't available in my area anymore, or I'd be giving more of them a try.

[Mike Chernecki]

I use glass stain.

[Chrischu33]

Tamiya acrylics cleare red and orange are the best, plus they never run out, ive been using the same ones since the start of my modelling career and thats a long time ago

[ChrisR]

Tamiya clear acrylics!

[Art Anderson]

Model Master Turn Signal Amber and Model Master Clear Red Acryl.

Ditto here, particularly if the taillight, turnsignal and side marker lights are no more than just engravings on the chrome parts (or engraved on the body shell to be foiled).  Reason?  Real taillight lenses, particularly on cars before taillights had any real sort of reflector inside, do not appear bright red, nor transparent.  Stoplight red, applied a bit thickly, most closely resembles taillight lenses that are darkened, no light bulb shining behind them.  It's much the same, for me at least, with amber turnsignals.   Now, on the other hand, IF the taillight and/or turn signal lenses are open behind them, done in translucent plastic--THEN often Tamiya's Clear Red and Clear Yellow come out much more realistic, IMO.

Art

[afx]

I use colored Sharpies often.  Here are some examples.

 

Edited January 20, 2017 by afx

[Foxer]

I use colored Sharpies often.  Here are some examples.

 

I love the ease of use and the look from Sharpies too ..

[crazyjim]

Depending on my mood, I'll use Testers enamel, Tamiya, or Sharpies.

[Tom Geiger]

Sharpie over BMF!  Note that many tail lights have a chrome border and several color lenses.  Here we used a white paint marker for back up lights and red and orange Sharpies for the lenses.  This works well with multi color lenses that are molded in red. Just wrap it in BMF.

[Snake45]

Orange Sharpie! I'll have to look for one of those. Never thought about that before.

What's everyone's favorite "recipe" for backup lights and clear parking lights that are molded in chrome? I've done them in white, and Aluminum, and my latest experiments have been with Testor White Lightning (white pearl) over flat white primer, which is getting closer but still not what I'm looking for. Any other ideas?