tinting/dyeing transparent plastic

[theyrenotdolls]

i tried searching, but for some reason it wouldnt allow it....

anyway...can anyone tell me how to dye transparent plastic to look "tinted"?
like this:

http://www.theyrenotdolls.com/rebelhelmet1.jpg

 

[exoray]

1. Fake stained glass paint

2. Pick up some "Future Floor Polish" tint it to the desired color and then dip the part in it, and let dry... If you don't like it clean with common household ammonia and start over

3. Window tint film

4. Some plastics can be tinted by soaking in warm water and RIT dye, probably a 50/50 chance lower with clear plastics though

5. Make the part out of tinted material

 

[jddurst]

I think it's possible to tint polyester resin. TAP Oh, sorry, that's opaque, this is transparent: TAP
Might help.

 

[clonesix]

Buy tinted plastic

 

[AnsonJames]

Thermoformable Plastic called PETG available in many colo(u)rs - don't know if you can buy little amounts though.
Out of curiosity what's future floor polish made from?
I'd like to find a euro version of it...

 

[GeneralMayhem]

Future is basically clear acrylic. Good stuff, but I've noticed it can fog up if you're not careful.

 

[Hirohawa]

Tamiya has pretty good paints for this clear blue, green, yellow etc. You have to run it through an airbrush for best results. And they are readily available in most hobby shops.

 

[GeneralMayhem]

The Tamiya clear tints are excellent. Just be sure to overcoat them with a clear topcoat, as they're not as durable as they could be when appled in thin coats.

 

[Great_Bizarro]

Many of the modeling boards suggest the rit dye trick. You could get a candy color in a spray bomb and try that too.

 

[theyrenotdolls]

i think i'll go for the tamiya paints. the area that i want to do is pretty small....though the future floor polish method is intriguing.
thanks to all.

 

[Hangar18Studios]

I used to get verying result with the RIT Dye technique. Seemed to only work well with PET-G though.
First I'd boil the plastic part in clean water, and I'd simultaneously prepare my vat of RIT dye, making certain it was HOT. I'd add a little salt into the Rit solution too. I would take my parts directly from the boiling clean water and dip them into the HOT RIT solution. It's hard to get consistent shades though, so if your doing 10 visors you might get 10 different shades. You have to completely submerge the part you are dying. Habitually I would leave it in the solution until it cooled down quite a bit.
Scott

 

[motman241]

I've dyed smaller pieces in the microwave. Just stuck the RIT dye/water mix in a glass jar, put the pieces in, put a napkin over the top of the jar, and let it cook for a while. It boils the color right in, but the color does need to be sealed. For something like the goggles, I'd go with an already-tinted plastic.

 

[theyrenotdolls]

this is actually for tinting the canopy and foward viewport of a 3.75" rots starfighter . so, it's pretty small. i need an excuse to check out a hobby shop in the area, anyway.

 

[GeneralMayhem]

If it's something that small and not meand to be handled much, then I say go with the tamiya clear colors. Very controllable when thinned slightly and sprayed through an airbrush, and durable enough in a solid coat to not rub off with casual handling.

 

[GKvfx]

Actually, Tamiya now makes some of their clear tints in a spray can. They are part of their RC product line and made to stick to the polycarbonate RC bodies. It's a different formula than the bottle stuff and I think it will wind up being a bit tougher. The idea is you spray the tint on the back side of the car and then back it with silver or gold or black or white after it has dried for a candy apple finish. I tried it on a couple of pieces of acrylic and it worked fine. Went on smooth and dried quick. I wouldn't use it for something like clear lenses for goggles or helmets, but for most other uses, it should be fine. And it beats dragging out the airbrush.

Here's the link:

http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/category.php?sub-id=61700

GK