Vaccuforming gold tint

[Yodajammies]

I've got the basics of vaccuforming down pat, but I have no experience in tinting transparent acrylic.

The search didn't turn up any relevant results, though admittedly my google-fu has been weak as of late.

Any suggestions, tips, comments, deep thoughts, jaded opinions on the subject?

I'm looking to create a prop similar to this, and I haven't found a practical solution for the visor.

 

[exoray]

Well I doubt you will be able to get pre-mirrored sheets to form without destroying the mirroring, so that leaves you with mirroring it after it's formed...

It's not an easy process, in fact it's a ton of trial and error in hopes to getting it satisfactory... Or so I have read when I was curious about doing it myself...

What you will want to do it Google up "half silvering" as well as "water gilding (gold)" and do a ton of reading then start experimenting...

Half silvering is the process of making a one way mirror, gold water gilding will be the process doing it with gold similar to what you see on sunglasses... You will have to find a combination of the two processes that achieves your desired results...

Now you will have two issues, one plastic doesn't wet out well, and to water silver or gild a surface you need the water to sheet on the plastic vs bead up, this will require you to probably coat the plastic with some sort of clear coat as plastic generally beads... This clear coat could be as simple as a clear spray paint, but only by trial and error will you probably find something that works... Second you will need to experiment with time and concentration of the half silvering/gilding mixtures so that you get a one way mirror vs a solid mirror...

Anyway have fun on the quest if you decide to tackle it, never done it myself just read about the process...

 

[Jumpin Jax]

Get in touch with local plastic suppliers. I've seen mirrored and gold mirrored materials that are vac-formable in the show rooms.

 

[vampire knight]

You can't use gold mirrored window tint on plexi?

So it's not really a clear answer, but maybe someone else has used gold mirror tint and can chime in.

It's an easy find, lot's of places onilne sell gold window tint for automotive applications.

Or will it not work well because of it not "wetting" out well like exoray says? Since you say water tends to bead on acrylic...nevertheless isn't that why they usually use a soap solution when applying window tint on a car and not just water? The soap acts as a surfactant lowering the surface tension in water causing it not to bead.

Other than that Jumpin Jax is right, I too have seen one way and 2 way mirrored acrylic. That one is an easy google find too, just google mirrored acrylic.

Might come down to what's cheapest.

Just thought I'd get in on the brainstorming.

 

[Jumpin Jax]

Other than that Jumpin Jax is right, I too have seen one way and 2 way mirrored acrylic. That one is an easy google find too, just google mirrored acrylic.

Might come down to what's cheapest.

Just thought I'd get in on the brainstorming.

Where the price comes into play is considering how thick you want it. 1/4" acrylic is pricey, 1/8" less so but nothing to sneeze at.
I'd try forming before trying to change the appearance with a complicated set of instructions. But that might work out better, so it's time to experiment.

 

[nswsystems]

yes you can form gold tint app to plactic, you must pre-dry the plastic after you apply at 125 deg for about 6-7 hours if you apply wet. you have too use a drying oven not the oven you bake a cake in some type of electric oven natural gas ovens produce water and that will blister your product.
yes there is a one way mirror acrylic but you need a real former to produce with that material needs 275 deg to make it formable we use a double sided former for this plastic you have to heat it all the way thru or you will get small cracks in the film, the film is in the sheet it self.

Thanks
Mike
NSW Systems LLC
nswsystems@gmail.com

Well I doubt you will be able to get pre-mirrored sheets to form without destroying the mirroring, so that leaves you with mirroring it after it's formed...

It's not an easy process, in fact it's a ton of trial and error in hopes to getting it satisfactory... Or so I have read when I was curious about doing it myself...

What you will want to do it Google up "half silvering" as well as "water gilding (gold)" and do a ton of reading then start experimenting...

Half silvering is the process of making a one way mirror, gold water gilding will be the process doing it with gold similar to what you see on sunglasses... You will have to find a combination of the two processes that achieves your desired results...

Now you will have two issues, one plastic doesn't wet out well, and to water silver or gild a surface you need the water to sheet on the plastic vs bead up, this will require you to probably coat the plastic with some sort of clear coat as plastic generally beads... This clear coat could be as simple as a clear spray paint, but only by trial and error will you probably find something that works... Second you will need to experiment with time and concentration of the half silvering/gilding mixtures so that you get a one way mirror vs a solid mirror...

Anyway have fun on the quest if you decide to tackle it, never done it myself just read about the process...

 

[Tyr]

I'm not sure about forming pre-tinted sheets but Thorssoli of the 405th has a brief explanation of using Mirrachrome inside of the visor for his EVA helmets.

When My Brain Leaks, the Drops Drip Here.: HALO EVA Helmet Visor Project

Its midway down the page after he shows the shaping of the viewing ports.