"How to create tinted transparent plastic?" Topic

Has anyone tried to tint or color clear plastic? I want to make some "glowy" energized parts for some mecha and troops. I would like to recreate in other colors the type of plastic used in Necron models.

I thought of using crafting dye. I am worried it would only coat the plastic and scratch off easily if the model is used to much.

I thought of doing fiber optics with colored lights but I really don't want to have to buy batteries and make comparments inside the models along with the wiring and switches.

Any ideas?

I've made "frosted glass" from plexiglass using course (60 grit) sandpaper on both sides to get a translucent effect. So you might try fine(250) or very fine (400, 600) sandpaper to scratch it up, and then use ink to color it.

I'm not it this will work for you, however, could only coat the inside of the part and let the outer surface clear.

Shot too fast. There is also a model product called "Window Maker". It is a glue like substance that drys clear. You may be able to add color to in before it sets. I've never added color to it, however I have used it to good effect on some small windows on die cast models.

I've experimented doing this kind of thing by mixing Vallejos "gel medium" ( link ) with GW inks. Probably not the best solution, but it was all I had at hand. It did get nicely tinted by just a small drop of the ink, but the material was too fluid to be useable for sculpting anything that requires more "structure" than simple jet flames and such.

Probably not helping much, sorry.

Adding some paint to Future Floor Wax works pretty good for tinting. Just dip the parts in a few times.

There are also transparent paints.

Tamiya makes several tranlucent paints. I think they have fluorescent colors as well as different colors of smoke (for smoke cockpit glass). I have used their red to make colored lights from clear plastic. Never done a large surface with it tho. I did have a model that called for the smoked for the cockpit but I just used the optional pre-tinted glass instead of painting the the clear one.

The plastics stores sell the plastic in tinted colors, both see-through and opaque.

They even do flourescent colors, which it sounds like you are after. They have colored rod, tubing, and sheeting.

The Tips & Tricks articles on the Hirst Arts Castlemolds site have a number of ways to simulate colored glass, depending on what's needed.

What I think is most relevant to what you say you are doing is this article, on making SF specimen chambers out of clear plastic tubes, and also tinting them with stained glass paint:
link

Other possibly applicable articles:

For a real "glowy" look, adding a battery powered light behind a transparent section of a model: ttp://www.hirstarts.com/tips11/tips11.html#light

Using colored plastic notebook dividers as a source of colored clear plastic for window panes: link

Printing colored stained glass window panes on paper or transparency: link

Um, typo on one of those links; here it is again:

For a real "glowy" look, adding a battery powered light behind a transparent section of a model: link

Future with a few drops of ink, then dip the plastic in and let dry. That's the method most fine scale modellers use to simulate green tinted canopy glas and such. A search on some model building forums will give you a some more detailed instructions.

There's a trick model builders use for tinting clear plastic airplane canopies. Take some Future floor polish and tint it with dye (not paint) or ink. Then they dip the plastic canopy in, shorter for less color, longer for more, let drip dry before you touch it. Works great for colors like yellow or light orange.

Thanks for all the ideas. I will have to try some of them out when I get home in December. Till then I will look for model links like some of you suggested. Great ideas thanks a lot.

Keep your wheels down!

Call TAP Plastics, or look them up on-line; it's much easier.