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So I'm working on a model with a clear plastic bit, which I'm going to light. I'll be putting a coat of varnish over it (I'm thinking matt varnish) to diffuse the light a bit, but I also need to tint it red. Not strait up PAINT it red, the light needs to come through, but tint it.

My first idea was to mix in some ink with the varnish. I still have some old GW blue ink, which is very transparent, and I'm wondering if a red ink would have the same effect, though the ink I saw at the art store didn't seem nearly as transparent.

Or would just mixing in some red gore or blood red with the varnish tint it without making it too opaque? I know red is already a fairly transparent paint.

Anyone had any experience doing something like this? I just really don't want to accidentally hide the lights, especially when I spent so much time on the strobe circuit.

Some company makes a clear red paint, I don't know if it was testator;s or tamiya, but the product is out there.

Future Floor Polish + Paint = Clear Colored Coat

I like the future/paint idea. Military modelers use future to clear coat plane canopies. I might alao try it with ink as well.

Tamiya clear red will work, it's designed for painting models that have transparent coloured brake lights and so forth, it should suit you spot on.

Great to have so much input, thanks everybody.

riplikash wrote:So I'm working on a model with a clear plastic bit, which I'm going to light. I'll be putting a coat of varnish over it (I'm thinking matt varnish) to diffuse the light a bit, but I also need to tint it red. Not strait up PAINT it red, the light needs to come through, but tint it.

My first idea was to mix in some ink with the varnish. I still have some old GW blue ink, which is very transparent, and I'm wondering if a red ink would have the same effect, though the ink I saw at the art store didn't seem nearly as transparent.

Or would just mixing in some red gore or blood red with the varnish tint it without making it too opaque? I know red is already a fairly transparent paint.

Anyone had any experience doing something like this? I just really don't want to accidentally hide the lights, especially when I spent so much time on the strobe circuit.

At my Local Hobby Shop they have a paint that comes in multiple colors for "Clear Glass". I have seen Amber, red, Smokey, blue...If anythign goto the LHS and look in the paints. Car dealers will sometimes use them to use on a clear lens for vehicles.

I would go for the Tamiya clear red too.
It's also great for blood splatters!

The tamyia is nice, but it needs to be airbrushed, if you don't have an airbrush, the future is a better route.

Ashton

Alternitly just use a red LED to light whatever it is your lighting.

I actually am using red LEDs, but I want to to look good when not lit.

riplikash wrote:I actually am using red LEDs, but I want to to look good when not lit.

Your going to run into two problems.

1 - Its going to enhance any brush strokes or irregulaites in whatever your shining it through.

2 - Your going to loose alot of intensity, you'd actually be better off using a white LED

Yeah, I had considered the intensity issue. Maybe I will swap out the red for the white LED's. I have enough lying around.

I'm not too worried about the irregularities issue. I use an airbrush and my current plan is to a) cover it with a matt varnish to diffuse the light and b) stick some teased out cotton in to further diffuse the light (a trick I saw used in some other models.

Any other ideas are always appreciated.

Keep an eye out for cheapie stuff at the store that comes in plastic packaging in the color you want. Plastic soda bottles come in all sorts of colors, and so do plastic plates and disposable cups(which can be useful for all sorts of other hobby tasks!)

Gunze Sangyo makes a line of aqueous hobby colors that works very nicely. They paint up a little glossy and I used to use them to paint all of my mech cockpits and skaven poison gas balls.

I've seen folks use Pledge Future liquid floor polish with food coloring to get a tremendous looking tint to canopies.

Ok, that is a pretty cool idea.

Just an update, I've gone with the Tamaiya gloss paint idea. If anyone is interested I can post some pictures of the results.