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Tinting F-14 Windshield Clear Green


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This is my very first experience with tinting a windshield. I followed the instructions in the forum. I masked the interior of canopy and airbrushed a thinned TAMIYA clear green(50/50) in a few misty passes.

 

To my disappointment, the tinted windshield is NOT transparent. The green tint tone is perfect but it not transparent and the paint is grainy. I even tried dipping it in the Future but to no avail.

 

Any suggestion on how to make it transparent? How can I fix this? I don't think airbrushing a clear paint is a good idea. 

 

Please help!

 

 

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Edited by MiG Hunter
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Sounds like you did the right thing, but make sure the windshield is bare plastic, i.e., it was not previously futured. Because if so, the application of the thinned clear green would interact with that future and create a cloudy look.

 

If yours was already bare to start with, perhaps the green was too thick. Even so, after that cures, a future bath usually brings the clarity back in my experience. Did you wait for the green to cure before the final future dip? If not, this time future can interact with the tamiya clear. Here are some of my experiences:

 

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/268923-172-hasegawa-f-14d-vf-31-sunset/&do=findComment&comment=2592674

 

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/206922-f-18f-hasegawa-148/&do=findComment&comment=2034089

 

Also, if you end up redoing it, I'd suggest a mix of clear green and blue (1:1), which for some reason looks more realistic to my eyes. 

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Thank you for your replies. The windshield was bare before airbrshing. I did thin the paint with TAMIYA X-20A(50/50) and I used lower psi not to pool or spider the paint.

 

I then dipped the windshield in Future. I did NOT wait long for the paint to dry as it was just a few misty passes and dry to touch. 

 

What should I do now? wash off the Future and the paint and redo? I am afraid I might crack or cloudy the windshield for good.

Edited by MiG Hunter
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Diluted ammonia-based cleaner ('Windex', I believe, in North America) will make short work of removing the old paint/Future. Just apply & remove carefully and you shouldn't damage the plastic. To remove any scratches/marks from that process I recommend the suite of polishes by Tamiya, working through to the very finest one -or, so I'm told, regular toothpaste!!!

 

The last thing I airbrushed with Tamiya clear was an HUD reflector; it worked out OK with much the same procedure you described...at the second attempt. Because, unless you keep the paint jar thread and plastic cap absolutely sterile, tiny flecks of paint will dry therein to a weird, crispy solidity. Next time you open the jar, they will come loose and fall into the paint -the airbrush will spit them out as diminutive pellets that will show up on your lovely clear transparency. And it all looks a lot like the one in the photo!

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I think the main issue then was not waiting enough between the Tamiya color and the future dip. I usually wait at least 24 hours before the dip, even if the clear color was misted.

 

There would be no harm starting afresh. Just clean the whole thing with rubbing alcohol or windex (w/ ammonia), rub it dry with a cotton cloth, mask and paint. 

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You didn't thin your paint enough. Make it like clear green colored water. Turn down your air and shoot several light coats, waiting about 10 minutes between coats...you want to slowly build up the "layers" until you have a slight tint to the glass. It shouldn't look "green", should just be a hint of tint.

 

Here's the windscreen to the F-4C I'm currently building. Painted with Tamiya flat Royal Blue (not clear blue, just regular ol' blue). Once it was all said and down and dry, I gave it a light buff with that soft 100% cotton glove in the photo. After that, you can dip it in Future just like a normal canopy and it should be just fine.

 

IMG_3987.jpg

 

IMG_3988.jpg

 

IMG_3989.jpg

 

IMG_3990.jpg

 

In my opinion, I think the tint decals are too dark...but that's just my opinion.

 

 

 

Edited by 82Whitey51
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WOW...that F-4 windshield is amazing!

 

Well, I am a newbie and this is my 5th model in total so I have a lot to learn. As for the amount of tint, this is what I am planning to build and as you can see the tint is quite green:

 

16587192_986255858174763_883326019222993

Edited by MiG Hunter
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On 7/2/2017 at 3:23 PM, 82Whitey51 said:

You didn't thin your paint enough. Make it like clear green colored water. Turn down your air and shoot several light coats, waiting about 10 minutes between coats...you want to slowly build up the "layers" until you have a slight tint to the glass. It shouldn't look "green", should just be a hint of tint.

 

Here's the windscreen to the F-4C I'm currently building. Painted with Tamiya flat Royal Blue (not clear blue, just regular ol' blue). Once it was all said and down and dry, I gave it a light buff with that soft 100% cotton glove in the photo. After that, you can dip it in Future just like a normal canopy and it should be just fine.

 

IMG_3987.jpg

 

IMG_3988.jpg

 

IMG_3989.jpg

 

IMG_3990.jpg

 

In my opinion, I think the tint decals are too dark...but that's just my opinion.

 

 

 

What was your thinning ratio ?

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13 hours ago, adamitri said:

What was your thinning ratio ?

I'd say probably 9:1 here. I used a little more than a drop of flat royal blue...flat because it's going on the inside and I think flat paint just lays down better.

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6 hours ago, 82Whitey51 said:

I'd say probably 9:1 here. I used a little more than a drop of flat royal blue...flat because it's going on the inside and I think flat paint just lays down better.

Thank you sir

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I recently used a Hasegawa "Trytool" film on a 1/48 F-4N.  I cut the film out and laid it inside of the canopy.  It may seem a little heavy on the shade, but it was super easy and no threat to screwing up the kit parts. 

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On 7/1/2017 at 8:58 PM, MiG Hunter said:

This is my very first experience with tinting a windshield. I followed the instructions in the forum. I masked the interior of canopy and airbrushed a thinned TAMIYA clear green(50/50) in a few misty passes.

 

To my disappointment, the tinted windshield is NOT transparent. The green tint tone is perfect but it not transparent and the paint is grainy. I even tried dipping it in the Future but to no avail.

 

Any suggestion on how to make it transparent? How can I fix this? I don't think airbrushing a clear paint is a good idea. 

 

Please help!

 

 

I'v ended up with similar results because the surface wasn't clean.  If the windshield isn't perfectly clean, free of any skin oil, mold release, etc, you can end up with lots of strange interactions. You often won't notice these issues if you're spraying a full color coat.  However, with these vey thin transparent paint layers, everything shows. As others have said, clean and repeat and you should be good. 

 

Cliff

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Perhaps use a mix of clear green and clear then thin that? Been ages since I've tinted a canopy but that's what I used last year on some dome cars for a couple guys at model railroad club. I haven't a clue as to why the clear+clear green mix made a difference but it did. And with P-bucket having changed the game I have no photos to share.

There is also a factor of whether the mist coats might have dried grainy - that sort of prismatic frosting would break up the clarity. In my experience Tamiya acrylics dry lightning fast and if you stray too far from the model the mist will dry before arriving.

 

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