smoke/tint paint

[corvettekid_7684]

I was wondering how many of you have used these transparent black paints for tinting windows & if it works well...
I'm also wondering if you've ever used it over paint to change the effect? Say, transparent black over black then cleared & polished..?

[MPWR]

It's actually a rather poor option for tinting windows. It seems like it should work well, but in practice it almost never really does. Window tinting film (the same stuff you would use on full size car windows) is actually a much better option.

Transparent black over solid black and under clearcoat will look indistinguishable from solid black under clearcoat. Also, it's surprisingly difficult to spray an even 'candy coat' of transparent color on a car body- it's very hard to get right, and minor flaws are very visible and impossible to correct.

I tend to use transparent colors mostly on detail parts: tail lights, simulating anodized colors, and other small parts.

[corvettekid_7684]

Thanks. I was hoping to give a deeper look to the polish. Was also considering spraying over this "storm grey" color, but on my test part (can cap) I'm finding it difficult to get an even finish. It does have a neat effect under the light though. Not sure I want to risk it on a body tho...

[mrsmorf]

My experience with automotive tinting foil is quite good, as long as the windows aren't to curvy.

Getting a good "Candy"-finish with transparent paints is difficult. But with some practice you can get it right. I can't say about the Tamiya spray cans (Smoke, Red, etc.), because i never used them.

I could imagine that it is very hard to get a even layer of transparent paint, due to the lack of control with the spray can.

I painted a model with the Tamiya acrylics (clear red over gun metal) with my airbrush.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=951934

The curical thing is to apply on every spot the same amount of paint. So spraying distance and sparying motion is very important. Try to make a plan for going along with the airbrush on the car body. Always move the airbrush, don't stay on a spot. Also start und stop spraying when the airbrush is not pointed on the car body. Having the paint thinned to the right level is also very important. You don't want the paint to run, but you need to paint several wet coats to achieve a deep candy look.

Hope this helps. ;-)