How do you tint transparent parts?

[DocRob]

Yesterday, I wanted to tint a visor of my 1/12 driver figure for the Lotus smoke grey. I tried numerous variants on clear spare parts, but none satisfactory. I used Tamiya Smoke, AK Cristal Smoke, all thinned and un thinned, sprayed, dipped, but to no avail. 
When sprayed lightly, there is no transparency, when sprayed heavier, there is pooling and no coherent tint. Dipping produced the best result, but not near satisfactory.
It´s not the first time, I experimented with transparent colors, but never had any success except for brushed taillights or similar stuff. What do I do wrong?

Cheers Rob

[KevinM]

I just brush for small area like that Rob in fact doing the lights on the F-100 being red/green put a drop leveling thinner in the cap and brushed no brush strokes.I have never worked with smoke though it may take layers ?

[BlrwestSiR]

I think like Kevin said, thin layers and slowly build up the colour is the best approach. 

Alclad does a smoke tint as well as other colours. 

[JohnB]

I assume you want to tint some clear pieces. My technique is to thin the tint color until it is opaque. Then, after some experimentation, apply a light coat on the inside of whatever I want to tint. 🙂I hope this helps.

[DocRob]

5 hours ago, KevinM said:

I just brush for small area like that Rob in fact doing the lights on the F-100 being red/green put a drop leveling thinner in the cap and brushed no brush strokes.I have never worked with smoke though it may take layers ?

 

5 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

I think like Kevin said, thin layers and slowly build up the colour is the best approach. 

Alclad does a smoke tint as well as other colours.

 

2 hours ago, JohnB said:

I assume you want to tint some clear pieces. My technique is to thin the tint color until it is opaque. Then, after some experimentation, apply a light coat on the inside of whatever I want to tint. 🙂I hope this helps.

Thank you Carl, Kevin and John, I used transparent colors (mostly Tamiya X red, orange, yellow and smoke) on different occasions, like rear lights for cars or formation lights on planes, where I thinned the color and brushed it on with good results. I also used clear yellow and orange to replicate varnish over oil color woodgrain on WWI planes, What I never managed to achieve was to tint let´s say a canopy with keeping the transparent qualities, only tinted.
All of you suggest light coats, but when I spray light (thinned or un thinned) the result isn´t transparent, it looks like frosted. Does that go away with multiple coats? With my, I think three light coats, it didn´t change. 
Fat coats are more transparent and level, but the tinting is never equally applied and I have some pooling.
Brushing is no option for larger pieces, as the distribution of the tint isn´t equally over the whole thing.
@JohnB: I don´t understand your technique of thinning until the color is opaque, I´m looking for transparency, but only tinted, I guess, I got something wrong and yes, I appley the tinting color always on the inside of the clear part.

Cheers Rob
 

[DocRob]

I watched some videos on YT about tinting clear parts and have to say, the results are not what I´m looking for. The transparency always lacks. The way to apply, seems to be very light coats, like you suggested. I will look, if there are some tinted transparent foils out there for the job. For my visor it could work, for canopies not so.

Cheers Rob

[JohnB]

Hmmmm...I always apply the thinned paint with a brush. It works for me. 🙄

[BlrwestSiR]

Hasegawa makes some tinted foil I believe. They're very thin and have some stretch to them. 

[DocRob]

13 hours ago, JohnB said:

Hmmmm...I always apply the thinned paint with a brush. It works for me. 🙄

For me as well John, when the parts are relatively small. I´m looking for a solution for a larger area, a tinted car door window or in my actual case a helmets visor. With a brush, I don´t get a perfectly even finish, but maybe it´s just me .

 

12 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Hasegawa makes some tinted foil I believe. They're very thin and have some stretch to them. 

I found only metal foil or clear transparent foil from Hasegawa, Carl.
 
Cheers Rob

[BlrwestSiR]

1 hour ago, DocRob said:

found only metal foil or clear transparent foil from Hasegawa, Carl.
 
Cheers Rob

I found it on the Hasegawa website. 

http://www.hasegawa-model.co.jp/product/tf915/

Now to find a shop that carries it.

[DocRob]

5 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

I found it on the Hasegawa website. 

http://www.hasegawa-model.co.jp/product/tf915/

Now to find a shop that carries it.

Thanks Carl, exactly what I need. I checked my usual stores, no luck so far. A trusted Spanish vendor has clear red, green, orange and blue, but not smoke .

Cheers Rob