transparent white pain on acrylic material

jchannel

I have a fun one. I have found Krylon makes a transparent red for plastic but not a white. I am making a Christmas project that requires both transparent red and white. I need the light to light up the "north pole." Does anyone have any ideas?

Chris

Nestor_Kelebay

You can buy a TRANSLUSCENT white at any hardware store. Just ask for a quart of any INTERIOR latex paint in a high gloss "DEEP TONE" or "Accent" tint base. This will be a tint base intended to make colours like Hunter Green, Navy Blue or Canary Yellow. The only way to make such a paint is to tint a paint that would otherwise dry transluscent and colourless with lots and lots and lots and lots of green, blue or yellow colourant. Since any white pigments already in the the can would result in the colour being whitened, such tint bases won't contain lots of white pigment to begin with like white and pastel tint bases do.

That is, tell the guy/girl at the store that you want him to use the same tint base he'd use to make a high gloss interior Navy Blue or Chinese Red paint, but you only want to tint it with only enough white colourant to make a transluscent white paint (with very poor hide).

So, go to your hardware store with a box of Q-tips, and have that quart tinted with the white colourant (titanium dioxide) in 1/2 drop increments until you get the compromise between whiteness and transparency you want. After every 1/2 drop of white colourant added, have the can shaken and use a Q-tip to paint a square inch of that paint onto some tracing paper or onto a piece of glass. Have the store dry the painted area for you with a hair dryer, and then hold the painted area up to the light to see how it looks.

If you paint on a piece of glass, bring a razor blade with you to clean off the paint you don't want so that you can try again with a still whiter paint. Remember, tinting paint is a one way street; you can add colourant, but you can't take it out. So proceed with caution once you're starting to get the results you want.

You want a HIGH GLOSS tint base which will have the smallest amount of extender pigments, making the paint as transparent as possible. You also want it to be an interior paint which won't have as many UV blockers or biocides in it for greater transparency, and you want it to be a latex paint so that it doesn't have the yellowish tint inherant in oil based coatings.

If you like the results you're getting, buy a second quart and do exactly the same with the red colourant to make red transluscent paint.

sirwired

Nestor, if the OP is buying Krylon, they are are buying canned spray paint, not tintable paint.

SirWired

jchannel

Hey, I am not stuck on any one type of delivery system. I will try anything and his post has more info about paint than I ever knew so hey, I'm happy. I would also entertain any ideas. All ideas are welcome. Thank you for your input.

Chris

DangerMouse

you could try 3 or 4 coats of Behr brand white paint! but it'd still probly be too clear..... roflmao

DM

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jchannel

Thanks for the lame lack of help. I think the only one laughing is you.

DangerMouse

gee, you're the one said you had a FUN one.... just having fun with it! sorry! but seriously, i used el cheapo white spray to do a clear plexi panel i wanted to use for four foot tube lights, it worked out ok, but try not to get it too thick, or it'll 'dark out'. it looked white turned off, and allowed plenty of light through. orrrrr, start with a white tube that allows light and then red your stripes over it. they have a place here that sells them white or clear.

DM

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Nestor_Kelebay

I understood that he was planning to use the Krylon spray paint only because it came in a transparent red, not that he needed to use spray paint for his project. There's other ways to make a very poor hiding red.

Jchannel:

You said you'd be applying this paint to "an ACRYLIC material". If you meant Plexiglas, then any good quality latex paint should stick very well to it since the acrylic material and the paint will be made from the same plastic, namely Plexiglas. However, it would probably be a good idea to take some sand paper or plumber's sand cloth and roughen the surface of the North Pole before painting it. This will both help the paint spread properly onto and stick to the surface of the North Pole.

DangerMouse

due to the lack of solids in lesser quality paints, if you POUR some down the tube, then drain out excess, i'll bet it'd work just fine! the outside can recieve the red stripe easier and the white would not peel off when you remove the tape from doing the red area. (assuming you'll not be 'hand' painting the stripe) it'd also look more professional because the outside gloss would remain...it might be worth a shot! find a scrap of clear plexi or glass and a light bulb and experiment! now if i can just figure out how to pour white AND red down it at the same time while turning the tube....
-=chuckle=- (i'll get back to you on that one)

DM

i know, i know.... 300,000 comedians out of work..... again, sorry....

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chrisn

Thanks for the lame lack of help. I think the only one laughing is you.


I got a chuckle out of it.

DangerMouse

Po)

DM

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