Quick question on painting taillights

thanks blacksheep & don ----

all i was trying to do was to find out what the SOP was/is, if you will....  as mentioned, Id never done lens before and i was trying to see what other do.  i did not mean that priming is the way to go.  rather i was wating to hear what others do.  tks again

Marker pens do not need prime, if you go that route.

Mrchntmarine

 

 

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Why would you want to prime clear lense parts? It makes no sense.

 

 

 

 

they are Clear from the factory, but are to be rear colored lens according to the directions.  So I was trying to figure out if I should prime them before I paint them. 

 

I understand that but I see no reason for priming clear parts even from the back side. You won't achieve a clear color (red for example) lense look on top of primed clear parts from the back side. I kinds of defeats the purpose doing so.

Not a problem, Mrch. Enjoy. Barrett

Thanks all. I’ve never done lens before and didn’t know what the SOP was/ is.....

If I'm tracking here, I usually paint my clear parts from the inside. I like the Tamyia clear colors applied in multiple coats to get the depth of color, then back that with metallic grey or silver. I don't go so far as to try to paint a bulb in ther but my results have satisfied my eye.

BarrettDuke

Mr. Ch, Are you asking if you should prime the clear plastic lenses? If so, I suggest that you do not prime them. You'll destroy the very reason for having the clear lenses. They need some opaqueness to give them the sense of depth and light refraction that you get normally from the glass of a headlight. Priming them will destroy that. Use a transparent red on the clear lens of the tail lights. Tamiya makes a perfect one. It is formulated to be opaque. Do not prime first. If you're worried about adhesion when you paint on the transparent red, wipe the lenses with alcohol first to remove any contamination. Those little pieces will not peel, partly because they'll never be handled and also because you'll be applying a very thin coat. You can paint the inside of the headlight, not the lens, in a light grey to help give some color to the lens as you look through it if you want to. But do not paint the lens. Barrett

 

tks a bunch.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Why would you want to prime clear lense parts? It makes no sense.

 

they are Clear from the factory, but are to be rear colored lens according to the directions.  So I was trying to figure out if I should prime them before I paint them. 

Why would you want to prime clear lense parts? It makes no sense.

Mr. Ch, Are you asking if you should prime the clear plastic lenses? If so, I suggest that you do not prime them. You'll destroy the very reason for having the clear lenses. They need some opaqueness to give them the sense of depth and light refraction that you get normally from the glass of a headlight. Priming them will destroy that. Use a transparent red on the clear lens of the tail lights. Tamiya makes a perfect one. It is formulated to be opaque. Do not prime first. If you're worried about adhesion when you paint on the transparent red, wipe the lenses with alcohol first to remove any contamination. Those little pieces will not peel, partly because they'll never be handled and also because you'll be applying a very thin coat. You can paint the inside of the headlight, not the lens, in a light grey to help give some color to the lens as you look through it if you want to. But do not paint the lens. Barrett

so here is the link on a pic.

https://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/toyota-ab-phaeton

its the rear lights.  i have the paints, just wondering if i need to prime 1st?  Im thinking yes, right???    Tks!

I use magic markers to paint light lenses.  They are reasonably translucent, not opaque.  You can get some pretty fine pointed ones.

I'd paint the inside portion (molded into the body???) of the light in as shiney a silver as you have. For the clear part, I'd paint the inside with clear red(Tamiya), and leave the reverse light portion clear (assuming that we're talking a car model, and that is indeed the 2 colors you refer to).