Help: Tinting Canopies with clear Tamiya acrylics over Future

Andy, I use Tamiya acrylics exclusively to tint my clear parts as well.  You'll be surprised to know that you did everything right the first time.  I do exactly the same thing, but you forgot one final step after airbrushing the Tamiya...apply another thin coat of Future.  I apply this final thin coat with a Future moistened Q-tip.  This will seal the Tamiya tint.  This final coat of Future will make the cloudiness completely disappear, leaving a nicely tinted canopy.  Check out my article on ARC, where I tinted the canopy on my EA-6B Prowler: 

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal6/5201-5300/gal5269_EA-6B%20_Williams/gal5269.htm

Good to know I was on the right path, although tinting before Future sounds like a good idea too.

My only concern with your method, plasticmod, is do you apply the second Future over the wet or dry Tamiya? Won't this second Future coat cause the tint to dilute or run? Thanks for the clarification.

And your build article is amazing, by the way.

Andy.

Thanks, glad you liked my article.  I appologize for the delay, been busy.  Youre right, Future can loosen or desolve un-cured Tamiya very easily.  However, what I do is make sure the underlying Tamiya tint has had plenty of time to dry and cure, usually within a few hours..to be safe.  The subsequent layers of Future can then be applied without fear of disturbing the tinted undercoat.  So just for clarification, here are my exact steps for tinting canopies with Tamiya: 

1) Canopy Prep-  I clean the canopy with a Q-tip soaked with denatured alcohol or Polly S plastic prep and set it aside to dry. 

*A word on Denatured Alcohol Solvent (DNA) and Tamiya acrylics.  This is by far the best and most consistant thinner for Tamiya I have ever encountered.  It thins Tamiya superbly, blends colors (even metalics) more thouroughly than Tamiya's own thinner and when the paint film is dry, adhesion is comparable to enamels!  Whats more is, that it's available in any hardware store paint isle, and it only cost between $3-$4 per US Quart!  I've airbrushed fine lines with no tip dry for long sessions and it is comparably non-toxic as rubbing alcohol, 70% Isoprophyl and Tamiya thinner.  Also, it is (I strongly supect) the main ingredient of Polly S Plastic Prep.  So, I've found that it is also an excellent cleaner for my airbrush too.  It's a mystery to me why other modelers haven't tried this wonder thinner for Tamiya Acrylics!  Ok, on with the rest of the steps.

2) Future coat-  Using a clean Q-tip, I soak (not dripping) the swab in Future and apply a thin coat to the inner and outer sides of the canopy and set it aside in a dust-free container to dry over night.  When applying with Q-tips, use light, quick strokes.  Resist going slow and spending to much time in an area.  Also, like brush painting, avoid re-wipping previously wipped areas.  Thin coats of Future starts drying fast and this can cause fibers to get stuck in the Future and create lap marks, ruining the application.  If this happens, soak the canopy in Windex for 5 minutes, wipe clean, let dry and start again.

3) Tamiya tint- Choose your required color tint and thin it with denatured alcohol or Tamiya thinner (if you must) at a ratio of 1:1.  Airbrush the canopy, and build up the tint layer and intensity slowly to achieve the desired effect.  Usually this is approx. 1 or two light coats.  I then set the canopy in a dust-free plastic container to dry for approx. 3 hours or more.  When dry, the canopy may look dull, but it's OK.  The final Future coat sealer will clarify the canopy in the next step.

4) Future layer sealer-  I apply a thin layer of Future over the tinted canopy using a moistened Q-tip.  Be carefull not to alloy the Q-tip to dry out as mentioned in step #2.  Otherwise, you'll have to soak the canopy in Windex again and start over.  Keeping the Q-tip wet (not dripping) will prevent this and insure even application.  Apply this final coat to both sides of the canopy for superior clarity.

5) Final step-  Now set the canopy aside to dry and cover with a dust-free container to cure overnight.  Your canopy should be tinted, near crystal clear and shiny!  Mask and paint as normal.

Tinted windscreen for a 1/72 scale F-14B Tomcat