For window tinting, I've heard of people using Future floor polish with a few drops of food coloring. Seems much less expensive than buying a whole bottle of translucent paint. For gray/smoke tint, maybe mix all the food coloring colors together to get something close to a shade of grimy black?
If you don't have a bottle of Future, maybe experiment with another water-based clear gloss finish instead (Model Master, for example).
Dan Stokes
My other car is a tunnel motor
It's hard to see in that photo, but the window is tinted. I'm sure whatever I come up with won't be as good as an original part, but it'll be better than nothing.
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Darth Santa FeIs there good tinting product for after it's finished, or should I find a tinted plastic to use?
I could be wrong, but if this is like your model I really don't see much tinting there.
Shinkanshen by Edmund, on Flickr
The side windows seem to be a very light green, though.
Both Testors and Tamiya make a translucent green or smoke tinting finish. I have both but haven't used them yet so can't say. I have heard the Testors in the small spray can goes on thick! Check with the RC car sites. They use it a lot.
Good Luck, Ed
Thanks all for the tips! I'll have to give some of these a try and see what works. Is there good tinting product for after it's finished, or should I find a tinted plastic to use?
You have one windshield and need another?
Use the one you have to make a plaster master, then form clear plastic over it using heat. Check some aircraft modeling site for more info as those guys always want thinner canopies for their models.
Eric
This might be like throwing darts blindfolded in the dark... but... how about a canopy from a model airplane? They are bubble shaped.
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-Kevin
Living the dream.
Darth Santa FeAny ideas on what I can do? I suspect making one would be really difficult because of the windshield's bubble shape, so I'm at a loss.
I know Micromark makes that vacuum forming set. I seem to recall a Kenner Mattel toy back in the day that would do vacuum forming, too. Lots of youtube videos out there on the subject.
Since you only need one part it doesn't make sense to invest in such a machine but maybe you could get away with making a wood pattern of the "bubble" shape you need. Place a square of clear acetate and warm it up with a blow-dryer or heat gun.
Set it over the form and press it around the edges or make a wood frame the same outline as the window opening to press the edge of the acetate over the form.
Of course, you could try to get fancy and use a vacuum cleaner hose to provide the suction to pull the acetate (or maybe styrene? you might have to experiment with the best plastic to use) and heat source. Maybe a infra-red heat lamp would make the plastic soft enough. You could probably make a dozen or two and pick the nicest looking one for the model. Keep some for spares.
Evergreen offers three thicknesses of clear polystyrene:
https://evergreenscalemodels.com/collections/oriented-polystrene-clear-sheets
Maybe?
Acetate is nice and flexible. maybe that would work
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
I got an unopened Kato HO E5 Shinkansen set not long ago, and somehow, the factory missed putting the windshield on the rear engine. Kato USA doesn't have any Japanese parts, and Kato Japan didn't have the part either because the E5 has been out of production for a couple years. I can't exactly send it back to the seller either.
Any ideas on what I can do? I suspect making one would be really difficult because of the windshield's bubble shape, so I'm at a loss. It's such a fantastic set otherwise!