Hi all!

I want to tint my acrowot canopy, a little dark..... how do I do? I want it to be some transparent so i can put a little teaddybear as a pilot...

Look at this acro, wonderful canopy!

No matter what you do, clean the canopy well before proceeding.

Method 1: Use Rit dye (mix a package of blue with a package of black). Put it in a big pot and boil it. Make sure it is stirred up well. Let it cool a little and drop in some scrap plastic that you cut away from the edge of the canopy. If it deforms, then wait longer. When it's ready, put the canopy in and make sure it is completely submerged. THe longer it soaks the better. The reason you use blue is that if you use just black, your canopy will turn brown - not smoke color.

Now, that method is hit and miss. It doesn't always get your canopy dark enough. Nobody knows why - just different formulations of plastic take dye better than others.

Method 2: This is the one I like. Pick the color you want and mix it about 25% color to 75% clear. Thin it and spray it on the inside. Tamiya also makes a nice smoke color acrylic for plastic models. I haven't used it for an R/C canopy, but in another thread someone mentioned they had and it worked fine (didn't chip off).

Personally, I like to use epoxy paints or enamels for plastic. You can make any color transparent by adding clear. Spray something else to test your mix and make sure it is giving you the effect you want.

- Paul

I have used the rit die method on many occassion's. The only thing that I would add to Cafeen Man is to use a disposable pan to mix the die in. I use the aluminum cake pans that you can get at the market. Keep an eye on your work as depending on the material your canapy is made with, it may take a while to get the desired tint or it may only take moments. Once you have reached the desired tint, wash the canopy with cold water and dry. Be very careful, cause if you are not, everything you touch or spill on is also stained. Good Luck, Dave

Blue,
I'll echo the other guys on the RIT dye method. To keep mine submerged I use a few split shot fishing weights around the flashing on the edges. I like the idea of mixing the black and blue. I've used dark green and blue before, but I'm going to try the mix.
One thing about this method is that it does take TIME. I usually go at least 24 hours in the dye and another 24 to dry it. Make sure you don't rest it on any part of the canopy while it's drying or you'll get a spot for sure. Just be careful and take your time. The effort is well worth it.

papermache

Thank you very much for all the long contributions! I guess im gonna use the "Rit dye" method then.. This may seems like a silly question, but what is "rit"? I assume it's a brand for hair colouring?[:-]

Why do I need to boil the hair-dye stuff? Should I really apply the dye on the outside of the canopy as well?

Rit is a dye for fabrics - not hair. You boil it to ensure it is well mixed. Also, hot dye absorbs better. You aren't actually applying it in that it doesn't "stick" to the surface like paint. It absorbs into the material and becomes a part of it.

aha for fabrics.. hmm.. Were can i get it? Anyone tried hair dye for tinting bytheway?
Yeha i understand that the dye absorbs into the plastic, sorry i used the wrong word. But should i soak both the out and inside of the canopy?

Thank you for the reply

Wal-Mart, etc.

Yes, soak the whole canopy. Make sure it is completely submerged the whole time or you'll get funny lines in it that you can't fix. Also, you should swish it around occassionally. Try not to let it sit on the outside of the canopy, i.e. upside down.

Dying canopies takes one or two attempts before you figure it out. Best if you can practice on something first, like an empty plastic soda bottle.

okok....


But does hair dye works just as good?

Don't know - never tried it. Never heard of anyone trying it either. If you do, let us know how it works out. Any fabric shop should carry dyes. It doesn't have to be RIT. That's just what's popular in the states.

okidoki, but should i use like VERY blue hair dye? (like this little smilie [&:] ) or should i go for almost black kinda blue?

LOL... man, you're just going to have to experiment. The canopy will not be the color of the dye by the time you're done. Until you do it, you won't know what color you get.

Now, if you use the transparent paint, then you can control how dark and what color.