Canopy Tinting
 

I have a great planes canopy from the Pitts ARF that I would love to tint dark smoke color. What is the best way to do this? Thanks !

Canopy Tinting
 

I WAS TOLD TO USE BLACK RID DYE AND BOILING WATER. IT DOESN'T WORK ON THE SIQ 300XS CANOPY. I HAVEN'T TRIED ANYTHING ELSE AS OF YET.

Canopy Tinting
 

I used Black Rit dye on my GP Super Skybolt and it came out great. Be careful not to get the water so hot that it will disfigure the canopy. Be prepared to let it soak at least 4 hours at a minimum. If you let it soak over night and rinse it with cold water in the morning you should have a nicely tinted canopy. Be sure to trim and fit the canopy before you dye it.

Canopy Tinting
 

I used to tint plastic for visors and masks- easiest way is to purchase a can of Testors black (smoke) tint spray paint. Two coats usually worked very well for a transparent, but dark look. Always paint on the inside of the plastic as well... I'm not sure if they still make other colors...

Also -

Another technique from the plastic modeller world is to purchase a jar of Testors (again...) metallic colors - ruby, sapphire, emerald (I think there are other colors too). Let the paint jar settle for at least a week - two would be better. Use an eyedropper and suck out the top fluid and airbrush. Since the metallic pigment has settled, you can use the carrier as the tint-- works great!

Canopy Tinting
 

I used the black liquid rit dye.
First I got a pan deep enough to completly submerge the canopy.
Fill it with water and add about one fourth of the bottle. Heat the water to 140 degres Ferenhiet. Then dip the canopy in for about one minute intervals rinsing under cold water imidiatly after you fish it out. Re-dip until you get the color you want.
I achieved a nice dark smokey color with three cycles as described above. I installed a Volt watch in side my canopy and wanted to be able to see the lights it worked perfectly.
I also waited to trim my canopy until after it was tinted so as not to get prints on the finished piece.
It works great I will try to post pictures tommorrow.
later Jim

Canopy Tinting
 

refer to "Covering Materials & Instructions" at
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~atong/ .
Easiest is to use the Polycarbonate spray paints e.g. Tamiya "Smoke" used by the card racing boys - clean inside of canopy and spray thin layers until darkness required is met
Advantage is the paint is made for the job and stays flexible and does not chip or break away. Painting on inside also stops any scratches in the paint. Check your LHS.
regards
Alan T.

Canopy Tinting
 

JIMESTES,

Did you ever get pictures of your tinted canopy? I've heard about this method, but never tried it.

How's your flying weather out there? :mad: (I used to live in Kemmerer.)

Brett

Canopy Tinting
 

Hi Brett I spaced out taking the photo's but will try to remember but I will attach a picture of buz^'s plane. This is how I got the idea to use Rit dye. The weather has been the most mild winter that I ever seen and I have lived here for 30 years.

The flying is great I have flown at least every week all winter.

Later Jim

Canopy Tinting
 

Looks great! I like that you're able to retain some of the transparency.

Brett

Canopy Tinting
 

I'm with Alan on the Tamiya spray paint. just keep a distance between nozzle and canopy. apply one layer at a time with smooth strokes.......

Canopy Tinting
 

I can't imagine not using the rit dye method. From what I've read on this forum everybody does it a little different, but everybody likes the results, I will have to agree. I

t's VERY forgiving as far as mixing rit dye. Just don't get the water so hot you can't touch it. The results were amazing, you get a tint that is perfectly even and is very easily made darker if you like. It doesn't hurt it at all to check every few minutes or less. If you want darker, put it back in.

btw.. if you want SMOKE, mix Black and Navy blue in equal parts, you'll get something like mine.

Canopy Tinting
 

I just tinted my Sig SE canopy. Was suposed to come out a dark red tint, came out purple. Oh well still looks ok

Canopy Tinting
 

Did you use Rit dye?

Canopy Tinting
 

Ahh yes I did, guess I forgot to mention that

Canopy Tinting
 

I love this method it is so simple and the out come is simply amaazing. I have heard in other threads that it dosen't work on all canopys. Does any one have an example of one that it don't work on?

Later Jim

Canopy Tinting
 

I think it depends on the type of plastic the canopy is made of.

Canopy Tinting
 

I think I'll try the Rit dye. I want smoke, so I'll mix the black and navy blue. (Thanks for the hint ParticleMan!)

Sounds like it might be a good idea to test on a piece of the scrap cut off trim first.

Canopy Tinting
 

Most of the time that it does not work is because the water wasn't hot enough. You need to use a thermometer and take it to between 130 and 140, I think this must activate the dye. Let it cool a bit and drop the canopy in,keep checking it by rinsing in cold water to see if it's the shade you want. I tried it with paint and it always comes out too dark.

Canopy Tinting
 

I posted this on another thread but I thought I would add it here also.

Giday Richo,

Thanks for the tip on tinting the canopy, it works great. The only trouble I had was finding something large enough to fit the canopy in. I found what I needed at the Meijer store by my house. It is a Rubbermaid storage box and it measures 34.5x16.25x12.75, sells for $12.99. I'm not sure how much water I used but I filled this container so that the water level was 2" above the height of the canopy. I heated the water to 140deg. F and mixed in 5 bottles of Rit dye. I let the canopy fill with water and hang upside down. I used a clamp at both ends with a string tied to it to hold the canopy off the bottom. Every once in a while I would lift the canopy and slosh it around and mix up the dye. I removed it after an hour and it was nice but not as dark as I wanted. I removed some water and added enough hot water to bring the temp. back up to 140deg. F. I then added another bottle of dye. I left the canopy in for another hour and the results are in the picture. The darker color along the bottom is where I tried (without success) to spray tint the canopy.

Tim

Canopy Tinting
 

Tim,

Definitely looks like Rit dye is the way to go. What color did you use... black?

Brett

Canopy Tinting
 

Brett,

Yes I used black.

Salt
 

Sorry guys I forgot to tell you that if you disolve in about a quarter a cup of salt to the water while it is heating up the die takes alot faster instead of hours to get that dark it only takes minutes.
Later Jim

Canopy Tinting
 

Hello eagle4442; I noticed you used bottles of Rit dye.Is this liquid dye? The only kind of Rit dye I can find up here in Canada is a box of crystals, will this work just as well? Thanks Cal.

Canopy Tinting
 

The paint is very hard to apply,Go 4 the rit...

Canopy Tinting
 

Calmo2,

Yes the bottled dye is liquid. I used it because I figured it would be easier to mix. I think the power dye would work just fine, just make sure to mix it throughly.