Printable Version of Topic
Click here to view this topic in its original format
914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Painting turn signal lenses
Posted by: Hydra Apr 24 2005, 06:35 PM
HEllo there,
i have a set of front turn signal lenses with the orange paint starting to come off, so i was wondering if anyone knows how to refurbish them, what kind of paint to use etc...
thanks all
Nick
Posted by: URY914 Apr 24 2005, 06:45 PM
Paint coming off???
Thier not painted. I don't understand.
Paul 
Posted by: Hydra Apr 24 2005, 06:52 PM
I can assure you mine are....
Or if they're not, they at least have some find of film peeling off of them, my digicam is down so i can't post pics...
Posted by: firstknight13 Apr 24 2005, 08:10 PM
hey you can't paint amber plastic amber!!! get new ones at pp or real nice ones at camp 914 
Posted by: Eric_Shea Apr 24 2005, 08:16 PM
| QUOTE |
| hey you can't paint amber plastic amber |
How do you explain http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=28559&hl=lense
(lloks like it's only the euro lenses... if something is flaking off maybe he has euro lenses)
Posted by: redshift Apr 24 2005, 08:22 PM
I wouldn't use acetone.
I have heard of people doing this with diesel fuel.
AHA! EARIC! Genius! You just answered an unasked question.
M
Posted by: Hydra Apr 25 2005, 01:42 AM
The lenses ARE euro indeed....
| QUOTE |
hey you can't paint amber plastic amber!!! get new ones at pp or real nice ones at camp 914 |
I know where to get them from, the question was:
| QUOTE |
| how to refurbish them, what kind of paint to use etc... |
Posted by: Eric_Shea Apr 25 2005, 07:41 AM
The answer was RIT dye for those who seemed to missed the link above 
Posted by: Gint Apr 25 2005, 07:58 AM
| QUOTE (Hydra @ Apr 25 2005, 01:42 AM) | ||||
The lenses ARE euro indeed....
I know where to get them from, the question was:
|
Nice attitude...
Posted by: maf914 Apr 25 2005, 09:13 AM
As mentioned in the the other thread, hobby shops sometime carry paint for clear lenses. I think Tamiya offers several clear lens color paints.
I was wondering if candy paint would work. Candy colors, like candy apple red, are transluscent colors typically sprayed over a silver or gold base color. The number of coats determines the depth and darkness.
Posted by: davep Apr 25 2005, 10:12 AM
I suppose they could be painted just like christmas light bulbs. I have seen some flaky stuff. Better to Pinesol it then RIT dye it. Most plastic lenses are molded in color. Anything that flakes is a real flakey job. Perhaps the Euro lenses are made clear (Italian), then painted with amber (rest of Europe). That would explain why the Euro amber is so different from the North American amber. A completely different process.
Posted by: Jenny Apr 25 2005, 10:20 AM
| QUOTE (Gint @ Apr 25 2005, 06:58 AM) | ||||||
Nice attitude... |
The advice here is free, and usually correct. The term beggers can't be choosers comes to mind. We're all friends here, but you're more likely to get help if you're not condesending. And you shouldn't be condesending when you're asking people more knowledgable than you for advice. Just a thought.Jen
Posted by: tat2dphreak Apr 25 2005, 11:59 AM
| QUOTE (Jenny @ Apr 25 2005, 11:20 AM) |
| The advice here is free, and usually correct. The term beggers can't be choosers comes to mind. We're all friends here, but you're more likely to get help if you're not condesending. And you shouldn't be condesending when you're asking people more knowledgable than you for advice. Just a thought. Jen |
Jenny is right, I have seen that if your question is not being answered the way you want, you probably either aren't listening hard enough(answer on a link, etc), or you didn't ask your question the way you meant, and it was mis-understood... be patient, clarify if needed, but don't be rude... that won't get you anything but one of these
Posted by: Hydra Apr 25 2005, 12:43 PM
I guess i used the wrong words to explain myself.(had too much 
yesterday)
i didn't mean to be rude, not a bit, i'm sorry if anyone felt offended.
i really appreciate your help here guys.
but when i went to the link posted by eric i couldn't find anything specific about the paint itself....
Posted by: Jenny Apr 25 2005, 12:50 PM
http://www.ritdye.com/
can be bought at any fabric store, most hobby shops, and even drug stores (check the isle where they have those little mending/sewing kits)
Jen 
Posted by: Jenny Apr 25 2005, 12:53 PM
http://www.basketclass.com/ritdye.html
Jen
Posted by: davep Apr 25 2005, 12:55 PM
The link Eric indicated was about bleaching lenses clear.
There was mention of using RIT dye to color them.
Normally, lenses use colored plastic so we don't see lenses colored after molding.
The Euro lenses appear to be molded clear, then the top 2/3 is colored after.
The Euro amber color is much deeper than the US lense color and is applied as a coating to the inside of the lens. Most members have not seen such lenses up close, I have several.
I suspect it is a lacquer paint as used on christmas light bulbs. Flakes off them also.
Posted by: phantom914 Apr 25 2005, 12:58 PM
| QUOTE (Jenny @ Apr 25 2005, 10:53 AM) |
| http://www.basketclass.com/ritdye.html Jen |
Great. First we had the Aubergine vs. Purple feud, now we will have the Amber vs. Apricot feud.
Andrew
Posted by: Yoei66 Apr 25 2005, 01:09 PM
OK, Ive been working in the Plastics industry for 20 years, 10 of which was in designing and
molding automotive plastics. I had a set of Euro turn lenses a few months back, sold em on
e-bay. It appeared, when I looked at the Euros, that the amber part may have been sprayed on.
This is common, and I worked on a door lens for Mopar which was half clear, half red. The parts
were put in a spraymask, and sprayed with red translucent paint. I don’t know how Hella
manufactured the Euro lenses in the 70's, but it may have been a similar method.
My US style turn lenses appear to be molded in color (no spraying). This makes sense, to mold
the US lens with the colorant in the polymer, no additional process = lower cost.
Thats my two bits
Posted by: Eric_Shea Apr 25 2005, 01:10 PM
It's APRICOT! 
APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, Damn it!!!
I get so tired of people "here" calling it Amber... Geeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzz
Posted by: Eric_Shea Apr 25 2005, 01:12 PM
Joe,
Any advice on what paint "type" was used in the MOPAR process?
Posted by: tat2dphreak Apr 25 2005, 01:14 PM
| QUOTE (Eric_Shea @ Apr 25 2005, 02:10 PM) |
| It's APRICOT! APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, APRICOT, Damn it!!! I get so tired of people "here" calling it Amber... Geeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzz |
orange any one? how about mustard? Camel? burnt orange?
just don't dye them Rust, that's a bad omen
Posted by: Yoei66 Apr 25 2005, 01:29 PM
Eric, It was about 11years back, and lots of dead brain cells ago. I believe the 2 important
aspects of the Mopar red door lens paint were
1. the paint not chemically react with the plastic. (very important)
2. The paint mixture be more translucent than opaque.
I was less involved in the paint process, more involved the tooling build, and molding of this particular part. If my
memory serves me correctly, I believe the outside surface of the 914 Euro lenses is clear, even in front of the
amber/apricot part, and kind of powerdy in back of the amber/apricot part . I don’t have a euro here anymore, but if so this would support
some type of painting process.
P.S. your rebuilt rear brakes rock!
Posted by: Eric_Shea Apr 25 2005, 01:39 PM
| QUOTE |
| P.S. your rebuilt rear brakes rock! |
(thanks)
Let's call Hella and make then give us the apricot formula
Posted by: davep Apr 25 2005, 01:45 PM
| QUOTE (phantom914 @ Apr 25 2005, 10:58 AM) |
| now we will have the Amber vs. Apricot feud. |
Okay, the US lense is apricot, the Euro is amber, and a definitely different color.
Posted by: Yoei66 Apr 25 2005, 01:53 PM
I support that the two are differnt colors. I noticed this when changing from Euro to US.
Posted by: Rand Apr 25 2005, 02:52 PM
Just another $.02... Colored LED bulbs behind clear lenses are a great option. There are tons of readily-available plug and play bulbs, they last longer, are brighter, have no flaking/deteriorating problems later, have many color variations that are easy to change, etc......
A nice custom option.
Posted by: tat2dphreak Apr 25 2005, 02:58 PM
| QUOTE (RandyLok @ Apr 25 2005, 03:52 PM) |
| Just another $.02... Colored LED bulbs behind clear lenses are a great option. There are tons of readily-available plug and play bulbs, they last longer, are brighter, have no flaking/deteriorating problems later, have many color variations that are easy to change, etc...... A nice custom option. |
I love that look, I plan to do this too
Powered by Invision Power Board (http://www.invisionboard.com)
© Invision Power Services (http://www.invisionpower.com)