Where can I get colored transparent plastic sheets?

[Artraccoon]

I'm restoring an old Draconian Marauder model and need to construct a new window. The original was transparent red plastic, so where can I get some sheets of plastic like that so I can fab a new one?

[irishtrek]

www.evergreenscalemodels.com now has just what you're looking for.

[DaveVan]

My Hobby Lobby sells a number of colors about .010 thick. Nice stuff.

[Alvis 3.1]

Report covers found in stationery shops work, although they are pretty thin.

[LrdSatyr8]

I just buy clear plastic sheeting and use Future Floor Wax colored with Printer Ink from a color printer ink refill kit. The color is quite consistent, and I can mix any color I want.

[naoto]

I just buy clear plastic sheeting and use Future Floor Wax colored with Printer Ink from a color printer ink refill kit. The color is quite consistent, and I can mix any color I want.

... and back before inkjet printers were popular it was common for folks to use food coloring to tint Future floor polish

[LrdSatyr8]

I just buy clear plastic sheeting and use Future Floor Wax colored with Printer Ink from a color printer ink refill kit. The color is quite consistent, and I can mix any color I want.

... and back before inkjet printers were popular it was common for folks to use food coloring to tint Future floor polish

Oh I agree... however you end up having to mix more then you will need that way. Was never able to get a very even mixture with food coloring and it tended to extend the drying time too much for me... but here's what I've discovered thru my own trial and error experiments with Future...

1) When using food coloring, you end having to mix more then you need. If you're using an Empty .5oz bottle filled with Future, a single drop of food coloring (as dispensed from the food coloring bottle) contains too much water and dilutes the Future increasing the time it takes to dry by a fact of about 5x... also because the drop is so large making subtle tints is rather difficult.

2) When using Food Coloring powders, they never seem to dissolve completely in the Future and you end up with little grains when you paint or dip it. Not to mention using them will clog your airbrush unless you're using a siphon brush, but you'll end up with a good tint with little grainy spots everywhere.

3) Tamiya Translucents are great I agree but harder to find. My local hobby shop doesn't carry any so I'm forced to purchase from online. However you run into the problem there of hoping that the color that you purchased is the right one, and have to wait for it to arrive and when it finally does come, it's not the right color and now you're out not only the price of the paint plus the shipping but the time you wasted waiting for them to get to you only to find it doesn't work for the project you're working on.

4) Future has become a generic term for Clear Acrylic Floor Wax like Fridge is a generic term for Frigidaire. You can usually find an acceptable substitute in just about any grocery store. It usually comes in a container with a squirt top and is crystal clear.

5) Yes you can thin down Future with water, works well for Airbrushing because using it straight from the bottle in an airbrush is a bit thick... however when you do mix it with any water based substance you will increase the drying time. However I have heard of mixing it with Rubbing Alcohol and that isn't an issue, but I have never done so to confirm that claim.

6) Mixing with Acrylic paint didn't really work well. It was difficult to create an even mix that would create a true "tint" in the color you want. And alot of the paints also use some powders and again you get that "grit" in your tint.

In my experience, the printer ink works best for tinting due to it's extremely small concentrated nature. It mixes very well and evenly with Future and you can create small batches for your use. I've got 4 empty Testors paint bottles that I filled with Future and added each color to. I have yet to use up all of any of the colors I've made and they have been a staple in my paint kit forever! Its a much cheaper solution to purchasing Tamiya or Vallejo transparent paints (seeing as each bottle of those goes anywhere from $3.00 to $8.00 a .5oz bottle). A 24oz bottle of Future cost me $1.98, and a printer ink refill kit was like $10 and was used to refill my printer cartridges so was readily available. So for $12 I have a tool in my toolbox that has been there for at least 20 years. Instead of only 2 or 3 little bottles that may work for my projects.

I still have 3/4 a bottle of Future because what's really nice about it, is this. When you use it for dipping, you fill a small container with it, dip your parts and then pour it back in the bottle. Its wonderful stuff for modelers and I can't recommend it enough.

[naoto]

… like Fridge is a generic term for Frigidaire …

Hrm... always thought that "fridge" was simply a shortened form from refrigerator (which is somewhat of a mouthful by comparison). Of course I'm in the habit of saying "icebox" because that's the term my parents and grandparents tended to use (aside from the Japanese term 冷蔵庫 /ray-zoh-koh/ ).

Speaking of brand names that have now become somewhat "generic" term by usage:
Johnson & Johnson's Band-Aid adhesive bandages
Kraft Foods Jell-O gelatin
Coke-a-Cola (I've actually heard it used sometimes -- "what kind of Coke do you want? We've got 7-Up, Pepsi, Coke, Orange, Diet, ..")
Aspirin --- originally a trademark of Bayer

[naoto]

Report covers found in stationery shops work, although they are pretty thin.

And sometimes you'll be able to find the ones that are already tinted in various colours -- and you could probably find these even at 99-cent and dollar stores. Aside from report covers, you can probably check at an arts & crafts store (e.g. Michael's, Hobby Lobby, etc) -- sometimes they'll carry tinted colored plastic sheets.

[Chas]

Stationary dept of your local Dollar Store. look for clear plastic page dividers in various colours.
Like this
http://www.staples.ca/en/Cardinal-Multi ... CA_1_20001

But don't pay that much. Check the dollar stores first.