Transparent color finish for steel?

I'd try a clear coat of acrylic spray followed by colors of spray model airplane dope. I have no idea of how well it would work, I just seem to remember that model airplane dope had a sort of clear translucent property to it.

Let me know if you try it.

Well you might be able to use an automotive paint clear cost with some pearls (no not the kind people wear) added to it. That will give you a clear coat with a hint of colour (kind of like a highlight). You often see this on fancied up car with the paint that shifts colour depending on the angle you view it at and the amount of light hitting it. Ken

For swirls, you might try airbrushing of paint. I think that you could get as much or as little color as you want.

If you just wanted a hint of color, metalic powders look nice, dust on some powder, spray clear acrylic, then repeat to get color you want. Probably hard to make patterns, although I have not tried.

To me the key is how are you going to apply the color.

Have you spoken to a custom car shop? Those guys probably know how to do it.

richard

Sara wrote:

go to an automotive paint shop and ask for candy colors. These are transparent color paints that are generally sprayed over a silver/gold flake base coat. How they will stick to bare metal??

The original post didn't show up on my news server so I'm replying to this message.

I just finished playing around with Dupli-Color's MetalCast paint and it should do what you want. One coat is transparent enough to show the texture underneath but two coats might not be quite transparent enough. It's about $5 per spray can at Advance Auto Parts and Auto Zone probably has it too so you could pick up a couple of cans to play around with and see how it works for you.

If you want a thicker coating without losing the transparency you can clear coat over it, several coats if needed. I don't know whether Dupli-Color recommends this but I did and it looks great... so far. :-)

Best Regards, Keith Marshall snipped-for-privacy@progressivelogic.com

"Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - Will Rogers (1879-1935).

Sara,

Try this product:

I have used it to clear coat bare polished steel parts on my motorcycle. Durable and no rust.

Ed Ferguson

Thanks for all of the tips. I intend to try them all out.

BTW - does anyone know why my message doesn't seem tp appear on the general msg board? I must not be posting correctly. :(

Sara

Your problem is that you appear to be posting through Google.

First off -- it is *not* a "message board", but rather a usenet newsgroup. Google has provided a web-based interface to it (better is a newsreader connecting to a real news server). In particular, postings made through Google seem to take a *long* time to show up on Google's own presentation of the newsgroup.

I *think* that even msn (your ISP) offers a news server, and you can configure web browsers, to pretend to be newsreaders, or you can get a good newsreader program. Most here who are using Windows seem to prefer Forte's "Agent" as a newsreader and poster. I don't have any experience with Windows-based ones, as I use unix computers, and native unix newsreaders.

Good Luck, DoN.

I contacted HBI, the Nyalic people and they told me the product is $181.50 per gallon. $29.00 for the aerosol can. What is this stuff? They call it a resin on their website. Steve