How do you paint head lights for tanks. I know the instructions say white but that jsut seems odd. What do you guys do?
If the kit does not come with clear headlights, which most don’t, I just cut out a piece of aluminum foil the size of the lens, glue it on perfectly flat with CA glue, then a drop or two or clear gloss to act as a lens. Does the trick for me.
Try this - it might be better
http://www.tankfive.net/pagine%20inglesi/tips&tricks/home_made_lens.htm
Wow, thanks for the link yellowjasper. That’s a wicked idea. Takes much more work tho, but the results look amazing. I’d imagine this to be much much easier if worked for a larger scale than the author.
I’m too lazy to do that, I buy an MV Products lense for special projects. On stuff for just sitting around I just paint them silver.
I paint them with a metallic paint, usually a gunmetal colour. After weathering, there isn’t much clean lens to see anyways.
Thanks a lot guys. Like always your help is invaluble.
I’m no expert by any means, but people like to use future to simulate glass cockpit lenses, so why not do the same with the headlight? I have something that requires a red lens, and I plan to paint it red and then add the drop of future
I also have this Finescale tip guide and one of the answers for replacement headlight lenses was a drop of clear appoxy.
yellowjasper: Thanks for the link, now I know what to do with all the empty Girl Scout cookie trays! [:D]
WOW!!! I’m tempted to try it…
I try to drill out a hole using my pin vise. Once I feel the hole is sufficiently deep enough I then paint it with some aluminum or silver of some sort. Then I fill in the hole with ‘clear’ 5-minute epoxy. When the epoxy dries it will simulate a headlight lense.
Glenn
Wow, what a cool tip, thanks yellowjasper. Where do people think these things up?