I made a vacuum formed PETG visor for my MK5B helmet. What would be the best way to add a mirrored tint?

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tvanhelene

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I was considering using the Ipoly dye, however, that would only give me a tint and not any reflectivity. I've need other posts here saying I could use an airbrush with a specific paint, however I don't have an airbrush. What is a different way I could get a reflective 1-way finish on the visor?

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I used Krylon Looking Glass for my visor. You can see the results here. It's not perfect but if you use light coats, you can get a decent reflective surface. Decently cheap too.
Hey, thanks for the reply!
So I looked at your post and it seems we have pretty much identical visors pre coloring. Yours looks fantastic and I’d love to get the same result.

So from what I can tell from your post, you dyed the visor first a similar color to what you are tinting it to, and then you added multiple light coats of Krylon looking glass. Is this correct? And what side of the visor did you apply the krylon too? I’m also assuming you used Ipoly dye.
 
NobleofDeath16 definitely did a great job on the visor. I'm pretty sure he uses the same process as TurboCharizard

Dye a visor with iDye Poly, hit the reverse side with four coats of Alclad II Chrome at the 16-18PSI reccomended and then use Alclad II Aqua Clear to protect it from scratches
It's the best balance of DIY and toxicity I've come across
- TurboCharizard

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So from what I can tell from your post, you dyed the visor first a similar color to what you are tinting it to, and then you added multiple light coats of Krylon looking glass. Is this correct? And what side of the visor did you apply the krylon too? I’m also assuming you used Ipoly dye.
Yes, that's correct. Once your visor is dyed to the color you want, spray it on the inside of the visor.
 
If I am tinting the visor with the paint, why do I need to dye it?
For a nicer result with better visibility. I've done a bunch of visors and tried a few different "clear" paints and by the time they get a colour intensity that looks good their opacity is less than stellar. If you're mixing paints such as one metallic and one the colour you want you're significantly lowering the chances that you'll have visibility out of the end product simply due to chemistry.

The dye bonds to the plastic of the visor while still maintaining full transparency and then the Alclad II Chrome that was suggested earlier is a lacquer that's just dense enough in pigment that when used on a helmet visor you can see out into the brightly lit world but people can't see through the reflective coating into the dark helmet interior.
 
For a nicer result with better visibility. I've done a bunch of visors and tried a few different "clear" paints and by the time they get a colour intensity that looks good their opacity is less than stellar. If you're mixing paints such as one metallic and one the colour you want you're significantly lowering the chances that you'll have visibility out of the end product simply due to chemistry.

The dye bonds to the plastic of the visor while still maintaining full transparency and then the Alclad II Chrome that was suggested earlier is a lacquer that's just dense enough in pigment that when used on a helmet visor you can see out into the brightly lit world but people can't see through the reflective coating into the dark helmet interior.
Oh that's pretty cool! I got black Ipoly dye and silver Krylon looking glass. I think this will work as well? Does that sound like it would work to you?
 
Oh that's pretty cool! I got black Ipoly dye and silver Krylon looking glass. I think this will work as well? Does that sound like it would work to you?
I've tried it, not really a fan to be honest. If you already bought it and are forming multiple visors it's worth at least testing but don't expect anything perfect clarity out of that visor.
 
I've tried it, not really a fan to be honest. If you already bought it and are forming multiple visors it's worth at least testing but don't expect anything perfect clarity out of that visor.
ah damn ok. The reason I got the krylon is because I dont have an airbrush.
 
ah damn ok. The reason I got the krylon is because I dont have an airbrush.
An airbrush is a solid investment if you plan on doing a bunch of cosplay stuff or painting in general. Colour control is a lot finer and being able to mix your own colours is fantastic. Also (at least in Canada where spray paint is expensive) you can get a lot more surface coverage with a standard bottle of premixed airbrush paint than a can of spray paint while still spending less on the bottle.

The up front cost of a compressor and brush is scary but it pays itself off pretty quick.
 
An airbrush is a solid investment if you plan on doing a bunch of cosplay stuff or painting in general. Colour control is a lot finer and being able to mix your own colours is fantastic. Also (at least in Canada where spray paint is expensive) you can get a lot more surface coverage with a standard bottle of premixed airbrush paint than a can of spray paint while still spending less on the bottle.

The up front cost of a compressor and brush is scary but it pays itself off pretty quick.
I will have to consider it! I definitely will be doing more projects like this. Here is my helmet directly after taking off all the painter's tape. I need to add weathering and small details/clean up the edges and then do the visor.
 

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An airbrush is definitely an expensive investment that I understand not everyone can make. However, if you can, you won't regret it.
 
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