Need ideas - painting 67 Cougar tail lights

[bh1701]

I am working on a 1967 Mercury Cougar. Trying to figure out how to paint the vertical chrome strips on the tail lights.

My first idea was to paint the entire piece silver/chrome, and then use Tamiya Clear Red (maybe thinned down a bit) to act as a wash with the hopes that the red would settle down into the areas between the chrome strips.

What do you think of my approach? Any other ideas on how I might approach this?

Thanks,

Bart

[Keef]

Maybe a fine tip Molotow chrome pen and a steady hand?

[Bainford]

BMF, lots of magnification, and patience.

[Fat Brian]

First use bare metal foil on the back of the lights if they aren't going on a chrome bumper piece to give them some reflectivity, just stick the sticky side right to the back of the lens and trim around the edge. For the raised strips I would use a ball point silver pen. I use a Pentel metallic gel pen for really fine lines, the ink isn't as runny as chrome pens tend to be. It not completely chrome but shiny enough on such fine lines.

I used the pen on the screen on the inboard headlights here.

[bh1701]

1 hour ago, Fat Brian said:

First use bare metal foil on the back of the lights if they aren't going on a chrome bumper piece to give them some reflectivity, just stick the sticky side right to the back of the lens and trim around the edge. For the raised strips I would use a ball point silver pen. I use a Pentel metallic gel pen for really fine lines, the ink isn't as runny as chrome pens tend to be. It not completely chrome but shiny enough on such fine lines.

 

Brian,

Do you have a photo of the gel pen you used - that shows the product name/info on it? I looked online and find several different types of Pentel Metallic pens.

Thanks,

Bart

[Fat Brian]

35 minutes ago, bh1701 said:

Brian,

Do you have a photo of the gel pen you used - that shows the product name/info on it? I looked online and find several different types of Pentel Metallic pens.

Thanks,

Bart

I'm pretty sure this is the current packaging, I've had mine for a while.

[TarheelRick]

Be sure the package says "Fine" instead of "Medium".

[Mothersworry]

Perhaps covering the tail light with Bare Metal Foil then painting it with transparent red paint. When it is dry use a Tamiya cotton swab (a round one) with an appropriate thinner to remove the paint from the raised ribs.

 

[peteski]

Painting the transoarent red lens silver then adding a red wash to me misses the point.  After all the lens should be transparent red.

 

Couple of ideas:

Dry brush silver paint over the raised ribs.

Spread a thin layer of silver paint on a flat pencil eraser, then press the ribs gently into the paint.  The rubbery eraser will allow the paint to stick to the ribs.

[Zoom Zoom]

I'd use a fresh silver Sharpie to pick out the raised ribs and call it a day. 

[stitchdup]

if you have molotowe or similar, you can put a thin coat on a flat eraser, then when its tacky gently roll the light over it, taking care to do it evenly. if you tape a cocktail stick to the light it makes it easier. it might take a couple of tries but you can build it up if you let the lights dry between atempts.

[bobss396]

Craft stores have all sorts of neat stuff. How about wrapping some fine silver-colored band material around them, glue on the back side. No paint required. Maybe some very fine silver wire would work too.

[peteski]

7 minutes ago, stitchdup said:

if you have molotowe or similar, you can put a thin coat on a flat eraser, then when its tacky gently roll the light over it, taking care to do it evenly. if you tape a cocktail stick to the light it makes it easier. it might take a couple of tries but you can build it up if you let the lights dry between atempts.

Exactly!  I posted the eraser idea 2 posts earlier. 

[Mike 1017]

Me, I would use an Acrylic Chrome and a toothpick. Just because if I were to get paint where I did not want it, I can wash off the acrylic 

Good Luck

Mike

[NOBLNG]

12 hours ago, Mothersworry said:

Perhaps covering the tail light with Bare Metal Foil then painting it with transparent red paint. When it is dry use a Tamiya cotton swab (a round one) with an appropriate thinner to remove the paint from the raised ribs.

 

I would try this first. I think it would give the best chrome look to the ridges. If you don’t like the results you can peel the foil off and try the paint on eraser method?

[bh1701]

Thanks everyone for your ideas and suggestions.

I had tried stamping some script with the eraser method before, but was not very successful with it. However, I decided to try the stamping method again with the tail lights. I used a Metallic Silver craft paint and a fresh flat eraser from a retractable pencil. The craft paint was easy to remove with a sharpened toothpick if the paint strayed too far from the ribs.

Here are my results. I think it came out very well.

 

If this method didn't work, my second choice probably would have been to try bare metal foil over the tail lights, apply Tamiya Transparent Red carefully, and then remove any red that strayed onto the ridges. I did like this approach since you could peel the foil off and try again if your results weren't that good. But, I do agree with others that the tail lights look better when you keep the original transparent red plastic in place.

Bart

 

 

[Old Buckaroo]

I'm old school and approach would be to dry brush the high spots with a aluminum or chrome enamel paint from Testor's.  Dry brushing this with a artist paintbrush that is soft, flat tipped and no bigger that a 1/4" wide and same for length.  load the tip of the brush with minimal paint like the residue in the lid and brush it out on a paper towel to where it is just making shadow marks. Then use that to lightly paint the raised areas with a horizontal pattern (across the ribs , not up and down with them)  repeat till the finish you want is achieved.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Personally, I’d foil ‘em.

Gonna take some time, but anything worth doing is worth doing to the best of your ability.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Edited January 7 by StevenGuthmiller

[peteski]

Looks good Bart!

[Bucky]

3 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Personally, I’d foil ‘em.

Gonna take some time, but anything worth doing is worth doing to the best of your ability.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Did you foil each individual rib? It looks great! Those Cougar taillights would quite a while using that method, but would show very well. I'm working on a '67 Cougar myself, so I'm taking notes here. 

[Bucky]

7 hours ago, bh1701 said:

Thanks everyone for your ideas and suggestions.

I had tried stamping some script with the eraser method before, but was not very successful with it. However, I decided to try the stamping method again with the tail lights. I used a Metallic Silver craft paint and a fresh flat eraser from a retractable pencil. The craft paint was easy to remove with a sharpened toothpick if the paint strayed too far from the ribs.

Here are my results. I think it came out very well.

 

If this method didn't work, my second choice probably would have been to try bare metal foil over the tail lights, apply Tamiya Transparent Red carefully, and then remove any red that strayed onto the ridges. I did like this approach since you could peel the foil off and try again if your results weren't that good. But, I do agree with others that the tail lights look better when you keep the original transparent red plastic in place.

Bart

 

 

That looks mighty nice!

[StevenGuthmiller]

5 hours ago, Bucky said:

Did you foil each individual rib? It looks great! Those Cougar taillights would quite a while using that method, but would show very well. I'm working on a '67 Cougar myself, so I'm taking notes here. 

Yes.

Like I said, takes some time, but hey......who's keeping track?

The little extra efforts can make all the difference.

 

Did the ribs on my '68 Coronet with foil too.

But in this circumstance it worked better to use the "foil under paint" technique.

 

 

 

 

 

Steve