# where can I buy transparent spray paint?
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478
**Category:** NYSpeed Automotive
**Created:** [November 20, 2008, 7:40am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478 "2008-11-20T07:40:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2008, 7:40am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478/1 "2008-11-20T07:40:01Z")
in particular, this is for a cheap paint experiment for my bike over winter, I want to buy some transparent yellow, orange, and red to lay over a silver metallic or gold basecoat to achieve a color from the 70’s called sunburst orange pearl.
I tried HD, walmart, and a rinky dink craft store nearby. I know some people have used stuff like this to tint headlights and tail lights and the like, so where did you get it?
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### Author:  [@chino](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/chino)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2008, 7:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478/2 "2008-11-20T07:41:17Z")
michaels, ac moore, joanne fab - any good craft store will have it. i painted my tails with krylon stained glass paint from michaels
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2008, 7:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478/3 "2008-11-20T07:46:36Z")
GREAT! thanks chino, I’ll have to hit one of those this weekend and make some test cards to see which combination makes the color i want
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### Author:  [@reliant\_turbo](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/reliant_turbo)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2008, 8:01am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478/4 "2008-11-20T08:01:59Z")
duplicolor metalcast is transparent paint.
Brian
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### Author:  [@tpgsr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/tpgsr)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2008, 8:06am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478/5 "2008-11-20T08:06:56Z")
I would say get a cheap gun from harbor freight, grab a couple small samples from a paint store and go to town.
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### Author:  [@TrueBlue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TrueBlue)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2008, 8:35am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478/6 "2008-11-20T08:35:24Z")
FYI - you want translucent paint, not transparent. Transparent paint is clearcoat 😛
If you’re just shooting enamels (tricky to work with) you could hit up Niagara Craft mart and get into small cans of Testor’s. make sure your base is enamel too, enamel over lacquer is nicht ser gut…
Or, if you have access to an HVLP, get some candies from Al Wil and fire them over silver on a tinted primer base.
And reliant’s right, the MetalCast is all translucent, although the color availability is limited and you’d be stuck with their choices.
Best best: candy urethanes out of an HVLP, good temperature range for shooting/degassing/curing and a retarded amount of color choice. Plus you can always tint your clear final for color correction.
:edit: and you can add in your pearl to the mix in urethane!
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2008, 9:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478/7 "2008-11-20T09:37:49Z")
I would love to do it legitamately(sp?) with an HVLP cause I do have access to all the painting equipment, however I dont want to spend $200 to paint a gas tank and two side covers that area bout 6x8" ya know? figured I would try out some cheaper spray cans and see what i come up with…unless I can buy really small quantities of candy colors from AL Wil
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### Author:  [@TrueBlue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TrueBlue)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2008, 10:07am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478/8 "2008-11-20T10:07:42Z")
> [@focusinprogress](#):
>
> I would love to do it legitamately(sp?) with an HVLP cause I do have access to all the painting equipment, however I dont want to spend $200 to paint a gas tank and two side covers that area bout 6x8" ya know? figured I would try out some cheaper spray cans and see what i come up with…unless I can buy really small quantities of candy colors from AL Wil
I hear ya. Without the equipment, it gets pricey fast. Check out this kind of stuff, Niagara Hobby and Craft Mart carries this line and they have a good selection.
[http://www.testors.com/category/136526/Paints](http://www.testors.com/category/136526/Paints)
They also have a lacquer line, but I didn’t see any candies. That’s how all that shit was done in the 70’s, heavy ass lacquers.
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### Author:  [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2008, 10:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478/9 "2008-11-20T10:13:33Z")
paint isnt really that expensive. you can get a pint of decent base for like 30-40 bucks, it reduces 1:1 so you have two pints sprayable (20 bucks is for the reducer). put it one coat on and it will be translucent, especially if its cheap, lol. or get some pearl/ tinted clear.
you can buy spray can paint, and spray it into the cup of a spray gun. ive done that before. you get more control with the gun and its cheap. but it will be single stage.
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### Author:  [@TrueBlue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TrueBlue)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2008, 10:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478/10 "2008-11-20T10:29:37Z")
fawk, I read that wrong. :roflpicard: Yeah, if you DO have the access to painting weaponry, you can get small quantities fairly cheap. Call Al Wils nd see what they can do on pricing. You won’t have to go heavy… although it will cost more than enamel spray cans.
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### Author:  [@tpgsr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/tpgsr)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2008, 11:06am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478/11 "2008-11-20T11:06:47Z")
I have gotten Al Wil to give me little cans of paint for use in touch up jobs. They were like $15 each, and were like a pint or so premixed. Take four of those at just a little more than the spray paint, and you have a job that looks 200% better.
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2008, 11:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/where-can-i-buy-transparent-spray-paint/58478/12 "2008-11-20T11:41:35Z")
> [@tpgsr](#):
>
> I have gotten Al Wil to give me little cans of paint for use in touch up jobs. They were like $15 each, and were like a pint or so premixed. Take four of those at just a little more than the spray paint, and you have a job that looks 200% better.
that sounds right up my alley, I may look into this. thanks mike, I owe ya beers. I finish school in two weeks, so maybe then we can arrrange a night out lol