Glass Tint - What Shade to Use?

[P.H.U.]

For anyone that has ever tinted the glass over their arcade monitors, what shade tint do you guys use? What's best? It seems tint gives the cab a mystique that is quite attractive, I would like to do the same.

[Token]

For anyone that has ever tinted the glass over their arcade monitors, what shade tint do you guys use? What's best? It seems tint gives the cab a mystique that is quite attractive, I would like to do the same.

Anything from 30-60% tint will look great. Make sure get gray, not bronze.

Are you looking to buy tint yourself and apply it? Check local glass suppliers first. I was able to get a rather large piece in 30% gray tinted tempered glass for $38.

[P.H.U.]

Probably do it myself; doesn't look too hard. I have one cocktail to do, one cab that is missing glass, one cab where the glass is keyed, and one that has plexi which I want to replace. Definitely not going with bronze. On clear glass that gray-ness of the CRT screen on gives the cab an antiquidated look when the cab is off.

[RandyT]

Here's one of a few threads on the forum, discussing the topic.

[SlammedNiss]

Probably do it myself; doesn't look too hard. I have one cocktail to do, one cab that is missing glass, one cab where the glass is keyed, and one that has plexi which I want to replace. Definitely not going with bronze. On clear glass that gray-ness of the CRT screen on gives the cab an antiquidated look when the cab is off.

As somebody who's been in the tinting business for more than 20+ years, I can assure you it's more difficult than you think.

[P.H.U.]

Not to impune anything you do, but I'd have my buddy do it for me. He is a window tinter by trade.

[SlammedNiss]

Not to impune anything you do, but I'd have my buddy do it for me. He is a window tinter by trade.

That's definitely what I would recommend. And for the record, my response was because you said...

Probably do it myself; doesn't look too hard.

[cptnwhlz]

I did a pretty low percent, like 15-20 on my mame cabinet. It made the colors pop and make the monitor look more "real". I wouldn't go darker unless you really just play games that had a dark tint on the screen anyway.

[8BitMonk]

I've always used One Day Glass and their Light Gray tint and been very happy. Details from last order below, it was $59 including shipping.

Type: Tempered Glass
Width: 24 1/8"
Height: 14 3/16"
Shape: Square/Rectangle
Thickness: 1/8"
Tint: Light Gray
Edgework: Flat Grind (a,b,c,d)
Options: No Tong Marks

[P.H.U.]

Awesome! Thanks fellas!

[Dawgz Rule]

A little late to the response but I think the one you are looking for is Graylite 31.  It is a lighter tint Gray.

[P.H.U.]

A little late to the response but I think the one you are looking for is Graylite 31.  It is a lighter tint Gray.

Only late if I bought the tint already. I'll look into Graylite 31 for sure.

[Dawgz Rule]

Two links you may find helpful:

http://www.grayglass.net/product.cfm/GrayGlass/GRAYLITE-31/product_id/4174

http://www.grayglass.net/product.cfm/GrayGlass/GRAYLITE-14/product_id/4173

[lilshawn]

Probably do it myself; doesn't look too hard. I have one cocktail to do, one cab that is missing glass, one cab where the glass is keyed, and one that has plexi which I want to replace. Definitely not going with bronze. On clear glass that gray-ness of the CRT screen on gives the cab an antiquidated look when the cab is off.

As somebody who's been in the tinting business for more than 20+ years, I can assure you it's more difficult than you think.

as somebody who has seen the results of peoples misguided tint jobs and the gross looking bubbly and ripple-ey back windows in many a honda civic driving down the road, I can attest, it is more difficult than people think. I've done it (and a good job too) and it sucks without the right tools,practice, and know how. I'd certainly just take anything I have needing to be tinted to a shop and have them do it and not deal with the hassle.

[P.H.U.]

Probably do it myself; doesn't look too hard. I have one cocktail to do, one cab that is missing glass, one cab where the glass is keyed, and one that has plexi which I want to replace. Definitely not going with bronze. On clear glass that gray-ness of the CRT screen on gives the cab an antiquidated look when the cab is off.

As somebody who's been in the tinting business for more than 20+ years, I can assure you it's more difficult than you think.

as somebody who has seen the results of peoples misguided tint jobs and the gross looking bubbly and ripple-ey back windows in many a honda civic driving down the road, I can attest, it is more difficult than people think. I've done it (and a good job too) and it sucks without the right tools,practice, and know how. I'd certainly just take anything I have needing to be tinted to a shop and have them do it and not deal with the hassle.

Agreed. I have seen plenty of gerrymandered tint jobs myself. I live in San Jose! But we are talking about a ~30"x~30 rectangular piece of flat glass that can be removed and the tint shaved off the glass edge. Many of those advanced techniques used in the auto industry to fit tint onto a curved window around tight spaces into seals are not applicable here. Not to impune your experience and skills, but I am going to give it a DIY shot. I have a heat gun. I have squeegies (from applying carbon fiber vinyl). I have knives. If I mess up, off to the shop I go. No big deal. Some time and some money is lost is all. But If I pull it off, I can brag relentlessly with the wifey and earn brownie points.

[RandyT]

It's not really too hard.  I think most of the crappy installations are due to improper tools and techniques, as well as being in a hurry, added to the effects of the sun on everything before it has had a chance to dry.

A few tips:

Make sure the surface is CLEAN, and do the work in a dust-free environment.

Use a wet application, with a tiny bit of surfactant added to de-ionized or distilled water.  To much surfactant can lead to a cloudy result and/or poor adhesion.

Use a proper squeegee to remove all of the bubbles and solution once the material has been positioned.  Make sure that the squeegee is new, and has no rough edges.  Also make sure that you apply solution to the TOP of the material while squeegeeing, to prevent dragging and scratching.

Wait until the tint is completely dry before attempting to trim the edges, and use a new razor blade.  A still wet tint and/or a dull blade can pull up the edges, which you really don't want to happen.  Also, trim at a 45 degree angle to the edge of the glass, so that no tint is hanging over.   

Don't try to rush the job, and wait at least 24 hours before putting the finished item into use.

[lilshawn]

god yes clean, clean, clean. can't stress that enough.

use 99% iso and a lint free cloth for the final clean. (NOT paper towel)

DON't use anything ammonia... Ammonia will leave residue that will eat the glue.

any dirt left behind will cause the film to bubble.

use a strong work light from the side to be able to see any air bubbles and work them out.

if you have dirt causing a bubble (you squeegee it and it seems to stay or comes back) lift the film from the unsqueegee'd end and spray the hell out of it to try and flush it out from behind the film then re-squeegee.

good luck

[stigzler]

Recently looked into this and it appeared as thought the common consensus was around 30% light-through. I got some 60% samples and it was just too light - defeating the object of hiding any bezel imperfections and having the screen 'float.' I got some 30% plexi here in the UK for around £10! Was a bit of a hunt, though, as most UK suppliers did either 15% or 60%.

[P.H.U.]

Recently looked into this and it appeared as thought the common consensus was around 30% light-through. I got some 60% samples and it was just too light - defeating the object of hiding any bezel imperfections and having the screen 'float.' I got some 30% plexi here in the UK for around £10! Was a bit of a hunt, though, as most UK suppliers did either 15% or 60%.

That is awesome info! Thanks bud!

[SlammedNiss]

 

Recently looked into this and it appeared as thought the common consensus was around 30% light-through. I got some 60% samples and it was just too light - defeating the object of hiding any bezel imperfections and having the screen 'float.' I got some 30% plexi here in the UK for around £10! Was a bit of a hunt, though, as most UK suppliers did either 15% or 60%.

That is awesome info! Thanks bud!

If you're in the states, 30-35% is probably the most common film used for front windows on vehicles. So you could either use an automotive film, or a flat-glass film. Honestly, I'd recommend the flat-glass film as most have a "dry" adhesive, where the adhesive isn't activated until it's sprayed with water.  For somebody who doesn't have a lot of experience with applying tint, that's what I would recommend as it's typically easier to maneuver once you apply it to the substrate.

It's not really too hard.  I think most of the crappy installations are due to improper tools and techniques, as well as being in a hurry, added to the effects of the sun on everything before it has had a chance to dry.

A few tips:

Make sure the surface is CLEAN, and do the work in a dust-free environment.

Use a wet application, with a tiny bit of surfactant added to de-ionized or distilled water.  To much surfactant can lead to a cloudy result and/or poor adhesion.

Use a proper squeegee to remove all of the bubbles and solution once the material has been positioned.  Make sure that the squeegee is new, and has no rough edges.  Also make sure that you apply solution to the TOP of the material while squeegeeing, to prevent dragging and scratching.

Wait until the tint is completely dry before attempting to trim the edges, and use a new razor blade.  A still wet tint and/or a dull blade can pull up the edges, which you really don't want to happen.  Also, trim at a 45 degree angle to the edge of the glass, so that no tint is hanging over.   

Don't try to rush the job, and wait at least 24 hours before putting the finished item into use.

While I agree with most of your remarks, I've never had to de-ionize my water. I've always used filtered tap water and have never had a problem. A quart of water with about a teas. of soap is all you really need. I've done it that way for 20+ years and I've never had any problems with cloudiness. (other than the norm waiting for the film to cure)

As others have said, clean clean clean. That's the single most common problem I've seen with homemade tint jobs. Good squeegees and lint-free paper towels or 100% cotton cloths (old t-shirts work great) are a necessity. Also, if it doesn't have to be 100% to the edge, pre-cut the film with a straight edge. You can measure the glass you're applying it to, then cut the film 1/16" shorter. Apply it to the glass and center it and you'll only have 1/32" gap between film and edge. This saves you from having to shave the film and have the possibility of the film lifting from the glass and introducing dust and dirt.

[RandyT]

While I agree with most of your remarks, I've never had to de-ionize my water. I've always used filtered tap water and have never had a problem. A quart of water with about a teas. of soap is all you really need. I've done it that way for 20+ years and I've never had any problems with cloudiness. (other than the norm waiting for the film to cure)

The surfactant is what can cause the cloudiness.  Water quality varies wildly from different areas, and rather than take the chance, a gallon of distilled water costs a buck.   

Also, you have to be careful with the type of soap.  Anything which is tough on grease (like Dawn) or which has any lotions to protect skin, is a no-no.  Either will wreak havoc on the adhesive.

[lilshawn]

Also, you have to be careful with the type of soap.  Anything which is tough on grease (like Dawn) or which has any lotions to protect skin, is a no-no.  Either will wreak havoc on the adhesive.

just plain old sunlight dish soap.

[Token]

It's not really too hard. 

...Which is followed by a series of posts on surfactants, ammonia, de-ionized water, and proper soap choice. 

If you want to tint your own glass, go for it. This is a DIY forum after all. Half the fun is learning new skills.

But I'll just say it again-- tinted glass can usually be found pretty cheap from local glass suppliers.

[lilshawn]

it's not really too hard, provided you use the proper tools.

how about that?

knowledge is power, and knowing is half the battle...geeeyejoooooeeee

all these "stupid" little things all collimate for a reason.

windex is as popular as toilet paper often found in every house and used for cleaning glass, but often contains ammonia. ammonia is very bad for the glue used in tint. in fact when you remove tint, you use ammonia to dissolve the glue residue left on the glass. this is why it was mentioned alternative methods to clean the glass. it may stick today...it may stick tomorrow... but give it a week...a month? that glue will no longer be holing because of the ammonia.

if you try and use just plain water with tint application, the water will just bead up on the glass and won't "stick" you'l lay your tint down and have dry glass separated by water beads. it will not go well. if you add a tiny tiny bit of dish soap it will break the surface tension and allow the water to "stick".

you don't want soap with lotions and whatnot, because they just lay a dirty greasy layer of junk in between your glass and your tint glue. It either won't stick, or it will make your tint cloudy because it's effectively trapped in there. this was the whole reason for cleaning it. we want glass,glue,tint. nothing else.

see, it's not all for naught... but you might as well get all the information you need to DIY so you aren't throwing away good money.

[P.H.U.]

Exactly. I have too many cabs. I have two more sit down Cruisin' USA cabs being given to me that I will pick up this weekend. Going to a glass shop for all these cabs is going to cost me some serious dough. Anyways, this is getting into a measuring contest. This was never about application. I asked about tint shade and got really good answers. We can close on this one and move on.

[stigzler]

A measuring contest on here!? Never!

[RandyT]

Anyways, this is getting into a measuring contest. This was never about application. I asked about tint shade and got really good answers. We can close on this one and move on.

When you post in a public forum about taking a DIY approach to something, those who respond have no idea as to your ability to carry out your plans.  There's no "measuring" here, just good people trying to make sure you have all the information possible to succeed in your endeavor, having no idea exactly what information you already possess.  It's also read by many, many others who may attempt to follow in your footsteps.

If you don't need the extra info, ignore it.  There are others behind you who might.

[P.H.U.]

Plenty of info on the web that document application of tint. This isn't the forum for tinting expertise. My question was about tint shade for arcade cabs. I got my answer. Let's move on.

[RandyT]

Plenty of info on the web that document application of tint. This isn't the forum for tinting expertise. My question was about tint shade for arcade cabs. I got my answer. Let's move on.

Last I checked, we are "on the web" too.  There is also plenty of information on the web regarding every other thing which goes into building or repairing a cab.  Should we just shut the forums down? 

[P.H.U.]

I appreciate the info. But let's move on.

[lilshawn]

that's it guys shut 'er down, everything here is found everywhere else.

[RandyT]

that's it guys shut 'er down, everything here is found everywhere else.

Don't be sad, we had a good run. 

[stigzler]

I'm confused - who was right?

Did they win?

[lilshawn]

nobody wins, just various states of doing "okay".

[SlammedNiss]

Sorry if it got into a measuring contest. I was just throwing my 2 cents in to help out with P.H.U. if he does decide to try applying it himself. Hearing some of these things that others saying about this and that are interesting to me. Such as the remark about Dawn soap. I used it for years and NEVER had a problem. Also, cloudiness is caused by the adhesive softening up and has nothing to do with non-ionized water. In fact, I actually had to use distilled water once when they were working on the local water lines. Had the exact same cloudiness that I did with filtered tap water. Once the film is allowed to dry, it goes away. Now the comments that lilshawn made about Windex is indeed correct. You never want to use any ammonia based cleaners once you have the film installed. Over time the film will become hazy and difficult to see thru and will eventually break the film down and ruin it.

But again, what do I know. I've only been tinting professionally in Kansas and Arizona since 1993.

[MTPPC]

30% and Johnson's baby shampoo for the soap.

[lilshawn]

Love, Peace and Chicken grease is all you need man.

[stigzler]

shawn wins.

[Jamesbeat]

I don't get why someone would want to tint their own glass instead of buying glass that is already tinted?

I understand trying to save money, but you would still need to buy plain glass and the materials needed to tint it.

Is the cost of tinting materials really that much cheaper than the difference between plain and tinted glass?

Would a diy tint job look as good as glass that was tinted during manufacture?

[RandyT]

But again, what do I know. I've only been tinting professionally in Kansas and Arizona since 1993.

Everyone has their experiences, and will do what works for them.  I worked in the precision optics field for about a decade, which served the aerospace and scientific communities.  You can get away with quite a lot where a vehicle window tint application is concerned, but when using PSA optical laminates in windows for optical assemblies, you have to be a bit anal about controlling as many of the variables as possible.  You also have to bear in mind that some of the films we used cost more than a monitor, so we needed to be careful .  Any "haze" at all can cause blooming of imagery in this type of application, but would probably never be noticed with vehicle windows.  I'm a bit curious as to the effect minute amounts of haze will have on a window for a CRT/LCD panel light source.  But I would guess that it would be more noticeable in this type of application.

As for the Dawn thing, it's pretty universally avoided, not only by tinters, but also by sign makers when applying vinyl graphics / vehicle wraps.  The same possible issues related to the adhesive also apply in that field.  Some of the sign guys won't even use dish soap at all, preferring some of the more "made for the task" solutions which they believe are better.  Whether they are or not, is a topic often debated, and the benefits of using the proper solutions may only be realized with specific adhesive compositions.  But if it works for you and your customers don't have issues, go with what you know .

I don't get why someone would want to tint their own glass instead of buying glass that is already tinted?

Other than cost, you might be able to find a wider selection of transmission levels in tint, rather than having to select either ~30% or ~16%.  Other than for those two reasons, I can't think of a benefit.

Would a diy tint job look as good as glass that was tinted during manufacture?

Definitely not.

[Token]

I don't get why someone would want to tint their own glass instead of buying glass that is already tinted?

Other than cost, you might be able to find a wider selection of transmission levels in tint, rather than having to select either ~30% or ~16%.

This.

The tinted tempered glass available to me locally isn't exactly what I want (I would like it darker). It isn't a big deal to me, but if it was, self-tinting would be the way to go.

[lilshawn]

unless you plan on putting this thing in public where people are potentially going to be crazy and punching things or from a security standpoint, but otherwise tempered glass isn't really required.

[vwalbridge]

I thought we we were not allowed to talk about this anymore? OP said to move on.

[lilshawn]

I thought we we were not allowed to talk about this anymore? OP said to move on.

I won remember...

shawn wins.

[vwalbridge]

I thought we we were not allowed to talk about this anymore? OP said to move on.

I won remember...

shawn wins.

touché! I herby proclaim thread ownership to lilshawn. 

[Token]

unless you plan on putting this thing in public where people are potentially going to be crazy and punching things or from a security standpoint, but otherwise tempered glass isn't really required.

The locals had no like a $2 price difference for tempered and not tempered. And the glass comes down to the CP. And there's a trackball.


Can a mod please rename this thread "Shawn's comprehensive arcade glass resource guide"? 

[stigzler]

It felt like 3 experts in Bus Shelter Design and Manufacturing all found themselves waiting for a bus at the same time. All the other poor fella wanted to know was the time of the next bus...

However, a more engaging,  impromptu and serendipitous discussion on post-modern shelter construction + associated advances in material  science has never been witnessed since...

[lilshawn]

It felt like 3 experts in Bus Shelter Design and Manufacturing all found themselves waiting for a bus at the same time. All the other poor fella wanted to know was the time of the next bus...

However, a more engaging,  impromptu and serendipitous discussion or post-modern shelter construction + associated advances in material  science has never been witnessed since...

I'm no engineer,  but I think I would make a good one have one of those analytical minds... Also I like trains.  Bazinga!

[Phreakwars]

I've never had a hard time tinting car windows, or even my house windows, although the flatter the glass the better and easier. Just never use Dawn dish soap and never use Windex/Ammonia based cleaners but DO start with a clean surface. Vinegar works real well for this. Also, to separate the film from the backing, use 2 tiny pieces of scotch tape, one on both sides, and pull them apart. Also, I work in the paint and graphics department at Polaris industries and have applied decals and such to literally thousands of motorcycles and know what works, if I didn't, I'd probably be fired. Use the SOFTEST squeegee you can get your hands on, spray the surface you are going to squeegee with your soapy water in addition to the sticky side, and don't use too much pressure when pulling the squeegee. This stretches the film and can cause it to have curls and ridges when it dries. Nice, steady, semi-lite strokes, keep respraying with soapy water if it starts to pull from drying out.

[ugleymatt]

Recently looked into this and it appeared as thought the common consensus was around 30% light-through. I got some 60% samples and it was just too light - defeating the object of hiding any bezel imperfections and having the screen 'float.' I got some 30% plexi here in the UK for around £10! Was a bit of a hunt, though, as most UK suppliers did either 15% or 60%.

Which supplier did you get this from?

[stigzler]

https://plasticonline.co.uk/

[ugleymatt]

https://plasticonline.co.uk/

Thank you!

[ugleymatt]

https://plasticonline.co.uk/

Sorry to bring up an old post but was about to order, did you get the light or mid grey tint? And was that for a CRT or LCD screen?

[stigzler]

I got the mid grey + for an IPS LED LCD. I got some samples of the light + dark and they were, well, too light and dark. I haven't put the mid in situ yet as working on other things, but will update once have (which could be couple of months)

[barrymossel]

I got the mid grey + for an IPS LED LCD. I got some samples of the light + dark and they were, well, too light and dark. I haven't put the mid in situ yet as working on other things, but will update once have (which could be couple of months)

Did you try yet?