How To Dye A Figure
Credit for this goes to Ops_Was_A_Truck:
When Daniel said, in Transformers: The Movie, “Prime, you can’t die,” he was partially right. If he had said “Prime, you can’t dye your metal parts and your plastic parts can only be dyed to a shade of color darker than your current color scheme!” He would have been spot on.
I haven’t done many dying projects, so a lot of this knowledge is pooled from the multiple threads on the subject here at Radicon’s. Before you start, check out these links:
http://webpages.charter.net/mpalze/
(Big credits to Gen. Magnus for those links, from the thread “Changing Translucent Colors on
TF figures”)
Also check out this thread:
http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/thread67168.html
…in which Insane Galvatron dropped the knowledge bomb on all of us. (NOTE: Most of the instructions below are from this thread, so I extend a gracious “Thank you” to Insane Galvatron.”)
YOU WILL NEED:
1. A Philips-head screwdriver
2. Some type of tongs or clasps (to hold your part in boiling water. FINGERS = BAD IDEA)
3. RIT dye
4. Acetone
1. As usual, disassemble your figure. Separate the plastic parts you plan to dye.
2. Note: You can ONLY dye parts to a darker color than their current color. In other words, white can be dyed to any color, yellow can only be dyed down to orange (with red dye) or green (with blue dye). You can use a color wheel (a google image search for “color wheel” will give you plenty) to figure out which colors blend down to other colors.
3. Set up a pot of water. Add the RIT dye and Acetone while the water is cold. Heat the water to approximately 150-170 degrees. It would be a good idea to test-dye some piece of plastic with the same plastic strength as your transformer part before you begin the dying process; hot water can bend/melt plastic.
4. Using your tongs, clasps or part on a string, dip the part into the mixture for 3-5 SECONDS MAX. Leave the part in for any longer and the part will begin to warp.
5. Let the parts cool down. Wearing a set of rubber gloves, rinse the parts off a few times in order to get any dye water out of cracks and crevices.
6. In my opinion, it’s probably best to let the parts sit for an hour or so, if for no other reason then to let the dye “come to rest” within the plastic parts. (Insane Galvatron says you can begin re-assembling as soon as the parts are dry, I’m adding this step as a cautionary measure.)
7. Re-assemble.
From TFMaster:
I'm not the one that started this nor am I the one that perfeted but this is the way I do it.I do not want to be in trouble for getting someone to do this that doesn't have a parental part in these type of projects.If you are an adult I suggest you take what I say here as the best to my own ability so it is not the only way of doing this.There are other sites out there that do this type of project and I suggest you do a search and get all veiws on the subject.If anyone has info they would like to share,please send a link and I will post that link to that site.
The things one needs
First off you need a pot to put the dye batch in along with the correct amout of water needed as directed on the back of the package.2nd,you'll need RIT dye.This can be found in most Laundry departments in Grocery stores such as Meijers or Wal*Mart.Now some people use Acitone in the batch to help the plastic take the color or to lighten it.Acitone is very Dangerouse is not handled properly.It is flamable so always remember to add it to the batch only before you heat it. Add water, Dye, and acitone and mix it well in warm tap water,then heat.
Now,with heating your batch make sure you have it set to well under boil for 5-10 min as needed.When you start your batch leave it running after you add your parts in to take the color but keep stirring constantly.You let the parts settle to the bottom or have the heat too high,it will warp the plastic.After stirring for about five min,check your parts.Are they taking the dye?Good,we should be on the right track and the parts stating to darken about now.Turn it off and continue to stir and checking randomly untill the parts are the depth of color you want it to be.If the batch starts to boil,turn it off and let it settle for a min.Keep stirring your parts though.Again,warpage is bad.
NOTE: Keep screws from taking apart your project and place them back into the posts they came out of to keep track of screws as well as giving you something to grip with your stirring spoon when dying your parts.
After your batch is done strain them into a steal strainer as to get any dye out of creases.Put that strainer befor hand into a cantainer that you can put the dye in.Use that container that caught the dye to pour it into the Storage container(See Tools of the Trade for more tips.) made from an empty Laundry bottle and store it away for a latter day.Try to do this after the parts have been seperated from the batch and that the batch is cool.
Place the parts back into the pot and fill it to the highest level of part in the pot with water and swish it in circles to get any loose dye out of the parts.Strain and do again untill you feel confortable you got all the dye out.
After that,place parts on a old towel and set it in front of a heater vent of the warmest area in the house untill dry.Do not set too close to the vent,if too hot it will warp your project also.
So remember! Keep stirring and keep checking!And place,try this out on some spare parts first!Get the feel for it,and then just have fun!
Please keep in mind,acitone is not the way you have to do it but my preferred choice.You can do it without acitone in the batch.If using, please do in a well ventalated room and ware a painters mask to keep from breathing in harmful chemicals.
TFmaster
From REDLINE:
I used the above methods when I first started out, and I did pretty well, though I did have one or two instances of warped parts. I have changed my methods and have so far not had a single bad incident. I have a cheap 2 quart pot that I use, tongs (not the kind with teeth, just curved loops), and a fish fryer hand-held strainer.
What I do is I fill the pot about 2/3rds to 3/4ers full of hot tap water. I set this on a stove burner set to high. While I'm waiting for this to get boiling, I bring in my dye (I use RIT Liquid, but there's nothing wrong with using their powder) and can of acetone, and lay out paper towels. I take one and fold it into quarters to lay my tongues and strainer on, one folded in half to hold under these parts with my opposite hand to catch drips when you carry them to the sink to rinse them off when complete, and then I lay out a piece of newspaper or magazine or catalogue to lay the parts on for drying.
Once the water has reached a boil, remove it from the heat and turn that burner off. Now, first add in about 3 cap-fulls of acetone. by cap, I mean the cap of the can. If you have a tiny size can that doesn't have a real cap, then use 4 spoonfuls. you MUST do this before adding the actual dye as it will make your water sputter as it reacts to the heat!! if you don't, then you will have a heck of a mess. After the Acetone is in, then add in the dye. I normally use 3 caps full, but for really stubborn parts (like alt shell pieces, classic seeker hands and feet) I use 6. stir this real good for a bit, and you're ready. For the really small pieces, lay them in your fryer strainer. for the large ones, just set them down in the liquid.
If you're simply dying black (GREAT for joints!!) just walk away and come back to see if the water's cooled or the parts are done. If you find the water cool, but the parts not done, remove the parts, rehead the mix to a boil, remove, turn heat off, and re-add the parts to repeat the bath. Seeker hands can take 8-10 times! most times first to third is plenty though.
If you're dying a specific color, note you can only go darker. That said, the base color also affects what you will get. Its like mixing paint. If the part is yellow, and you dye blue, its going to be a green. When you're going for a specific shade, you should check your parts every 20-30 seconds or you'll be mad when you find the parts a lot darker than you wanted since you didn't stay right on top of things!
When your parts are done, use the strainer for little ones, the tongues for larger ones, and hold a paper towel under them as you walk over to your sink to catch drips. rinse the parts under the tap, then set them on the paper and let them dry. you need to let these dry at least 24 hours honestly. they might seem dry before then, but if you don't do this, the dye WILL seep into your paint and dye the fresh paint!
