Didn't know where to post this - hope this is the right place. Anyway, I'm wondering for those of you that have dyed plastic in the past does the previous color of the plastic 'tint' the new color? Say if I wanted to dye from red or blue to black?
Yes, the dye can't replace the old color. It will be added to it. Trying to dye red plastic blue is going to give you purple.
Thanks. I was actually was thinking about making a prime black - I wanted to know if it would be blue and red tinted.
*that feeling when you want to ask something, but someone is already about it* Sweet. I'm going to jump into this a moment. Question. If one wanted to dye an orange figure to bring it to a red, would it be as easy as simply using red dye (or as close to red as possible) since they're such a similar color, or would I need to use a more nuanced method? Let's say, standard TF orange and dark red dye?
I would experiment with a scrap piece if you have one available but if it's a lighter orange and you're using a darker red it'll probably mostly cover it up. You may still have an orangish tint to it but the only way to know for sure is to try it.
So I did a thing Minor/Repaint: - OC Targetmaster Testshot in preparation to eventually dye some parts on Siege Ratchet, and I was wondering that when I do dye Ratchet can I re-dye him if he comes out kinda pink instead of red?
That just means you need to dye for longer periods of time. Dye is like adding transparency layers, so you can't go lighter again and dyes don't cancel each other out.
Started dabbling with dyes myself a bit with mixed results. Generally if your dying parts black you'll get pretty good coverage though your black might be either a warmer or colder shade based on the color you're dying so I'd suggest supplementing the black dye with a bit of blue to even it all out. If you're planning to use Rit you should know that the newer stuff on the shelf now won't work on plastic for the most part since they've changed the formula a few years ago. Might cost a bit more but look for old stock on ebay and you should be good. As for the dying process itself, first you should strip any paint as the dye wont adhere to it properly and will just discolor it. Make sure you wash the parts properly too to remove any oils on them. Lastly I'd try out dying a junker or two first as I've had trouble with temp management, either not being hot enough for the dye to take or being too hot and warping parts. Anyone here ever experiment with dying with a sous vide cooker? Been considering picking one up to see if the consistent temp and more even heat distribution will help reduce my failure rate.
Okay, anyone got an image of the original RITdye before the chemical change? I'm still getting very less-than-favorable results even with all the tips I can find. Could it be possible that there are plastics that can't be dyed? edit: I'm just dumb. I wasn't doing enough of anything! Enough dye, enough heat! It's working now!
Alright, this should be my last question. let's say you just finished a complete cycle of plastic dying. Are you supposed to flush/dispose of the dye liquid dye used or can you save and store it for another run? I've been disposing the dye as of now and I'm curious.
As long as it's sealed, I can't imagine there'd be any risk in keeping it. Was it just dye in water or did you use acetone to soften the plastic? If the latter, you'd want to make sure your storage was glass like a mason jar or something but I really can't see any reason you can't keep the stuff.
