Can I dye old parts?

[cautrell05]

It sounds like the stupidest question ever but I figure the one time I dont ask I will find out the hard way. I have several parts on my SC buildup to dye and would like to get the original white-ish stealth case and rpm rear arm mounts while im at it. Is there anything I need to worry about with them being 15+ years old? Thanks

Nick

[klavy69]

Shouldn't have any problems with them. Just clean them up with a good detergent or a good dish soap like Dawn and they should come out pretty good. As long as you are dying them a darker than they allready are color that is .
Todd

[cautrell05]

Thanks alot. Thats kinda what I figured but like I said, the one time I dont ask. both are going black to match the rest of the chassis so color shouldnt be a problem. I just didnt know how heat would affect them and didnt want to ruin a part that I cant get real easily.

Nick

[Lowgear]

Boiling the parts should actually make them a little better if the discussions we've had on here about it are any indication.

[CamplinP]

What color are you going to dye them? If it going to be a red or blue I might give them the white treatment first to get a nicer color. If it will be dark or black then dye away.

[SRTracer121]

one thing to watch out for is warping, did it to my trx sledgehammer tranny case trying to dye it black

http://i483.photobucket.com/albums/rr198/FieroMan121/URC%20Build%20Off%203/DSCN2208.jpg

that being said, obviously not all plastics are created equal and i have no experience with dyeing (sp?) ae plastic of any age so all i can say is proceed with caution

[klavy69]

one thing to watch out for is warping, did it to my trx sledgehammer tranny case trying to dye it black


that being said, obviously not all plastics are created equal and i have no experience with dyeing (sp?) ae plastic of any age so all i can say is proceed with caution

fixed it for better picture impact SRT . You are right in thinkin not all plastics are created equal. The AE nylon has been some of the best dye takers out there IMHO. I'm also thinkin that you need to know figure out the difference between 'boiling at the depths of hell' vs. a 'slight boil' is . Did you ever replace that tranny case?
Todd

[cautrell05]

Would it help to bolt the case halves together first? Black dye for the record.

Nick

[YZ-10]

Would it help to bolt the case halves together first? Black dye for the record.

Nick

I wouldn't you want the inside parts dyed too right? bring dye to almost a boil turn heat to 1 let cool a bit then drop parts in if heat is not too hot you will have no issues

[cautrell05]

I guess im not worried about the color inside the case if thats what you mean. The video on youtube that I watched made it look real easy is why I decided to go ahead but he did stress the difference between a low simmer and a full boil. I have an old hotplate with a thermostat and a metal pan that I messed with last night and its probably about perfect. It will get the water hot enough that its just starting to bubble on the bottom but plenty of warning before boil. Probably best to keep the parts off of the bottom right?

Nick

[CamplinP]

I have never had a problem with the associated nylon parts deforming. Cheaper plastic parts I have had bad luck with. I tried to dye a set of duratrax wheels and they looked like pretzles.

[treehugger]

i recently took a trip to the charity shop and picked up a small sieve now i have my parts suspended in the dye as apposed to sitting on the bottom of the pan . doing black trans with plenty of salt should take about 4mins on a simmer .

Paul

[DougH]

So you guys actually dye while the heat is on? I've always heated the water to boiling, turned off the heat and added the dye and parts. Then I let sit until the desired color level was achieved.

Does having the heat on speed up the process and color saturation?

[sneako43]

I have only dyed a few things but each time I did the same thing:

1. Added dye and salt
2. Brought to a boil
3. Added parts in an old strainer resting in dye/water (like treehugger)
4. Turn the stove to LOW
5. Simmered for 15 minutes

No warping, deep color

[DougH]

Guess I'll have to try with the heat on low next time. One trick I use is to string the small parts onto some wire so they all stay together and you don't throw them out with the dye/water when you're done