Tie Dye Discs

[Dickies]

Has anyone here attempted to make a tie dye disc? If so, what method did you use? I've got a couple clear(white) champion plastic discs that I am going to play around with some dyes on. I have enough trouble finding my bright orange discs, I'd lose these on the first throw.

Also, if dying a clear disc, will the RIT dye look transparent, or will it be a solid color?

[pointdisc]

Lighter colors may be transparent, but black will be solid.

I've never tried to tye-dye, but the dip method would most likely not work so well. Try mixing the RIT w/ acetone, drop some on the disc & let it roll around by blowing it w/ a straw, tilting the disc, etc.

A blank disc is a great canvas to try something new.

pd

[RustyP]

I think most of the "tie-dye" discs you see are actually "fly-dye" or "spin-dye"....meaning that you drip various colors on the top of the disc then rotate/spin it fast enough that the dye runs towards the edges. Never tried it myself and I'm not even sure that's how its done...but that's the way all mine look.

Reminds me of the late 80s / early 90s when I could go to the mall and make a splatter/spin t-shirt using the same method at a little kiosk in front of JC Penny's

[spitfire]

I made a jig to try tie dye disc. I cut the bottom out of a 5 gallon bucket and cut a piece of wood to fit inside the bucket. I then put a dowel into the center of the wood so I could attach it to the chuck in my drill. I would use double sided tape to secure the disc to the wood inside the bucket. I did this to keep the mess down and use the drill to make the dye spin on the disc. The jig worked great but rit dye did not do so good with this method. Either is was to runny or to thick. I could not get the right formula. Also, for me rit dye works much better when some heat is used and that is hard when doing this method. I did boil some dye and use an eye dropper and that didn't work either. The dye came out really light. I think the best bet here is to find out the kind of dye the pro's use(good luck) or to buy the dye from Dr. Dye which I think would work great for this(but I have never used it before). It is on my list of things to try.

[Jesse B 707]

I made a jig to try tie dye disc. I cut the bottom out of a 5 gallon bucket and cut a piece of wood to fit inside the bucket. I then put a dowel into the center of the wood so I could attach it to the chuck in my drill. I would use double sided tape to secure the disc to the wood inside the bucket. I did this to keep the mess down and use the drill to make the dye spin on the disc. The jig worked great but rit dye did not do so good with this method. Either is was to runny or to thick. I could not get the right formula. Also, for me rit dye works much better when some heat is used and that is hard when doing this method. I did boil some dye and use an eye dropper and that didn't work either. The dye came out really light. I think the best bet here is to find out the kind of dye the pro's use(good luck) or to buy the dye from Dr. Dye which I think would work great for this(but I have never used it before). It is on my list of things to try.

did you mix the rit with acetone? that will make it sink right in tho the plastic

[spitfire]

yeah I did try mixing it with acetone as well. For me it makes it real gritty when trying to make the dye thicker. Any tips on that?

[SkaBob]

Heating a solution up will allow you to dissolve a larger quantity of the particulate components in the liquid...

God I sound like a substitude chemistry teacher!

[ChUcK]

yeah I did try mixing it with acetone as well. For me it makes it real gritty when trying to make the dye thicker. Any tips on that?

Combine the rit and acetone in a jar with an airtight lid, and mix it up as much as possible. Then place the jar in some simmering water and it'll dissolve the rit the rest of the way. This is known as supersaturation. The rit will dissolve in acetone until the solution becomes saturated and then it won't dissolve anymore, leaving the gritty chunks you mentioned. It requires extraordinary means to dissolve any more rit and heating up the solution is one of those means.

Edit: what I meant to say was, "what he said". Guess I should read all the posts before responding!

[Jesse B 707]

be CAREFUL if you are gonna heat up acetone

[ChUcK]

Very true- I should have added that you need to let the jar cool back down before opening the lid, and do it outside!

[Dickies]

I think most of the "tie-dye" discs you see are actually "fly-dye" or "spin-dye"....meaning that you drip various colors on the top of the disc then rotate/spin it fast enough that the dye runs towards the edges. Never tried it myself and I'm not even sure that's how its done...but that's the way all mine look.

Reminds me of the late 80s / early 90s when I could go to the mall and make a splatter/spin t-shirt using the same method at a little kiosk in front of JC Penny's

I know what you mean, but I was thinking more along the lines of this:


I was thinking of smearing a vasoline design in one color, dipping the disc, and then vasoline over the color just dipped. Since I'm not going for crisp edges, I am wondering how it will look.

[victorb]

As a chemist, I would not recommend the heating of acetone, under any circumstances. It is highly volatile and the fumes can ignite from sources such as static discharge.

[edrift101]

I know what you mean, but I was thinking more along the lines of this:

That looks like it would be fairly easy to paint. Try using Rit and a watercolor brush. Do one color, then come back with the other color. A couple layers of dye should create the uneven dye and color mix.

[Dickies]

I know what you mean, but I was thinking more along the lines of this:

That looks like it would be fairly easy to paint. Try using Rit and a watercolor brush. Do one color, then come back with the other color. A couple layers of dye should create the uneven dye and color mix.

Did one as an experiment (first dye job ever). I will post some pics later. I used vaseline and dipped the disc into the dye.

How well does painting on the dye work? Do you heat the dye up first, or do you need a more concentrated solution, or would you just get the liquid RIT?

[edrift101]

How well does painting on the dye work? Do you heat the dye up first, or do you need a more concentrated solution, or would you just get the liquid RIT?

Check out my Pipboy Destroyer. http://www.discgolfreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10154

I painted the loose background on the disc with a watercolor brush (flat) using the leftover dye (still warm). I left the dye on for a couple minutes and then set it with cold water. Going back over the initial dye would have given it the marble effect you're looking for.