Disc dying........again

[chris86wm]

Hey guys, I have read several posts on do it yourself disc dying and I am a little confused about all the different options. I have been studying this topic
http://www.discgolfreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=936&highlight=dying

From your experience which dye is the best/easiest/cheapest to use. Also which mask is the best/easiest/cheapest to use. (champion plastic)

Would someone mind walking me through the basics of how to do this?
Also where can you buy the materials needed for this.....walmart?

[swel304]

I havent tried any disc dying yet but I am interested to get into it sometime soon. Ive been wondering, has anyone/is it possible to apply dye with an airbrush? I used to airbrush at a shop for a few years and still have some equipment. Im sure you wouldnt be able to do linework with something as thin as the dye likely has to be, but Im curious to see if you could mask off and do colors to get nice fades and whatnot for pictures, then just do the linework with a bursh.

[Thatdirtykid]

Rit powder is cheapest and easiest dye.

Acetone is the Easiest catalyst
Water is the Cheapest, Discs require soaking which can cause more runs, but acetone is the thinnest and is prone to runs.

Contact paper is the easiest masking method for percise lines
Contact Paper and vasoline is the hardest, but best in quality when done right
Elmers Glue is the Cheapest.

The link you posted is the best online work/compliation there is

[Thatdirtykid]

I havent dyed with an airbrush, you would have to do the acetone mix to have a strong enough/thin enough mixture. It would be hard to have the dye not run and lay thick enough to really effect the plastic.

Line work is tough, and I have not sucessfully done many blends. Dr. Dye sells a kit w/ instructions, and he does some aswome work.

I want to try Worm Dye sometime, its thicker and would more likely be able to be brushed.

[swel304]

yeah im pretty sure it would be useless for line work but for colorfades you could keep going back over very lightly until it looks how youwant it. same way you get color onto any slick surface without runs. Im also wondering what effect acetone would have on the seals in the airbrush though.

[Thatdirtykid]

acetone will eat cheap grade plastics (like packaging) I would use a cheapo airbrush if I were to use one for dyes. Make sure you rinse often while working to see how the progress really is.
btw never soak discs in acetone mix, I tried w/ dx before because dx is hard todye, soaking in a liquid/powder rit mix w/ water works ok, I thought acetone will work better. It will slowly eat your disc.

[swel304]

the seals in my badger 150 are nylon, think it would eat that? guess I could put one of my nylon guitar picks in a cup of aceton and see what happens.

[chris86wm]

Rit powder is cheapest and easiest dye.

Acetone is the Easiest catalyst
Water is the Cheapest, Discs require soaking which can cause more runs, but acetone is the thinnest and is prone to runs.

Contact paper is the easiest masking method for percise lines
Contact Paper and vasoline is the hardest, but best in quality when done right
Elmers Glue is the Cheapest.

The link you posted is the best online work/compliation there is

so the best way to go about it is to use Rit Powder with vasoline, elmers glue, or contact paper as a mask?
how to you apply the mask?
If I went with vasoline, would I just gob it on there pretty thick or should I use a thin layer?
If I were to use elmers glue, how should I apply it?
How do you remove the glue once it dries and how thick should it be applied?
If I were to use contact paper, would the dye bleed through the edges?

so acetone is the best "catalyst"? is this what you use to mix with the powdered dye so that it applies quicker?

sry about all the questions, I am just VERY confused

[Thatdirtykid]

thin works for vasoline, glue needs to be kinda thick, I usually dont use the glue to mask anything in particular, just designs. Send me a pm w/ your Email and I could send some pics of stuff using different masking ect.

[twmccoy]

I've done a little dyeing and the only mask I had success with was sticking contact paper down and then running vaseline over the edges and pulling off the contact paper. Basically you put down the contact paper opposite of how you want the dye to look. Spread vaseline around the edges and then carefully peel off the contact paper without smearing the vaseline. I apply the dye with a paint brush and put it on thick. Usually I will rinse the disc and reapply the dye a few times until it looks good. With the vaseline lines you have to air dry the disc between applications though. If you try to use acetone on plain contact paper, it will seep underneath and ruin your design every time.

I use rit powder mixed with acetone, which works well. The colors however are dark, yet muted. I wish I could find the dye they use for the fluorescent yellow, green and magenta. The yellow I used looks really pale and boring. Also, the dye job I did on a pro wraith last year is fading badly. Champion and Z plastic seem to hold the color better.

[-Frank-]

Where the hell can I get Worm Dye? Anyone know? Do they carry it at Cabella's or another sporting goods store?

[Thatdirtykid]

Ive only heard about finding it online, I think the best part about it may be your choices in scents

[some call me...tim?]

I'm far from an expert on the subject, as I have yet to try to dye a disc myself, but I've talked to some others that have done it. This is all according to them, I haven't seen the actual process of their work, but have seen the end results and I would say it's on the same level as Dr. Dye's (they're not so much the intricate geometrical patterns, but they do have nice strong colors and and clean defined lines).

They never use acetone in the mix, just rit and water. Some have experimented with the acetone and found it to be runnier and easier to bleed, plus they've found it tends to fade faster. The best stencil material they've used is adhesive vinyl that they get from sign shops--this is less prone to bleeding than contact paper. I guess a lot of times you can just get the scraps that they can't use, but if you have to buy it, you can just get the cheapest variety. The way they do it is cut out the design, put it on the disc, boil up a pot o' dye, and then float the disc upside down in the dye for 5-10 minutes, rinse off the dye and remove the stencil. I've seen some truly impressive dyes done this way, and am eager to try some myself, I figure it'll be a good way to pass time while I'm sitting inside for the dark and rainy winter.

[Thatdirtykid]

sounds worth a try, the problem with water mixes is if you have to let it soak alot of masks will bleed. I agree contact paper is prone to bleeding, and Vasoline is easy to smudge. I may have to try vinyl adhesive

[some call me...tim?]

Here's a few examples of what one dude has done using that method.