Dying plastcis and resins has limited
but useful applications. A dye bath is useful for giving objects
a very even, uniform color. Dying won't work well on every type
of material, but does work very well on soft vinyls and many
casting resins. Some experiments dying various plastics can
be seen here. Dying is ideal
for coloring flexible plastic capes. My technique for dying
plastics is based on a tip from Raechel Reiter.
Step 1
IF you are using a powdered dye, add water to
the powder according to package directions. Pour enough dye into
your mug to completely submerge the object you want to dye, then
heat (microwaving is easiest) the dye until boiling.
.
Step 2
Remove the mug from your heat source, and quickly drop the object
into the dye. (Be careful not to splash the dye onto you or table
tops!) Let the object soak, stirring occasionally with tongs,
until the dye cools.
Step 3
After the dye has cooled,remove the object from
the mug with tongs, and thoroughly rinse it.. This is to make
sure excess dye is washed away instead of contaminating other
pieces.
Step 4 (Optional)
If the plastic hasn't turned the shade you desire,
repeat steps 1-3 as needed. Some types of plastics and resins
will saturate with dye in a single bath, while other types may
need more than five baths.
