After reading the How To article in Recoil (issue 2), I really wanted to try dyeing some polymer parts. However, I'm really curious if the dye will sweat out onto my skin during a hot day at the range. I wouldn't want to walk away with blackened, camo patterned hands and cheek. For anyone who has or would like to attempted polymer dyeing yet, I will share with you some of the info I’ve gathered in recent days?
So after following the instructions in Recoil, I dyed two Tango Down grips, and attempted to dye some ERGO ladder rail covers. The ladder covers did not absorb any dye, even after soaking for about 20 minutes. The Tango Down grips dyed beautifully. The color came out great. I found the trick to keeping the color strong is not rinsing the parts after soaking in the dye. Rinsing kept turning the parts purple. After letting the parts air dry, the black color stayed strong. Dips were 1 minute at a time, pat dry between dips, and I dipped the parts about 15 times.
Time and field testing will tell how the color holds up. But as of right now, they look great. I'm pretty pumped to have rescued these parts from the parts bin.
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After dyeing a Tango Down Rail Cover from FDE to black, I have decided to test the durability of the dye against oil and solvents. Since I am a regular user of CLP and Shooters Choice, I chose them.
I didn't think CLP would effect the dye, but it was worth trying. I scrubbed the part with a brush dipped in CLP, I dipped the part in CLP, and I soaked it in CLP for 24 hours. There was ZERO leaching of the dye. There was no transfer to the scrub brush, no discoloration of the CLP in the plastic bag, and no dye rubbed off my skin after rough handling. Dyed polymer passes the CLP Test.
Here is the cover being dipped in the CLP prior to scrubbing.
Here is the part after aggressive scrubbing. Not effected.
Here you see the part in its 24 hour CLP bath, again no effect.
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As I mentioned before, Shooters Choice is strong enough to eat paint (Rattle can) right off of a gun. So, naturally, I thought it would be the dye's worst enemy. After dipping and scrubbing aggressively, it has had no effect in the dye whatsoever. I don't think sweat should be an issue.
Here is the cover after a dip in Shooters Choice and an aggressive scrub. Once more, no effect.
Here the rail is in the solvent, where it will stayed for 24 hours.
Note: After just 20 minutes the Shooters choice is have a strong leaching effect on the dye. As seen below.
Here the part is in the bag after 24 hours of soaking. Notice the leached color in the solvent.
Here is the rail cover after a thorough rinse in cold water. There is no effect on my skin; no transfer of color whatsoever.
So here’s the verdict on the effect of Shooters Choice on the dyed polymer rail cover. While some dye did bleed off, the solvent has had no permanent effect on the dye. There was a lot of leached off dye in the bag, but the part looks fine, almost better than before!?
While Shooters Choice may make your dyed goods bleed color, during prolonged exposure, I don't think you need to worry about any long term effects it might have on the dye. Now, this conclusion is based on dyeing one solid color, not a camo pattern. I fear that prolonged exposure of a pattern to solvents may result in multiple color bleeds. This is still to be determined.
Other than some sweaty range testing, I'm not sure what the next test will be. Either way, go read Recoil, buy some RIT dye, and go experiment. It's a ton of fun.
So after following the instructions in Recoil, I dyed two Tango Down grips, and attempted to dye some ERGO ladder rail covers. The ladder covers did not absorb any dye, even after soaking for about 20 minutes. The Tango Down grips dyed beautifully. The color came out great. I found the trick to keeping the color strong is not rinsing the parts after soaking in the dye. Rinsing kept turning the parts purple. After letting the parts air dry, the black color stayed strong. Dips were 1 minute at a time, pat dry between dips, and I dipped the parts about 15 times.
Time and field testing will tell how the color holds up. But as of right now, they look great. I'm pretty pumped to have rescued these parts from the parts bin.
____
After dyeing a Tango Down Rail Cover from FDE to black, I have decided to test the durability of the dye against oil and solvents. Since I am a regular user of CLP and Shooters Choice, I chose them.
I didn't think CLP would effect the dye, but it was worth trying. I scrubbed the part with a brush dipped in CLP, I dipped the part in CLP, and I soaked it in CLP for 24 hours. There was ZERO leaching of the dye. There was no transfer to the scrub brush, no discoloration of the CLP in the plastic bag, and no dye rubbed off my skin after rough handling. Dyed polymer passes the CLP Test.
Here is the cover being dipped in the CLP prior to scrubbing.
Here is the part after aggressive scrubbing. Not effected.
Here you see the part in its 24 hour CLP bath, again no effect.
____
As I mentioned before, Shooters Choice is strong enough to eat paint (Rattle can) right off of a gun. So, naturally, I thought it would be the dye's worst enemy. After dipping and scrubbing aggressively, it has had no effect in the dye whatsoever. I don't think sweat should be an issue.
Here is the cover after a dip in Shooters Choice and an aggressive scrub. Once more, no effect.
Here the rail is in the solvent, where it will stayed for 24 hours.
Note: After just 20 minutes the Shooters choice is have a strong leaching effect on the dye. As seen below.
Here the part is in the bag after 24 hours of soaking. Notice the leached color in the solvent.
Here is the rail cover after a thorough rinse in cold water. There is no effect on my skin; no transfer of color whatsoever.
So here’s the verdict on the effect of Shooters Choice on the dyed polymer rail cover. While some dye did bleed off, the solvent has had no permanent effect on the dye. There was a lot of leached off dye in the bag, but the part looks fine, almost better than before!?
While Shooters Choice may make your dyed goods bleed color, during prolonged exposure, I don't think you need to worry about any long term effects it might have on the dye. Now, this conclusion is based on dyeing one solid color, not a camo pattern. I fear that prolonged exposure of a pattern to solvents may result in multiple color bleeds. This is still to be determined.
Other than some sweaty range testing, I'm not sure what the next test will be. Either way, go read Recoil, buy some RIT dye, and go experiment. It's a ton of fun.
