How to dye a white ABS puzzle black with Rit dye and acetone

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  • Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
  • Using black Rit dye, hot water, and acetone I dye a white Helicopter Cube black. The final solution was about 25% acetone and I use a full pack (32 grams) of Rit dye. A video of the results is at the end.
    You can buy both Rit dye and Acetone on Amazon.

КОМЕНТАРІ • 132

  • @tonyd6364
    @tonyd6364 10 років тому +19

    Do this in your kitchen. Your wife will love it. LOL...

  • @daisyblue4073
    @daisyblue4073 6 років тому +7

    A fancy clock (good idea), a fancy scale, a very fancy thermometer, and a toothbrush. LOLOL...A true nerd, meant in the best way.

  • @EMPER0RC0W
    @EMPER0RC0W 12 років тому +2

    hey man i just wanted to say thank you for the tutorial ... i ordered Rit dye from amazon and tried the same method myself on my ne mf8 master kilominx as it only comes in original plastic color .. and i hate white puzzles...only difference is that i added a little more acetone .. probably 40 % mix ... the method is flawless ... quick and works like a charm ... and it is literally indestinguishable from an originally black puzzle .. again .. thank you :)

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому +2

    You can dye keys on keyboards too but I've found that they are a softer plastic so you have to use less solvent. I've caused smears in my keys before from cleaning my keyboard with acetone. Also, you can only dye something darker. You can't dye something white and then red. You would need to find a white keyboard and then dye it red. As far as I know the only way you could "bleach" a dye out of plastic is with UV light. It also causes the plastic to become brittle though too...

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому +1

    Yes, I have tested it on colored plastic now and it does work. Make sure to keep the parts fully submerged in the water and dye when you pour in the acetone so that no pure acetone flows by the parts. I was able to get all of the colors to turn fully black and with stickers, the parts look great.

  • @crazybadcuber
    @crazybadcuber 12 років тому

    thanks for the info. I've dyed lot's of shape ways puzzles black, but not ABS. My friend actually just finished dying a sticker less zhanchi with great success. Thanks for making this video =)

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому +5

    No, I was able to remove all of the dye from my counter using acetone.

  • @WargamingMiniatureShowcase
    @WargamingMiniatureShowcase 9 років тому +1

    Interesting approach. I used undiluted acetone to remove the grain of my 3d printed parts, but this solves the ABS so quickly that I feel I am not really in control what happens. I will try a solution next time (among other methods), the ratio you determined will be most helpful. I would favor adding a dye to this post-treatment rather than buying a lot of coloured filament.
    Thanks for sharing

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому +1

    @deathcheze I've been hesitant to try boiling the parts because I think some formulations of ABS have a melting point very close to the boiling point of water. I'm glad it worked. I'm in the process of trying to dye some colored plastic so there should be a video of that coming up soon.

  • @iiGerardoii
    @iiGerardoii 11 років тому

    I followed your steps to paint a key from my keyboard, it looks great!
    excellent video thx for the upload

    • @TheChromaKid
      @TheChromaKid 4 роки тому

      I highly doubt you'll see this cause you commented 6 years back haha, but I was thinking of doing the exact same thing. Did they key stand to all the wear it'd get from playing?

    • @iiGerardoii
      @iiGerardoii 4 роки тому

      @@TheChromaKid the color didn't wear out at all, it still has a nice red color. We're talking dye sublimation here, so it paints literally the whole plastic even inside, not just its surface.

    • @TheChromaKid
      @TheChromaKid 4 роки тому +1

      @@iiGerardoii Ah I was wondering if it was a surface change or not. Great to hear that it's held up all this time! Feeling pretty confident to have a go at mine now :D

  • @TheDarthhair
    @TheDarthhair 9 років тому +3

    Dumping acetone down the drain is a bad idea for many reasons. As for storing dye, it goes rancid after a short time. Not sure if the acetone would help it stay fresh but water and dye doesn't last.

  • @DemoSkating
    @DemoSkating 12 років тому

    i sanded it down and it worked like a dream, thanks any way!

  • @crazybadcuber
    @crazybadcuber 12 років тому

    yes that's my plan. I'm going to film it all too.

  • @ACcuberSam
    @ACcuberSam 12 років тому

    AWESOME indepth detailed tutorial!!!!!!! I've been looking for a vid like this, THANKS.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    Yeah it does. The dye does not change the feel of the plastic in any way so it turns the same as the black one. It seems like (and this just may be a misleading perception) the white plastic is a tiny bit softer than the black plastic. This softness is retained after dyeing and the resulting black puzzle seems a tiny bit softer just like its white brethren.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    @NaCl586 Rit Dye is intended as a cloth dye so possibly. I think it depends a lot the dye and the concentration of the dye and how the dye works. If you don't use too much acetone you aren't going to harm your puzzle. The worst that will happen is that the puzzle simply won't dye and you will have wasted your cloth dye.

  • @EMPER0RC0W
    @EMPER0RC0W 12 років тому

    @EMPER0RC0W i would like to add that there was no damage to any of the pieces .. and they still maintained a nice black shine .. for the record .. i left them to soak for 25-30 minutes ...

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    @a510592 Yeah it will work on a v-6 or v-7 just fine. Those are big puzzles to sticker and assemble though so it'll be a lot of work.

  • @deathcheze
    @deathcheze 12 років тому

    Oh, I didn't know that some plastics melted at such a low temp. I'm glad mine didn't :)

  • @scottgreenleaf5366
    @scottgreenleaf5366 4 роки тому

    we call it a measuring cup. thanks for the tip though useful

  • @deathcheze
    @deathcheze 12 років тому

    Yeah I tried some dye I found at walmart and it didn't work so I got the rit dye. It didn't seem like it was working on my red cube so I poured all the parts alone with the dye and acetone into a pot and started to boil it and the parts soaked in the dye and they look perfect

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    @Troik253 Yeah I'm going to put down paper towels and foil next time. Newspaper should work too but I hate how the ink rubs off of it.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    @a510592 I did not notice any spots however I did noticed a bit of haze of less reflectivity that went away when I scrubbed the pieces with a toothbrush and gritty toothpaste. Hopefully the stickers cover most of the spots and it just looks like a factory-dyed puzzle.

  • @wordreet
    @wordreet 10 років тому

    Interesting an reasonably informative. It's possible that the process would be improved by maintaining the initial 60 deg temperature. Which might reduce the need for the quantity of acetone used.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    Yes I saw somebody die a white puzzle red with red rit dye. The color may be slightly uneven but it should come out pretty good. With black you can't really tell when it's uneven but it shows more with colors.

  • @DrBlort
    @DrBlort 12 років тому

    Awesome, looking forward to it!

  • @jdavida97
    @jdavida97 4 роки тому

    1. you should do individual pieces or in sets of a smaller amount
    2. you need to use heat to help the ink set and STOP taking it out every 2 seconds and rinsing it (oven @ 450) or (put the dye solution in a pot and leave it over the stove)
    3. you need a higher concentration of acetone but a smaller ratio of material (ABS) to solution.
    4. youre going to stain your countertop so use a disposable surface like a mat

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    Yes. Just be more careful than I was about pouring the acetone in the water. You don't want the parts to be anywhere near the acetone when it pours in because before it mixes around, it's a really high concentration and some of the cosmetic damage was because the parts touched the acetone as it poured in.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    Spraypaint alters the texture and size of the pieces. Spraypaint would probably work for a 3x3x3 but there are some puzzles where it would change the turning quality.

  • @TechnoidProduction
    @TechnoidProduction 11 років тому

    ok thanks for your help!
    i will probably make a youtube video of me doing this

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    Both of those videos use boiling. You can't boil ABS plastic puzzles because the heat causes the shape of the pieces to distort. I don't know what the plastic gas tank is made out of in the first video but it can't be the normal ABS puzzles are made from. In the second video, those are 3D printed nylon parts from Shapeways. Nylon can withstand the heat of boiling. I had to use acetone because ABS can't be boiled.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    If you just get the dye on the surface of the plastic without using a solvent it'll wash right off and won't leave any marks. If you get the dye on the plastic with a solvent it will penetrate the surface and there is nothing that is going to get it off. You'd have to sand down the dyed part which is likely to ruin most plastic parts.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    @AetherPhantasm Yeah I really wanted to capture the whole process in one continuous take so that people wouldn't cry foul. I was too aggressive with the acetone. I wound up with about a 27% concentration but I think 15% - 20% should be enough. I haven't taken apart a V-5 so I can't provide any input. What's the issue? Is is too big? Not ABS?

  • @crazybadcuber
    @crazybadcuber 12 років тому

    I want to use this technique to dye my sticker less dayan zhanchi speed cube black. do you think it will work with other colours other than white?

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) might work if you used a ton of it and got it very hot. I can't think of a way to get it and keep it very hot without it being a fire hazard though. Acetone is the safest choice I can think of. The ethyl acetate in "non acetone" nail polish remover might work but I can't find much information on the effect of ethyl acetate on ABS plastic.

  • @markraden7031
    @markraden7031 11 місяців тому

    If i wanted to dye the abs plastic thoroughly would it work to dissokve the abs in acetone and add dye? Andthen reharden the abs by evaporating the acetone and creating a new sheet of colored abs?

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    @deathcheze At the end of this video I stated that I think it would work with other colors. Indeed, others have dyed many different colored plastics black without any trouble. You would only run into trouble with colored plastic if you were trying to dye it some other color. For example, red plastic wouldn't dye blue.

  • @Wushu17
    @Wushu17 8 років тому +1

    Great vid! Thanks for sharing. I want to dye a dry bag made of PVC-coated fabric. Do you think this technique will work? or would it just melt the PVC off? Thanks!

  • @AetherPhantasm
    @AetherPhantasm 12 років тому

    I see, and I have no idea if there would be issues, I haven't tried this yet haha.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    I don't know. I need to test. I've had 3 puzzles ready to dye for several months now but I haven't gotten around to it. I'll test those with cold water.

  • @hajatmoto3500
    @hajatmoto3500 4 роки тому

    I used acetone and water to dye my acrylic windshield. It melt the acrylic and color also fail to penetrate the acrylic plastic

  • @lanehartwell6963
    @lanehartwell6963 10 років тому

    I think it looks better with the white core showing on some parts

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    Please do! If you make a quality video I'd be willing to link to it in the description. Contact me if you do.

  • @a510592
    @a510592 12 років тому

    @a510592 Lol, yeah it takes a lot of work, but it'll be worth it. I don't feel like paying another 70-100 dollars for new ones :P I already started on the 6x6 and it's turned out great so far, except the weird things is that even though I cleaned all of the pieces with goo gone and made sure there was no residue from the stickers left, there are still weird spots where the dye set differently as if the residue was still there.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    Do you mean smoothness of the turning or smoothness of the surface of the pieces? The turning quality would be unchanged. If you're careful and don't get any spots of high acetone concentration (like when pouring it in) then you'll also keep the surface of the pieces smooth.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    No. I have tested acrylic and very bad things happen when you put a solvent like acetone on it. It becomes cloudy / milky and flakes apart and will not retain the transparency. For what it's worth, it does take the dye color but gets destroyed in the process.

  • @user-qm5us7np2r
    @user-qm5us7np2r 7 років тому +1

    I tried to buy Rit dye but I do not dye it at all.
    I did an ABS keycap, but it did not show any color.

  • @deathcheze
    @deathcheze 12 років тому

    Thanks

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    Possibly. I've since tested with cool water and it doesn't work nearly as well. I should try keeping it at around 60 - 70 C to see how that works.

  • @ndufcat
    @ndufcat 9 років тому

    A simple plastic liner would have prevented you from wasting time trying to get the dye off your counter. Prep time can seem like a pain in the ass but it saves way more time eventually. Next time cover the counter, cabinets and floor...you never know when an accident could occur and cost you money. Thanks for the video though, I will be trying this soon.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    I don't know. Milliput is an epoxy and there is a chance that the acetone will attack it. My guess is that this process won't work well with Milliput.

  • @MrRyan2582
    @MrRyan2582 6 років тому

    I wonder if you did 5 colors on a white stickered puzzle, therefore ending up with a stickerless puzzle. I should try it at some point.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    The blue liquid? That's soap and it helps break the surface tension of the water and allow the parts to sink to the bottom.

  • @CXLVII
    @CXLVII 8 місяців тому

    Does this work on colored stickerless puzzles?

  • @eksine
    @eksine 4 роки тому

    RIT has a premium or premiere version of their dye, it has better reviews and costs a bit more, try it

  • @ale.fernandes.2024
    @ale.fernandes.2024 11 років тому

    Thank you !

  • @patprop74
    @patprop74 9 років тому

    Might sound little simplistic! but wouldn’t it be simpler to print in the color you want?

  • @luvdunce
    @luvdunce 6 місяців тому

    Does anyone know if it will work on LEGO pieces? I’ve tried boiling Rit Black Dye in Water however the dye doesn’t stay in the plastic and just melts the piece, any help 12 years after this video please?

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    Spraypaint isn't a very good option. It adds a thin layer around the surface of the pieces which can cause them to not fit together very well. It also can make the surface texture a bit grippy which can cause two painted surfaces to partially fuse and it can be hard to separate them without tearing paint. Finally, after a while the paint can become brittle and flake of which causes ugly specs of paint to come out and stick to your fingers and the surface of the stickers.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    The only thing that's dangerous about acetone is that it's flammable. I used to order my acetone on Amazon however shipping is too expensive for it so now I buy it at a local hardware store (Home Depot).

  • @JackRTully
    @JackRTully 11 років тому

    If a puzzle were to be shapemodded, with milliput to cover gaps, when dyeing the puzzle would the milliput take the dye?

  • @HawkEye3188
    @HawkEye3188 11 років тому

    I think if you had kept the water at a near boiling but not actually boiling it would have work way faster....but good job any how thanks for posting..

  • @qharleyp
    @qharleyp 10 років тому

    which kind of plastic the puzzle parts are made of?
    pp - Polypropylene
    pe - Polyethylene
    i need really the answer!!

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    I'm not sure what you mean. Get what off the plastic?

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    I haven't seen the video. Did they boil them? I've tried boiling ABS plastic but it distorts the shape too much and makes the puzzles non-functional. Can you get me a link to that video?

  • @ale.fernandes.2024
    @ale.fernandes.2024 11 років тому

    Congratulations. I have a question. 2 minutes into the video, you mix a liquid product in the hot water. What is this product? Thanks.

  • @GreenArt4
    @GreenArt4 9 років тому

    I'm gonna try dying a bunch of pieces. Do you think if I use less acetone and let them sit in longer, it'd work?

  • @DrBlort
    @DrBlort 12 років тому

    Interesting. Are you planning to make it "competition legal" while retaining the different feel? (for what it's worth, I do like the stickerless feel better than the white or black ones)

  • @AetherPhantasm
    @AetherPhantasm 12 років тому

    First, would you recommend adding the acetone in periodically as you did , and second what about dying a Vcube 5 core?

  • @terrythe2dmaniac71
    @terrythe2dmaniac71 6 років тому

    Great video, do you think it would work with HDPE plastic parts?

  • @Zhanchi4ever
    @Zhanchi4ever 12 років тому

    but if you make the stickerless cube black, does the smoothness stay there?
    if i am wrong, sorry...

  • @deborahsanders4708
    @deborahsanders4708 5 років тому

    Would this work on lucite acrylic flower beads please

  • @wielderofspoons
    @wielderofspoons 10 років тому

    Is there any risk of acetone melting the ABS over a period of time? I'm considering dying a doll made of ABS and the general consensus from the community is acetone is a no no as even after it's rinsed 'residue' could still cause melting

  • @deformemvita
    @deformemvita 11 років тому

    Trying to dye a Gameboy... Black is the only color that works. I cant get red, blue, green, or yellow to take properly. Any tips?

  • @a510592
    @a510592 12 років тому

    Do you think that this will work with a v-cube 6 or 7? I originally wanted black ones but they were out of stock so I got the white ones, I've wanted to try this for like a year now, but never got around to it. What do you think?

  • @jayel1498
    @jayel1498 9 років тому

    Will this work on a clear rubber sole on the bottom of a shoe?

  • @deathcheze
    @deathcheze 12 років тому

    Do you think this would work with a red colored cube? Or only for white

  • @DemoSkating
    @DemoSkating 12 років тому

    how do you get it off plastic, any solutions guys?

  • @gelidien
    @gelidien 12 років тому

    will this work on acrylic sheets? and will they still have their translucency?

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    No, the acetone is required. Without it the pieces will stay completely white.

  • @MrVassiriki
    @MrVassiriki 9 років тому

    hey mate, this is very cool. where did you get the idea? do you think it might also be suitable to color styrofoams like this?

    • @TheLee311
      @TheLee311 6 років тому

      Cuma Ali Ucar acotone and styrofoam are not compatible. There is a dye used by Cosplay for everyone. Find her and watch.

  • @TechnoidProduction
    @TechnoidProduction 11 років тому

    okay i will contact you but it might take a while!
    I'm making it for my sister and her birthday is 27th june so i will upload later then that date!

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    Rit dye is safe and non-toxic (although I can't tell you the specific chemicals in it, besides salt). Acetone is also quite safe. Although it is a powerful solvent, Acetone isn't a carcinogen, it isn't a neurotoxin, and it isn't mutagenic.
    But please don't take my word on it. You can search for the MSDS (material safety data sheet) for Rit Dye and Acetone and come to your own conclusions.
    The most toxic substance in the whole video is the plastic.

  • @justanothercubeguy
    @justanothercubeguy 12 років тому

    Cant you just Tape the part that should stay colored and use spraypaint?

  • @LoganPomaikai
    @LoganPomaikai 12 років тому

    you should use some sort of lacquer or even alcohol, so the plastic doesnt get all "F"ed up

  • @verstraetenw
    @verstraetenw 10 років тому

    wil the coller scratch off easy ?

  • @TechnoidProduction
    @TechnoidProduction 11 років тому

    If i dye a white cube with blue or any other rit dye colour will it work properly

  • @NaCl586
    @NaCl586 12 років тому

    Could i use a cloth dye instead the rit dye?

  • @T11CVV
    @T11CVV 10 років тому

    What is the brand of acetone you used in the video

  • @TechnoidProduction
    @TechnoidProduction 11 років тому

    do i do the same thing you did for the dyeing process?

  • @yourlocallad4647
    @yourlocallad4647 9 років тому

    Any ideas on how to make it more opaque? Anyone?

  • @TheMagpyeTrader
    @TheMagpyeTrader 8 років тому +3

    Followed the instructions to a tee and it didn't work at all.

    • @LazyEinstein
      @LazyEinstein 3 роки тому

      Which cube did you try it with?

    • @TheMagpyeTrader
      @TheMagpyeTrader 3 роки тому

      @@LazyEinstein Tried some Lego and a purple Gamecube console housing. Both are ABS but maybe there's other chemicals in those particular plastics that are interfering with the dye.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  12 років тому

    Yeah! Luckily the acetone took the dye right out of everything no problem.

  • @antdavisonNZ
    @antdavisonNZ 8 років тому

    vhtpaint.com/specialty/vht-vinyl-dye
    duplicolor.com/product/vinyl-and-fabric-coating
    plastikote.com/products/Specialty/Vinyl-Paint.html
    hi, I went thru the drama of painting pvc, and auto/car upholstery paint was the best and most scratch resistant I found ... the black is mainly carbon black and MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) and butane propellant... MEK is a very strong and nasty solvent, and also the most active ingredient of pvc pipe primer ... it will "melt" the top layer of pvc allowing the pigment to bond. It is also great for acyrlic (perspex) and ABS plastics, and doesn't really effect dimensional tolerances

  • @Troik253
    @Troik253 12 років тому

    ...how about some newspaper?

  • @sparkedoesthings
    @sparkedoesthings 10 років тому

    Are you able to store and reuse the dye/acetone mix?

    • @bmenrigh
      @bmenrigh  10 років тому

      You could store and reuse it. I don't think much dye gets used in the process. Acetone is pretty volatile though so if you stored it in the open at room temperature it'd probably all evaporate in a few days. You'd need to use a sealed container.

    • @async7616
      @async7616 7 років тому

      But will it corrode the plastic?.

  • @jheldredge
    @jheldredge 10 років тому

    Dude! Close the lid on your acetone! Very informative vid, though.

  • @bmenrigh
    @bmenrigh  11 років тому

    I assume you mean you're trying to dye a white GameBoy some color other than black. That is, your'e not trynig to dye a red GameBoy black.
    I have not experimented with using other color dyes but I'm not surprised that they won't take as well. The black dye is extremely concentrated. Other colors are probably much less concentrated because for normal products like fabric, too saturated a color look strange. For example, yellow can look orange.
    I don't have any tips, sorry...

  • @deformemvita
    @deformemvita 11 років тому

    Meh. It was worth a shot.
    Thank you for responding.

  • @NEALF150
    @NEALF150 10 років тому

    No , blue and yellow parts black. They wouldn't take the dye at all.

    • @TheRitualChannel
      @TheRitualChannel 10 років тому

      well of course, you need white or primer colored parts to take the dye and show color.....like when you color dark hair you need to bleach it first, same principle