How to Dye a Plastic Visor (PETG)
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- Tutorial on how we dye our plastic (PETG) visors for our Zer0 helmets (from Borderlands 2). Overall soaking/rinsing time is approx 45 minutes, using iDye Poly, available at fabric and craft stores. Interested in purchasing a clear visor? You can find them here cosplay4usall.c...
**PLEASE READ THE FAQ BELOW before posting questions. We will happily answer your questions but many are addressed below.**
FAQ
The PETG is 1/16th inch thickness. Yes, this thickness can be shaped with a heat gun, as long as you are very careful and the shape is not too complex or extreme (like our visors).
Once it is tinted dark enough no one can see in from the outside once it is mounted to the helmet as there is no light shining through from the inside. Seeing out of it from the inside is like looking through sunglasses.
We STRONGLY recommend iDye Poly over Rit dye as we have heard repeatedly from those using our tutorial that when they attempted this with Rit instead they had poor results, but once they got a hold of some iDye it worked perfectly (which is why we used iDye and NOT Rit)!
Make sure to heat the water to boiling first, and FULLY dissolve all dye packets (then cool the water to the proper temp). For best results, do not lay the "good" parts of your plastic (ie the outer curve of the visor) on the bottom of the dye bucket, as this may leave extra dye deposits on it. Those can sometimes be buffed out with plastic cleaner (see below). If you can, swish the water around while soaking your plastic.
Meguiar's PlastX is used to clean the visor afterwards.
*Note* This process may not work on motorcycle helmet visors. It depends on the type of plastic used and whether or not it has a coating on it. Many are made from polycarbonate (a thicker, harder plastic) and not PETG. Some are also made from safety glass, which, again, is not PETG and may have a coating on it, which prevents scratches, but will also prevent the dye from being absorbed.
Also, if you comment and ask a question from Google Plus we can not answer your question. It shows as a "Linked Comment" and gives us no option to reply :(
To see what it looks like, looking through the tinted visor from the inside out, check out this image on our Facebook page goo.gl/0lSyMZ
Thank you so much for making this tutorial. I was scouring the internet on trying to find tinted plastic but this is great!
Glad it helped!
Clearly I have too many hours in Borderlands. All I see is the thumbnail and instantly knew that that visor was for Zer0, or an Alien dome.
Great helpful video. I did this with my motorcycle turn signal lamps and was going to use RIT dye until I saw this. Keep up the great work!
I needed a vaguely tainted lilac visor and thanks to this method i learned how to dye it thank you so much 🥰 i laser cut the visor in acrylic and tainted it with Dylon dye since where i live we dont have iDye, and i have to submerge it like 5 times and re-heat the dilution in order to keep the temperature.
Ericka Franco Ha I also need a light purple tint on a visor, what character is is your’s for?
Thank You!!! I've just starting to get into prop making "still need a few tools to get started" and this is one thing I've not been able to look up!!!
You got it dark as obsidian! Really well done.
Amazing, thank you guys, will do my motorcycle windshield 👍😀
I've been wanting to do things like a power ranger and daft punk helmet for years! Thank you for this video!!!
You should check out punished props video on this where he makes a visor for Adam Savage as well.
Hi! first of all great tutorial I love all your stuff. Just one question, do you know if this would work with acrylic or transparent polystyrene? I saw lightbulb dyes in many shops but they have very strong dissolvents, do you think they could melt acrylic instead of dyeing it?
I don't see why it wouldn't work on acrylic too. Depending on the thickness of the material you could probably keep the water a bit hotter than we did with the PETG. I would try a test piece first. Always better to screw up a scrap than screw up the real thing!
this was great. im planning on tinting the plastic window on my pc's graphics card. going with a white shroud and transparent light blue window. shouldnt take as many dips and rinses as these did since i only need a light arctic looking blue color, plus the plastic is thicker and its smaller than hese visors are by alot so it shouldnt take as much space and dye to do.
Wow what a great tutorial. I have a couple of questions: 1) Would this dying process work for crystal clear vinyl 5mm? 2) l Which are the ingredients you use in minute 3:26?
Another effective trick is if you have smaller light yellowish white nylon plastic parts that you want solid black, just get a container and use 100% acetone and add a tone of the iDye Poly and maybe heat it up by using hot water and well ventilation and that works the best.
Just now found this video but it has helped me so immensely! Thank you so much for this great and informative video!!
this was so helpful to me im a paintballer but making my own mask and wanted to dye the lens so n one could see and this worked perfectly
I remember on my first halo suit i did an EVA helmet which has a massive visor. I built my own vaccuform and used PETG to make the visor. however, i did not have the foresight to order idye poly. I needed the suit in like a day and a half so i used turmarec to dye the visor. It gives a really good yellow gold color. I then used alcalie to make it one way.
Thanks so much for the video, I was looking all over for information on dying PETG. What type of plastic polish do you use? I can't find info on that online.
Okay off topic here but.... it would be cool... if you made a small hole in a plastic tub next to a tree or large plant in your front yard for a slow drip watering method, turning that bush/tree black! Could be great advertisement for your company! Just an idea... Elementary school science project that went BIG! You would have horticulturist stopping by for sure!
Can we also dye thicker plastics, like a motorcycle windscreen? Thank you in advance!
Thank you for the tutorial! Would you mind telling me the brand of the plastic cleaner you use?
Meguiar's PlastX is what we used on our visors. Works great!
hey emily its a great tutorial but i want an equal product to idye cause i cant found it in my country
Incredibly useful thank you!
Such a great tutorial but just a few questions!
1) What thickness of PETG did you use?
2) Would you be able to use a hot air gun to shape it?
3) Is this the whole process or do you have to do something afterwards to seal it or tint it?
4) If you are looking at the person wearing this, can they see their face at all?
5) How would you go about sticking it to the helmet?
I'm a halo cosplayer and was getting sick of using motorcycle visors that didn't work for the helmets!
Emily Harris If the inside of the helmet is dark then no you won't be able to see into it at all.
Sorry Emily, I never saw this comment! If you are still interested:
1) 1/16th PETG
2) You can use a heat gun to CAREFULLY heat mold a thin piece of PETG, but not something with this complex of a shape. It would most likely get all wibbly wobbly wonky looking (lol). We used a heat gun to form smaller, curved pieces without issue though.
3) No sealing afterwards. We do use plastic cleaner/polisher to remove dye residue and give it a shine (see the expanded details under the video for specific brand)
4) No, you can't see the face of the person wearing it at all
5) If you are talking about sticking it to, for instance, the inside of a halo helmet, you could use strong (like 3M) double sided sticky tape and attach a slightly larger piece of PETG to the inside of the foam/resin helmet. Just make sure you get the GOOD tape, not the wimpy stuff you find in the stationery section. You want the stuff they use for automotive use, etc.
lmao have you never worn sunglasses before
Thanks for the tutorial! Any insight as to how durable and lasting the dye will be on the PETG? I am using the plastic to create stencils that will be used to paint signage with latex paint, and so the PETG stencil will be continuously cleaned off. Would I ever be running the risk of cleaning off the dye or is it permanent? Thanks again!
The dye is permanent. It soaks in to the pores of the plastic, which is why it is important to get the temperature right (plus you don't want to warp the plastic!). Once it is rinsed in the cold water and then cleaned, it should be pretty well set for good!
THANK. YOU.
That's Beautiful.. I like it translucent.. it looked like tinted glass.
Nice Kitchen
Thanks for the video! I enjoyed watching it and learned something in the process!
Excellent! Glad we could help :)
Thanks for the tutorial! I was successfully able to dye some PETG tonight. :)
Thanks so much for this video, it's incredibly helpful! Do you have any experience dyeing polycarbonate with this?
Oh dear, this is incredibly useful. I have two visors that I will be needing to work on soon, one of which is in a shape that is absolutely unacceptible for applying window tinting to and the other being a color that is hard to find window tinting in. now if only they had mirror in dye form. ;P
Subscribed! Hey will this work on acrylic?
That is amazingly fantastic, thank you for the video , we love that
Would LEDs show decently through the visor at that darkness or should it maybe be lighter?
I just subscribed seconds ago and I already love this channel
+zefshaw 13 :D
Thanks for the tutorial! I'm not planning on any cosplay, but rather dyeing some of those giant UTZ cheeseball containers yellow and turning them into lego-man-head-themed storage containers for legos pieces. Was wondering if they could still be transparent, so as to see what's in them, and it looks like they can indeed be made so. 👍
HEY! thanks a lot!
i bought the idye poly (4 packs as your tutorial says)
the pack looks the same as you were using (size an looks) but when i opened it the powder bag looks much smaller than yours!
mine is 49 oz/14g pack. can you please tell me the capacity of the dye you were using? maybe i should get some more...
Those are the same size as the ones we used :)
There’s natural and polymer dye
i was wondering what was those visors for lol, then i saw the descriptions.... i love zer0 lol
How many time it took you in totla for one ?? Because i jave olastic transparent vit it does not work... How cna i know ots petg ??
Hello Cosplay4UsAll, how do you dispose of the dye water? Worried that it will stain my sinks or toilet.
Can something like this be done to an ABS/Polycarbonate plastic that's kind of transparent and piano black colored? the whole plastic shell color looks similar to this one and kind of transparent, so I think something similar was maybe done at the Sony factory where it mas made. If was painted I dont think it wouldve looked transparent at all.
"Hi Jay!"
Lmao!
Okay, this is a great tinting tutorial! Thanks!
Thanks!
dosent work on plexiglass. the surfase get like sandpapire...
I am not using the plastic specified. I am experimenting with a Face Shield from "Home Depot" and when I dye beyond 15 min below 140f I am getting a smokey effect and misc specks appearing in my plastic visor. Making visability not fun. Any troubleshooting tips you can offer would be immeasurable.
Great video!
Thanks!
I've had girlfriends take baths in water that hot. Without the dye though...
I know its a dumb question ,but cant you get pre-coloured petg?
hello and thanks for tie video. i was looking for a way to dye my icon visor using a photochromic pigment powder what's your thoughts on that? do you think it will work or can you post a video testing that type of process
What did you come up with?
Omg I’m so late but thank you so much this tutorial was wonderful!!
Glad you like it! Good luck with your project!
Why not just buy tinted sheets of plastic to vacuum form?
im gonna test this out with a cosplay im doing on halloween with my friend since the helmet visors we ordered had mixed reviews on the tinted-ness ill update if/when I do this. many thanks for uploading this
wibbly wobbely timey wimey
I did this to dye a thicker acrylic visor for a helmet, and it worked great. BUT!
Please wear a respirator if you do this. I had chemical burned lips for over 2 weeks
Will the idye ware off/bleed off over time? If so, how do I make the dye stay permanent?
Jdoesstuff once you dye it, then clean it with plastic cleaner, it's set and will stand up for all typical use. We did ours about 5 years ago and it is still the same dark shade :)
Wouldn't it make more sense to dye the PETG in sheets before vacuum forming it? That way you could avoid any deformation of finished visors in the boiling water. Or just buy pre-tinted sheets of PETG?
Boochieboy The only way pre-tinted sheets of PETG are sold are in minimum orders of 12 4'x8' sheets ($$$!). Tinted acrylic is available in smaller orders but would not work for our vac former. Tinting the sheets prior to vac forming would require a much larger set of tubs, as the sheet pieces need to be 24"x 24". It would mean that the protective plastic would need to be removed prior to vac forming, increasing the chance of damaging/scratching the plastic. Since the water doesn't actually need to be boiling in order for the PETG to absorb the dye, heat deformation isn't an issue. Also, since there is such a big draw distance, over the peak of the visor, if we dyed it before vac forming, there is the definite possibility that the dye in that area would be lightened, since the plastic has to stretch so far.
will you please give me the contact information for the place that sells the 4x8 sheets. i need to purchase that many.
Turned out great. Just telling you now though, you did all that prep to keep your floor and stuff safe, you should have had safety gear like a respirator, when you poured that boiling hot dye into the pot on the floor, you shouldn't have been breathing that shit in, awful stuff those chemicals, it's almost like solvent paint fumes, take care of your lungs you silly bugger ; )
We had never done a batch quite THAT huge before, and you're right....with that much crap in the air (even though we had multiple fans going) a respirator might have been nice :)
Great video! Where can I buy these iDye packs from? I only recently found out about this visor dyeing method, and I can't wait to try it out!
Thanks!
If you're in the US you can find the iDye at JoAnn Fabrics. Outside of the US I would suggest any store that sells crafts or fabric :)
wibbely wobbly timey wimey .. with a WIBBLY LEAVER and bow tie cause bow ties are cool so are fez's !!! :D
So i already have a helmet that's purple/blue and it said that the face cannot be seen from outside which when I got it, I can clearly see my face. Will this method work on a helmet that is already a colored visor? I was just hoping to tint it more or make it where outside can't see my face. I don't needs that much, probably only on the outside of my visor, i was wondering if there was like maybe a spray or some sort of paint i could just put on the outside of it
There is spray tint (sold at Walmart) but that will pretty much destroy the visibility you currently have. There is a link in the video description where you can see the visibility difference between the spray tinted version versus the dyed version.
it worked, thanks for this tutorial!
david ross YAY!!
I did a vac form visor for a robocop helmet i sculpted, the visor for the movie they used a see through silver paint, i bought krylon mirror like effect as pointed in a youtube vid for halo helmets, but i saw a rit dye silver color, gray, i wonder if i use that gray dye on a visor wich result i will get? Maybe ill try it, since i dont know how this will work with gray color
The krylon paint is tricky, you apply too much you wont see through, you apply too little they can see your face thru
Does this work on thick polycarbonate?
If you were to dye the plastic with a lighter color, like say a red, would people be able to see your eyes from the other side of the visor?
awesome video, i have a question about last two pack of liquid that you add into a pot, what is it? In Thailand we don't have both Rit and iDye, can i use another dye like a "Dylon" to dye plastic?
The iDye Poly is a two pack dye. One is a pack you just drop in the pot, the other is a liquid that helps keep the color true and make it grab the poly (or plastic) better....I think, lol. I would think any dye that specifically states it is good for fabric that contains plastic fibers, like polyester, should work. I am not familiar with Dylon so I'm afraid I couldn't answer that specifically.
what's the name of the plastic cleaner? can't find it.
Are you using dye poly ? Please advise thank you
We're using iDye poly (it says it in the information below the video).
hi, this was a great video! do you know if DYLON will work?
Sorry, I've no idea. Have not heard of that.
Will this work for an acrylic fishbowl/lamp post globe?
Since acrylic is a different type of plastic, with a different chemical composition, and different deformation point, there is a slightly different method of dying. If you Google how to dye acrylic plastic you will find info on the proper method to use for that.
What about in white?
i am getting little globs of i guess dye that appear on the PETG. is that normal? can it be cleaned off?
+blacktoothcreations We have had that happen from time to time as well. Most of it can be cleaned off using a good plastic cleaner/wax, a soft, clean cloth and some muscle (it usually takes a few tries to get it all off). We recommend Meguiar's PlastX.
Can things can be see clearly after dyeing helmet visor
Yes. It is similar to looking through sunglasses, although there may be some distortion since the plastic is stretched during the heat forming process. Follow this link to see an image from inside the visor goo.gl/0lSyMZ
CAn you use this with plexi glass? I am making an Aurora mobile and want transparent colours on the plexi:) Oh, and wear a mask!:) Toxic fumes???
Vicki k Gibson yes. As long as you use the right temperature for the type/thickness of the plastic. Find the 'deformation' temp for your plastic of choice and then keep the water/dye temp just under that.
Thank you so much for this. It's the best video of its kind on the internet.
I am dyeing a protogen visor for my child's halloween costume tomorrow.
I know I can get Rit DyeMore graphite locally. Unfortunately there don't seem to be any local vendors of iDye Poly in black.
What issues are people reporting with Rit?
Also, my first attempt to do this failed last night... the visor deformed and curled up. I note that yours remained perfectly formed. I assume this happened because I was heating the dye pot directly and failed to remove the pot from the burner. (I shut off the burner, but the residual heat from the coil probably made the water near the bottom of the pot too warm?)
I plan to re-try this tonight with a new visor. Do you have any advice for me to keep the visor from curling and get the best possible results with Rit dyemore liquid dye?
I can't comment on the Rit dye. The only thing I know is that the idye poly is formulated specifically for plastics (ie polyester etc).
As for the deforming, sounds like you definitely had the great too high!
Make sure you get the water high, as the dye directions state, but then you MUST cool it down before putting in the visor. So remove from the great source and allow to cEool to right below the deformation temp of the plastic you're using (you can Google it, if it's not PETG). Let it soak but be sure to keep swishing it around or you'll likely get dye spots on the plastic.
Good luck and Happy Halloween 🎃!
I read the description, but just to be clear, the Meguiar's PlastX does NOT work on PETG?
It does. Just don't use it BEFORE you dye ;)
Zwhat is the dye called and where do you get it from?
were these vacuformed helmuts? & if so, was this plastic origionally a plastic bottle?
asI'd like to use this method to make a giger ALIEN head dome
The actual helmets are resin casts. The visors are vacuum formed PETG (which is the same type of plastic soda bottles are made from).
Excuse me but two quick questions. What kind of plastic did you use to mold your visor? Where did you get the plastic to mold? I'm using a vacuum seal on a mold of my daft punk helmet visor. These two questions can save me so much time. Thank you ahead of time! Loved this video as well!
We used 1/16th PETG plastic (like what they make soda bottles out of). We buy it in 4' x 8' sheets from a local plastic manufacturer. You can google plastic mfg in your area or sometimes sign making shops have very thin plastic. I am sure you can probably find some online but I couldn't point you to one particular site
as we just take a short drive to get ours :)
Sorry. Replied to you via our other UA-cam account, lol. But the answer is the same :)
Cosplay4UsAll thank you very much!!! ((:
Would just iDye work? or does it have to be iDye Poly? None of my stores are carrying iDye Poly in black. Only the original.
We would not be able to give you an honest answer as we have only used the Poly. The reason we went with the Poly is that it is designed for polyester and nylon which are types of plastic.
Can I use to dye a thick (1.5 cm) plastic ? It will definitely black or transparency?
+Tanawat Chaonafai We have only tried it on thinner PETG, although we know others who have used this method on slightly thicker acrylic. All I can do is suggest you try it on a small sample piece first.
Hey cosplay4us, I'm currently working on zer0s visor with transparent worbla it's such a pain lol... I'm wondering what other methods are there?
Hi! Would the idea poly work on polyethylene plastics? I try rit dye. Did not work. Any advice would be appreciated.
Not sure if it would work or not, since we have only tried this with PETG. The iDye is for fabric with plastics in it (like polyester) and works like a charm on the PETG. All I can suggest is to find out what the temperature is that your plastics temperature rating is (the temp at which the plastic starts to become malleable) and try the iDye on a test piece at just under that temperature.
Do you know if this method also works on other kinds of plastics? I am having a bit of trouble getting them to dye at all, I've tried rit dye and window stain and neither have turned out any good. (I'm using clear plastic rc car parts)
RinNagaraboshi the iDye poly is specifically formulated to work with synthetic/polyester fabrics and is really the best dye option for plastics. That being said, not all plastic is the same! If the plastic you're trying to dye has any kind of coating on it (safety coating, anti-scratch, non-glare, etc) it won't dye well, if at all. You also need to make sure you're dying at the proper temp for your plastic type. They all have different chemical makeup and different temps for dyeing or deforming. You want it hot enough that the dye will bond to the pores of the plastic, but not so hot the plastic becomes malleable. Too cool and it won't grab the dye, too hot and you'll have a warped piece.
Hi there! Will this work with white? I'm trying to cosplay a character that has a white mask, and I was wondering if it's possible to make a one-way see through mask with white. Thanks for the tutorial!!
Probably! I would do a test run on some extra PETG first.
Awesome video, was looking for the metal wash basin on amazon and having problems finding it, also what is the dimensions? Any help would be awesome
Not sure about the specific one that they used in the video, but you can get metal wash basins as Home Depot. You could maybe also use a metal trash can (although the height may lead to faster water cooling). Seeing them in person might help with finding the right size. You could even take a sample piece with you to make sure it will fit.
could i use this for my hockey visor?
Not sure. Many times those have coating on the plastic, for safety reasons and to prevent scratches. May or may not work, depending on the plastic. Worst thing that would happen is they dye wouldn't grab well enough to darken it.
Oops, replied with my other UA-cam sign in,lol, but the reply is correct :D
ok thank you
I tried it with the visor I took off my Harley helmut and it DID NOT work at all. Is there a special coating on my factory visor that may have prevented the absorption of the dye?
Sean Korman If, when you say Harley helmet, you mean an actual legit motorcycle helmet, then no, it most likely will not work. Motorcycle visors, for the most part, are made of polycarbonate, NOT PETG, which is a much softer plastic (like a soda pop bottle). In addition, most motorcycle helmets have a coating that makes them safety treated so they don't scratch as easy or shatter on impact.
Hi guys! Looking to dye some clear pvc/vinyl heels bright bright red-- what's been your experience in getting color vibrancy? Should I add the four packets like they did in this video-- or would that only deepen the color? I'm looking to get a bright cherry red result.
I want to repaint my already black windscreen but i want the honda logo to stay. The logo is not on the surface but in the middle of the plastic. Will this cover the logo? Thanks and good job!
No idea really. The dye penetrates the plastic, so it is possible it will darken the Honda logo too.
Hello! What would be the best approach for giving a petg domed lens a slightly chrome finish? My friend tried the "spray chrome in the inner surface" method, but due to the increase of humidity in the mask, when he touched the lenses he accidentally wiped off the paint. My friend recommended me to simply spray the front of those back lenses (think of the build as outer PETG lenses and inner painted PETG lenses with a fabric mesh sandwiched in between), but from my understanding the shiny effect only appears on the opposite side of where you've sprayed, while the sprayed surface retains some visibility. I was thinking of using a chrome dye for a pot (if those even exist), or to apply a clear antifog film like the ones used for mirrors in the inner surface of the sprayed lens, if that won't ruin the way the chrome reflects. What do you think? What dye type should i be looking for? Because i might even try to paint the petg white.
If i had light up eyes in the mask, would it make the visor look not back? and do you still see the face threw it?
We have not tried lights in our helmet so I can't be sure, but I would say if you have lights in it, facing out, you would see the lights but not your face. If you have the lights shining in, you would see your face.
ok thanks for the help!
HELLO YOU APOLOGY ATES to paint COULD GET AND WHERE I AM FROM LIMA PERU
Most fabric stores carry the dye, though I am not sure about Peru!
Will this work for 2 leader Pepsi bottles?
Jarez Littlechild Yes, as it is the same type of plastic (PETG). Just don't put it in the hot water with the cap on the bottle. Being exposide to the heat and humidity may cause a build up of pressure inside the bottle.
Cosplay4UsAll k thx
R u sure it won't melt the bottles
This was also my question, thank you for asking it.
Very nice instructional video. Maybe I missed it somewhere, but why are the visors tinted and rinsed several times for approx. 7 minutes each time, stretching out to 45 minutes total of tint time? Thanks.
Charlie Ross we wanted them to be as dark as possible. Rinsing in cold water helps the color "set" on the plastic, and resoaking them adds more color.
Thanks. I'll be checking in to this method, most likely for some motorcycle stuff.
Nice video, but watching the boiling dye I have to wonder about what sort of fumes end up in the air from this and how safe it is to breathe. Shouldn't there be a window open with a fan blowing the air out? Also, is there a target ratio for # of dye packets per gallon of water?
has anyone here tried dying poly-carbonate in such a fashion? I'm desperately looking to tint a complete globe regardless of the type of plastic I end up going with. (I'm interested more in the poly carbonate so in the event I possibly drop it, darn thing wont shatter.) I really dont want to do a spray tint, or science forbid, a regular light coat of spray paint > ~
Plastic ones of course
hi guys that vid looks great about using ipoly idye on petg does it work on lighter dyes ??? and also if I add acitone to the colour would it come out better I really need to colour some petg plastic is it that easy you see in the vid I'm looking at doing bright colours as well can anyone help me many thanks Paul
I have no idea what adding acetone would do to either the dye or the PETG itself, but it is something I myself wouldn't try. The iDye Poly is formulated to work on plastics so it is already pretty darn good at it. We have seen people have good results with pink, red, green, yellow and of course the black. Always, always try it on a test piece or two first!
Football visor time
IS THIS CELSIUS OR FAHRENHEIT?!?!?! Numbers sound like celsius but thermometer says fahrenheit but water doesn't boil fahrenheit until 212. PLEASE HELP
R A Fahrenheit. You can boil it first then cool it down with cold water, or let it sit until it is cooler.
That makes sense, thank you! I was really confused and am working on a costume with clear PETG I want to tint and this was a real help. Thank you and keep up the great work! Do you put the dye in before or after it reaches boiling point? I assume when it boils and then let it cool down once it's all dissolved
Purchase an instant read IR thermometer