So I have been seeing some mentions of using dye vs. painting - tell me about this dye, is it a liquid or powder? Use it for hard plastics? What is the skinny on this?
I don't have experience myself so can't give you any details unfortunately but I have seen others use Rit liquid dye when dying parts. I'd suggest browsing YouTube you should be able to find some videos to help answer your questions
RIT comes in liquid or powder. doesn't matter which one you buy. I've used both. You mix the dye into boiling water and bring the water down to a simmer. Then I take a wire coat hanger and fishing line and suspend the parts I want dyed in the water so they are fully covered by the water but arent touching the bottom. Let em sit for about 10 or 15 minutes. The longer they soak the darker they will be at least up to the point where it can't get any darker. Also the longer they soak the deeper the dye will penetrate into the plastic and help with dings and what not from the rocks. Dying the part doesn't make them "bullet proof" as deep enough scores into the plastic will expose the white plastic underneath but I find that it holds up a lot better and longer than paint.
Most white plastics can be dyed any color. I say most because I did run into a set of wheels for the old 1/32 Losi DT that where made out of a type of plastic that the dye couldnt soak into properly for some reason but everything else I've ever dyed has taken dye perfectly fine. Also, you can dye any parts black. For example I have a Rustler with a completely black chassis and transmission case etc that were all grey initially. just an FYI, If you dye any non-white parts any color besides black they will turn out some really funky colors. For example I tried dying a grey part dark purple once and it turn out a really strange "purplish" color. I dont recommend that. RIT has a lot of different dye colors out there.
Heres a couple of sets of wheels I dyed red and blue. They were both white dish wheels in the beginning.
Ignore the sharpie on the wheels. I was experimenting trying to put a ring around the outside of the wheels and "paint" the AE logo on the wheels. That part didnt turn out so great.
Perfect explanation Greywolf!
I have dyed many parts over the years, and also found one white plastic, a tool holder for my bass boat, that would not accept the dye at all. Everything else I ever dyed, no problems at all.