Dying Stuff: What Am I doing wrong?

[Megazord Mike]

Trying to dye a set of plastic boots black for a WWE custom. It's just Mattel plastic. I can never get dye to take right. Ever. What am I missing? hot water + dye right?

[PNGwynne]

Some suggestions/observations:

1. Plastic will generally not accept dye. Vinyl and rubber usually will, although the base color can influence the overall color after dyeing, and in many cases you'll only be able to tint the item.

2. Black is a tricky color and usually has an undertone of blue or green. If you over-dye the item (ie. use too much dye), it will bleed afterwards from the boot onto the figure/costume.

3. You can try using a newer dye made especially for synthetics. Again, it will work on vinyl but may not work on hard plastic.

4. Adding a mordant like salt can help the dye work better; mordants help relax fabric fibers. I still add salt to dyebaths for vinyl out of habit, but it may not actually help much.

5. Use a stovetop method where you can keep the dyebath very hot, at a low simmer.

6. Make sure the item to be dyed is clean and free of grease.

Hope this helps.

[Megazord Mike]

Some suggestions/observations:


Hope this helps.

Help more than you know, to date I've only managed to make a white rubberish elbow wrap for a figure turn kinda...muave with bright red dye and turn a bright blue boot dark, lol.

Synthetic dye...so stuff for polyester? Still Rit right? or is there something better?

It all helps, I'm making an elite Chyna figure from parts and just about everything is factory parts, unaltered, the idea of painting the boots just drives me nuts in this instance,

Thank You

[Starroid Raiders Dagon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d272v6G28wQ

Ive used the above method and it worked for me on plastic, but hard plastics. I want to say that the boots are softer plastic(?), so maybe vinyl spray used for car interiors might be better? A test spot would be best. But it looks like the boots have been done before with success with RIT on a few different sites. I did have success on soft (Doc Mego arms) and hard plastic (Mego body) with the acetone added method.

https://www.figurerealm.com/customtutorial?action=view&id=85

[sprytel]

There are spray paints especially for plastic. For something like a boot, you may have better luck with paint than with dye.

[darkbros]

+1 to what sprytel said.
before the advent of Doc Mego, My brother and I use to acryilic paint our boots and seal them (spray) with Krylon Crystal Clear.
Still have boots that have held up 10+ years

[megowgsh]

Plasti-Dip in aerosol spray cans is the shizzo-nizzo

[Megazord Mike]

Thank you all. It's a fairly hard plastic, [modern 6 inch figures parts]. Knew you guys would have the asnwers!