just a simple 2 second question: What exactly is venyl dye??? read alot about it here (i.e. @ Zap's site, great ideas!!) but i don't really have an idea what exactly it is or how it works (gotta excuse though, i'm young and from germany =P) could someone plz gimme a simple instruction how it works (and maybe ... what it is?) i'ld be very gratefull thnx
Vinyl dye is essentially only specialized spray paint formulated to bond with plastic. You use it like spray paint, but with lighter coats as it'll run easier.
-Moved into the modding forum Welcome to the forums, Vinyl dye is kind of like a very thin spray paint, but a little different. It can be used on plastic without any preperation besides cleaning. It is originaly made to paint over vinyl seat covers, which is why you can get it at most autoparts stores But it takes some care when putting on, or the texture will not come out right. Here are two guides on how to use it: http://www.modthebox.com/vinyldye.shtml http://www.gideontech.com/guides/vinyldye/
welcome to the boards... vinyl dye is very popular with modders since a lot of stuff we work with is made of plastic. Basically, vinyl dye is just like any other spray paint, the only difference is that it is specially formulated to work with plastics. It creats a really thin layer of a plastic-like material on what you are painting and bonds really well on plastic surfaces. It also goes on real thin if you apply it correctly (several really thin layers) and things like embossed logos/words/etc are still visible. I picked up two more cans yesterday at the auto parts store which is one of the best places to find it since it was originally developted to paint plastic parts of car interiors like dashboards/door panels/etc. [edit] wow... swarm post reply... zap's links above are good... here's another by one of our staff members... http://www.linear1.org/mods/vdye.php
thnx for the quick replys! allerady thought it works like clothsdying =) used carspraypaint on my first mod couple of years ago(also for frontcovers like CD etc) little crapy pic kinda turned out so/so since the paint stuck differently to different matirials and wasn't made for plastick since it cracked at some points =( guess i found what i was looking for =)
I'm in the middle of painting my keyboard. I've already got the shell painted and looking spiffy with regular paint, but I'm wanting to do the keys also. I was wondering if I Vinyl Dyed the keys if I would still be able to make out the lettering underneith. I've thought about doing it anyway, then if they were covered up I could get a silver paint pen or something and write them back on, but then I would have to clear coat over them to keep them from rubbing back off, so Is it ok to put a clearcoat over vinyl-dyed keyboard keys? Or is there a better solution? I've also thought about that (I think it's called So-Cal or Super-Cal or something) that lets you print out your own lettering, then cut out the letters and wet them, then slip them off onto the surface model-car decal style. That would be awesome but I can't find the stuff.
you can clear coat over vinyl dye but it would be smart to do test pieces as there are a wide range of clear coat products out there. Linear claims that the superman mouse that he dyed has stood up to serious abuse without clear coat protection so I wouldn't say it is a necessity. as far as the lettering still being visible... you would only still see the characters on each key if they are higher or lower than the key surface... if they are printed or decaled on, they will be painted over and unrecognizable.
My mouse and keyboard have lasted a VERY long time without any problems with the dye. (even when useing cleaners on them) if I do drop something against my keyboard and do scratch beyond the dye, a little marker, or a quick touch up spray covers it right back up. As car as the lettering, I did see some dye a monitor, and used grease to cover up the lettering. They then wiped it off after dying and the lettering was left in tack. (They applied the grease with a needle) Been looking for that guide ever since I saw it (Some where here in the forums)
I found an old keyboard and popped off a couple keys and test dyed them, and at least at first I could still clearly see the lettering on the keys, although after about 10 minutes or so it was impossible to tell what the keys were. I did find a new Metallic Sharpie marker, so I'll probably just write the lettering back on, then (if the marker wears off) I'll clearcoat them for protection.