Rit Dye - an experiment with a TM FNX frame

[Guest]

Having read loads on the interwebs about dying real steel polymer pistol frames & polymer mags different colours using Rit dye, I though I’d give a go.

The results are in, you can see the before and after pictures below 

Before : TM dog poo brown

View attachment 47855

And after and hours soak in hot water & black Rit dye, the difference is startling, I’m sure you’ll agree

After:

View attachment 47856

That is correct. Just so you don’t bother in future, it absolutely does not work, not the tiniest trace of dye remains, my FNX is still shit brown ???

 

[Jedi_Master]

@rocketdogbertDid you read the instructions?  Shake the bottle, etc.  Of course, the dye is really meant for real steel and not toys after all  

It was a useful experiment for the community though. Have to try plan B now.

 

[Tackle]

lol?

was it the powder or the liquid dye ?

I threw a load of pouches, various shades & brands, & some with plastic fittings, on to a barrel with the rit powder dye last week.

very mixed results, some stuff sucked the dye up like a sponge & other bits it barely touched.

I've got an acerbis tank for my xt I'm gonna dye, apparently the liquid dyes the way to go ?

 

[Guest]

@rocketdogbertDid you read the instructions?  Shake the bottle, etc.  Of course, the dye is really meant for real steel and not toys after all  

It was a useful experiment for the community though. Have to try plan B now.

Click to shrink...

Yup, exactly to the letter. Apparently only works on Nylon based plastic lol

lol?

was it the powder or the liquid dye ?

I threw a load of pouches, various shades & brands, & some with plastic fittings, on to a barrel with the rit powder dye last week.

very mixed results, some stuff sucked the dye up like a sponge & other bits it barely touched.

I've got an acerbis tank for my xt I'm gonna dye, apparently the liquid dyes the way to go ?

Click to shrink...

Liquid, I might try the synthetic liquid version, and your tank is nylon so you shouldn’t have an issue

 

[Druid799]

Well seeing as that was a roaring success , NOT ! 

How about these next ? ?

View attachment 47862

 

[L3wisD]

You need to use a different version of Rit.

Rit DyeMore will absolutely dye anything. Permanently.

As the Ghostbuster Khaki brown spots on my cooker top will attest to ?

It says you don't need to add salt, but add it anyway. And keep that water hot.

 

[Guest]

Rit DyeMore will absolutely dye anything

Click to shrink...

Ill give it a bash, cheers ?

 

[Guest]

Whilst waiting for @L3wisD recommendation for dye (cheers bud) I decided the FNX needed detailing

View attachment 47878

 

[Guest]

Having been advised by the expert, @L3wisD, I tried Rit Dyemore, graphite.

View attachment 48260

First, hot (simmering) water with a teaspoon of washing up liquid.

Cook for half an hour. Suspended the frame as I wasn’t sure if the job would heat the pan so much it would melt the plastic.  

View attachment 48258

Half way through, looking good

View attachment 48259

And, ladies and gentleman, I’d say that was a result

View attachment 48261

View attachment 48262

The End......

 

[E21A]

Having been advised by the expert, @L3wisD, I tried Rit Dyemore, graphite.

View attachment 48260

First, hot (simmering) water with a teaspoon of washing up liquid.

Cook for half an hour. Suspended the frame as I wasn’t sure if the job would heat the pan so much it would melt the plastic.  

View attachment 48258

Half way through, looking good

View attachment 48259

And, ladies and gentleman, I’d say that was a result

View attachment 48261

View attachment 48262

The End......

Click to shrink...

Mead going to message you to see how this was going. Got a M4 stock I want to do, gonna have to mix dye colours as they don’t do the colour I want ?

 

[Tackle]

gonna have to mix dye colours as they don’t do the colour I want ?

Click to shrink...

wish I'd done that, I wanted OD & their "dark" green looked closest, job done & it came out more like paddy leprechaun green lol, time for a dusting of krylon I think.

 

[Guest]

wish I'd done that, I wanted OD & their "dark" green looked closest, job done & it came out more like paddy leprechaun green lol, time for a dusting of krylon I think.

Click to shrink...

Just dye it again lol

 

[Tiercel]

That looks lovely. Way better than baby diarrhoea... Sorry "tan" ?

i love the FNX, the fact it only comes in tan put me off though. Same with the jungle/desert warriors.

 

[Guest]

Here’s an update.

I bought another FNX yesterday, today it is scrap!

Using exactly the same process as before, as far as I can tell (same die, same setting on hob) the latest TM FNX frame shrank and twisted. That’s the end of that gun!

View attachment 51763

 

[E21A]

Here’s an update.

I bought another FNX yesterday, today it is scrap!

Using exactly the same process as before, as far as I can tell (same die, same setting on hob) the latest TM FNX frame shrank and twisted. That’s the end of that gun!

View attachment 51763

Click to shrink...

Whoops! That’s not gone well. I was gonna try this myself soon on some M4 furniture but think i’ll give it a miss. 

Can you buy just a replacement frame? 

 

[Guest]

UPDATE

I just ran through the whole thing again, and I made a mistake. That actually makes me feel better, as it means I can still dye the next one.

Looking at my old photo’s, I realised I left the lid on the fish poacher this time, but hadn’t before. The trapped steam must have pushed the temp right up. Doh!

Can you buy just a replacement frame?

Click to shrink...

Eventually, I would think so, trying to track one down at the moment lol

 

[ChrisG]

This is a funny thread. 

 

[Tackle]

This is a funny thread. 

Click to shrink...

View attachment 51765

 

[Sawyer]

View attachment 51763

Click to shrink...

Take my strong hand!

 

[Guest]

So, third frame is on the go. 
 

I can confidently say that Frost Grey Dyemore DOES NOT work on the TM FNX frame at temperatures low enough not to distort it, so now I’m going black again ??