Advice on Dyeing Orange G-10?

[Chronovore]

Hey. So I have some knives with orange G-10. I was thinking that they would look better as either brown or blue. Any advice from people who've done this sort of thing?

 

[115Italian]

The dyeing process is fairly easy using rit dye. Preparation is key. Clean the scales with dish soap. Scrub them well and rinse them well. Try to avoid touching them a lot after they’re clean.

The color of the original scale may affect the outcome. I haven’t dyed orange, but I did dye desert tan scales brown. It came out brown but not the brown I was looking for. Still was acceptable though.

 

[Barry H]

I personally have tried to dye orange G10 with Rit (water based stain). It didn't turnout very well. I'd rather make a different set of scales before I use Rit. I have never tried aniline dye, but that might be a better option. Some woodworking stores like Rockler or guitar repair supply stores like Stewart McDonald would carry aniline.

 

[sheep herder]

You need to use the Rit dye for synthetics. Still haven't done it myself but that's what I've read from several sources. The standard Rit dye won't do the job as well (if at all).

 

[RustyIron]

I've recently done three dye projects. One was natural (beige) nylon, one was burnt orange fiberglass reinforced nylon, and the other was burnt orange fiberglass reinforced copolymer. There's no way of determining the exact composition of any of the materials, so it's not possible to predict the exact results. I'd expect the G10 to behave similarly, however.

The dye on all of them was red Rit for synthetics. The natural nylon and the copolymer came out as expected. I left it in the soup for several minutes and it was fine. The fiberglass reinforced nylon was pulled out earlier, and came out darker than expected. It's fine, just darker than I anticipated. The lesson learned is to take the piece out of the bath early and rinse it off to check the color. You can always put it back to make it darker.

Really, it's easier than you might think.

 

[crazyjz]

I just recently did an orange "Roach" in Rit red synthetic. It turned out beautiful. I know you didnt ask about red but I thought I would add my 2c.

 

[aquaman67]

I dyed my Jade M/4 PM2 with Sunshine Orange Rit dye.

There is no telling what color orange scales will come out.

To get brown you may have to use red dye, for example. I have no idea if red dye will give you brown scales. I’m just saying you never know. Good luck!

 

[Chronovore]

Thanks for the replies so far. It could be a few weeks before I get to this project but once completed, I'll post pics.

Rit makes a synthetic brown. I know dye or pigment is different than light but in at least one of those contexts, brown is just dark orange. Now the question is which method to try for dyeing. I've seen some people mix dye plus dish soap in the pot. How do y'all use your dye?

 

[hhmoore]

A pinch of salt, a dash of vinegar... Too lazy to actually measure. I do usually add some Dawn; but I forgot it last time

 

[aquaman67]

Simmer the water with the dye. Not boiling, just as it starts to steam. I used wire to suspend the scales in the pot. Lift them out every few minutes to check the progress. Don’t be surprised it if I takes an hour to get it where you want it. You can always go darker. Going back lighter is not an option.

I added salt and vinegar too. Why? I have no idea. It says to in the directions.

 

[Crag the Brewer]

Intresting.....please keep us updated.
I might wanna try too

I have some orange Becker scales, and Idk what I think of them???

 

[Chronovore]

The scales I'm working with have both black and orange sections. So I'll be moving towards a black and tan, or black and brown. I'm not sure what else is possible with orange, besides maybe red. Would green work?

 

[RustyIron]

Now the question is which method to try for dyeing. I've seen some people mix dye plus dish soap in the pot. How do y'all use your dye?

Soap is used to make the water wetter... decreases surface tension... increases contact between your dye and your scales. You want this. I think the Rit instructions mention this.