This topic has been previously posted elsewhere.
by Shock Tsunami
Note: I think I removed all of the dead links to other references no longer available.
This was originally written referencing YYJ yoyos but the concept is the same of all POLYCARB plastic yoyos. Delrin or Celcon yoyos do not use acetone, only boiling water.
Read the precautions.
-jhb8426-
Original article:
How to dye YYJ yo-yos, acetone and RIT method
This is a guide for dyeing CLEAR YoYoJam yoyos, such as the clear Speeders that I have previously dyed. It utilizes a high concentration of acetone to get deep, dark color into the clear lexan polycarbonate that most YYJ yoyos are made from. However, this guide is applicable to YYJ yos of other colors, but the dye concentration should be adjusted to be far weaker for solid colors. Consider one RIT packet per mixture, or milder concentrations of acetone.
Fundamental rule #0:
For clearer colors, use very high dye concentration and low acetone, and allow longer periods of time for soaking the yo.
For more opaque colors (but with more risk involved), use low dye and high acetone, and very, very carefully monitor the yo.
Ingredients/Prerequisites:
Tap water access, whether in a large (non-stainable, preferably glass) basin, or a metal (or non-stainable) sink.
Acetone (1 pint/473 mL or more) – Found at most hardware stores.
RIT dye, 2 Packets per color desired – Found in laundry detergent/washing sections of some large supermarkets and Walmart (of course)
Glass containers to hold dye (mason jars work great, as well as pyrex glass pitchers), one per color desired (unless you’re patient and will wash out containers in the interest of not mucking up all the family cookery)
Note: you’re looking for something that isn’t too shallow, a diameter of around 3-6 inches larger than the yo will do you just fine. Also, remember to test that your yo fits inside of the mason jar’s lip and body before mixing the dye in there.
Elmer’s Glue
Tongs for picking the yoyo up out of the acetone mix.
Paper towels for obvious reasons, at least a whole roll.
A non-stainable surface area, and “work clothes” which can be dirtied without consequence.
Setup:
The Mix:
Put the packets of RIT dye in a glass container and mix with 3/4 cups water. Use a spoon, but NOT a wood, plastic, or otherwise porous material spoon. I recommend metal. Mix very thoroughly. Anyway, this will leave you with a very concentrated mixture of RIT dye liquid, which should be handled very carefully. Next, to begin your process of gradually adjusting acetone to your darkness requirement (more on this later), I recommend starting with a mix that’s 3 parts water, 1 part acetone (3/4 water, 1/4 acetone). I pulled these ratios directly from Houdini’s “How to Dye” video, as they are an excellent starting point for dyeing. Again, mix thoroughly. Now, you should have a solution which would dye a normal plastic yoyo with relative ease. However, we’re not dealing with normal plastic…
Glue? What for?..:
As a sidenote, you should remove all o-rings from the yo, and place glue on all places/cracks you do not want dye to intrude. I personally placed glue on the hole in the axle, and the hole on the other side of the axle to prevent acetone from sneaking into the yo and eating its way out, basically. If you’re doing two halves at the same time (HIGHLY recommended if you want the SAME SHADE on both halves!!!), simply glue the halves together and screw them down so the glue forms a waterproof seal for the axle. This should be all that’s necessary, unless you’re particular about something else. Heck, I think that this step isn’t really necessary, I’m just careful. Let the glue dry completely.
[size=2]Synopsis:
- Empty RIT packets into glass container.
- Add 3/4 cup water. Mix.
- Add 1/4 cup acetone. Mix.
(optional steps)
- Elmer glue parts of yo you would like to protect from dye.
- Allow to dry completely.
Beginning the shading process:
This next part requires great care. Since you probably have an exact shade of color in mind, I recommend you follow these next steps very, very carefully and thoughtfully. This process is irreversable.
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Hold the yo (or half of yo) with the tongs, preferably by the metal rings of the yo (if they have metal rings), and lightly “dunk” it in the dye. Swirl it around slowly for consistency of coat on the yo. For an initial test, to make sure your solution is correct, take it out in a few seconds to check if anything drastic has happened. At this point, your yo should barely be dyed at all (unless you’re using Black RIT or dark colors, in which case the result may be more dramatic, in my case, black took a matter of seconds to take hold of the yo).
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If the yo does not take on the proper color in a couple minutes (frequent checking, infrequent rinsing), do not soak the yo longer in the solution. I find that on YYJ yoyos, this does not work as well as on other plastics. What I have done (and you do this at your own risk) is gradually add more acetone until the mixture is powerful enough to get your desired effect within a couple minutes of dyeing. This is a difficult process, however. Usually, I add on the order of 1/2 to 1 tablespoon more to adjust the power of the mix. I then resoak the yo for a few seconds to see the change of dye absorbtion rate, then soak for a couple more minutes to gauge the rate of change. Again, this is the difficult step of the process, as it is the most time consuming and potentially devestating to your yo.
Note: I find that for a very deep but clear color, long soaking times (10 minutes) can do wonders, but make sure that your dye is not setting so fast that it would turn your yo opaque.
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Once you have a color which is satisfactory on your yo, swirl it around in the mix for a few more seconds to make sure your color is consistent and uniform. I did a few more dunks after cleaning my Speeder to make sure that the color was as uniform as possible.
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Wash the yo and dry it carefully with a paper towel. Make sure to use all means to get the acetone completely removed from the yo, even swishing it underwater and also using compressed air.
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Allow the yoyo to sit, completely dry and dye free, in open air, preferably for a couple of hours. I will explain more later in the warnings section.
Synopsis:
- Swirl the yo (or half) in the dye mix using tongs.
- Check color change over amounts of time, 5 seconds, 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, whatever you feel like.
- If you would like darker color, remove yo, rinse it. If not, go to 7.
- After rinsing yo of dye, add more acetone to mix.
- Mix higher acetone mix thoroughly.
- Go back to step 1 as desired.
- When done, rinse yo under water, dunk in water, etc.
- Dry with paper towel, gently.
- Allow yo to stand in open air, completely clean of dye, for an hour or so.
- Replace parts, o-rings, bearings, shims, etc.
WARNINGS:
Here are the primary warnings and critical guidelines for using this guide:
0. ACETONE mixed with dye is potentially VERY harmful to your eyes, and potentially harmful to your skin. I highly suggest a very, very high level of care and possibly safety goggles when conducting this process.
My hands are still blue, but hey, it didn’t hurt me. But that doesn’t mean it might not hurt you. Acetone is used as nail polish remover, but be careful with it. It can eat through most plastics.
[b]
- Acetone will weaken your plastic temporarily, and the surface may be weakened permanently in some cases[/b]. When handling, touch as much metal and as little plastic as possible. It is very easy to scratch your yo when it is freshly dyed. I recommend handling it by hand (at your own risk) when touching plastic is necessary. Acetone never hurt me, but it shouldn’t be exposed to open wounds, hangnails, or anything that would interfere with your well being. I recommend using tongs exclusively, but I know there are situations where hands are necessary. I do not recommend plastic gloves, as they may interfere with acetone as well.
[b] - When adjusting the acetone ratio of the mix, do not subject your yo to too much redunking and redyeing.[/b] This may cause deformities in the surface of the plastic, such as clouding or texturing of the color, under higher concentrations of acetone. My Twilight Speeder (black and blue, above) utilized a high acetone content for the blue side to get a “foamy” color effect which has a lovely warmth to it, but you should be careful about your adjusting before interesting things like that are attempted.
Be patient, try a low mix, adjust for a little more acetone, soak for a few minutes, just try a few times to get a level of concentration that is comfortable for you to use. This is the most difficult part of the process, and the most prone to mistake. Here’s what I did to dye my black and blue Speeder:
Miniguide:
2 Mason Jars
2 packs Black RIT
2 packs Royal Blue RIT
2 Cup of acetone
2x (1 + 1/2 cup of water)
Mixed them up, dunked the yo half in the black solution, it turned almost SOLID BLACK in a matter of seconds. Became worried. Sloshed the yo around in the mix for a few more seconds to get a more consistent coat. Washed thoroughly. Results seen above.
Did the same on the Royal Blue solution, but it took a matter of minutes to get even barely dyed. Upped the acetone about 1/4 cup. Dyed thoroughly in a matter of 2 minutes or so. Noticed the effect that had come about on the surface of the yo. Became worried.
Rinsed both thoroughly, cleaned out, allowed to sit for about an hour before retouching and experimenting with surface toughness.
I hope that this guide is helpful, using the “acetone adjustment” method in lieu of the time/soaking method has worked with great success for me. Post your results, questions, and comments.
Personally, I recommend a middle road process with more soak time and lower acetone content. That is best for deep, clear colors and durable surface plastic. However, for bolder colors, you can either overkill on dye content and soak for a long time, or up the acetone. I will post a good, exact balance when I find out just what it is.
[b]Note: I highly recommend watching Houdini’s “How to Dye” video (below), reading this guide completely,