Pigmenting clear buyrate: ever tried it?

SuperDave Sun Nov 20, 2011 10:12 am

Clear butyrate is commonly available but pigmented butyrate is very expensive when things like thinner, retarder etc are added often in multiple volumes to the volume of clear butyrate.

Has anyone ever tried pigmenting their own clear butyrate? If so, please describe your experience.

'ppreicate it much.

andrew Sun Nov 20, 2011 12:52 pm

I have never done it, but have read that it is possible with aniline dye. I think it would be a good approach in making up transparent or semi-transparent colors from clear dope. However, the colors seem to be limited. Here are some articles on using aniline dyed nitrate dope:

http://www.faimodelsupply.com/starline-polyspan3.htm
http://www.antiquemodeler.org/sam_new/news_letters/assets/wham_2010_07.pdf

Aniline dyes seem to be used mostly in the woodworking and leather goods industry, so these online shops would likely be your best bet in finding dyes.

Another option would be some of the very lightweight colored polyesters, such as polyspan.

SuperDave Sun Nov 20, 2011 1:01 pm

Thanks for the links, Andrew.

nitroairplane Sun Nov 20, 2011 2:53 pm

I got a sort of thin red colour by mistake once when using a little paint brush that had previously been used for painting models.

jetpack Sun Nov 20, 2011 3:36 pm

Dave it is hard to do because it upsets the balance of the plasticizer that is in it, the result is a very fragile covering. Tinting should be left to the batchmaker of the dope. I tried that when I was a grasshopper moons ago but it shouldn't stop any kind of endevor doing it as I never went further with it.

SuperDave Sun Nov 20, 2011 4:25 pm

Thanks for the input guys.

I'm going to abdandon my idea and seek alternatives.

Is spray enamal like Krylon "fuel-proof"? If so I've found my alternative.

jetpack Sun Nov 20, 2011 4:43 pm

Unfortunately, there is no cheap way out yet that I have found. Latex house paint and PVA varnish is good to something like 15% nitro, then there are the epoxy paints...way heavy for 1/2A. MonoKote type coverings still has everyone beat on it, unfortunately, for lightweight color finishes anything past dope. Crying or Very sad

Krylon melts too...

It wouldn't be as much of worry if staying with just straight methanol and castor but adding nitromethane is what kills it.

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Pigmenting clear buyrate: ever tried it?

Pigmenting clear buyrate: ever tried it?

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Re: Pigmenting clear buyrate: ever tried it?

Re: Pigmenting clear buyrate: ever tried it?

Re: Pigmenting clear buyrate: ever tried it?

Re: Pigmenting clear buyrate: ever tried it?

Re: Pigmenting clear buyrate: ever tried it?

Re: Pigmenting clear buyrate: ever tried it?