2001 Silver C rehab/ how to ( or how not to) dye plastic grill parts


 
Thanks Larry and Bruce,
I have something else planned for the handle and plastic end caps!
 
I know it has been discussed before ....but the red kettle on the Weber emblem has won me over......I know the process for restoring the emblem but whats the trick with the red kettle....is that done free hand?
 
Yah, you do the emblem as usual, then you hand paint the kettle. Most throw a coat or two of clear gloss over the whole thing when it is done.
 
Jim,
I have a link to the thread giving more detail about the emblem painting back in this thread next.
tvwbb.com

HOW TO: Restore The Weber Emblem

Very nice, you've got the hands of a surgeon. Thanks. Only after a couple of G&T’s. ;) The most difficult part was getting the black paint off of the ® between the kettle and Weber.
tvwbb.com tvwbb.com
 
So I wasn't liking the gray plastic handle and end caps, so I decided to dye them black. I used the Rit DyeMore graphite black. I worked like a charm. I was surprised how well the plastic took the dye. I bought a little portable single electric burner so I could take my operation outside. I had a tall stainless steel pot that held 4 gallons of water, added 1.5 cups of acetone preboil. Then I heated the water to near boiling, over 200 F. Added one container of the liquid dye that I have in one of the pics. I added the pieces , suspended so that they didn't touch the bottom, and left them in for 20 minutes, then took them out and flipped them to do the other sides.
Pre...
IMG_1159.JPG

during...
IMG_1160.JPG

IMG_1161.JPG

post..
IMG_1162.JPG

I applied a ceramic clear coating to the endcaps for a protective gloss, the handle I just applied a couple of coats of high heat clear gloss.
IMG_1178.JPG

Also, as a side experiment, I dropped in awn extra rocker switch that I had and it also took the black beautifully, much better and possibly more durable than painting.
IMG_1193.JPG
 
I had been promising to do this for a while now. I did a test off some knobs, but I have everything I need to do the side handles as well. I am curious why you put the clear coat on them. Did they look dull and flat after dying them? I would be worried that the clear coat will chip and flake just like paint.

Also, how cleaned up did you get them before you dyed them?
 
The ceramic coating was for some gloss appearance as well as a protection against UV. I prepped the plastic only washing in dawn dish soap and then wiping with acetone before going in the water. The black dye was very evenly taken up my the plastic, not sure if this was because of the acetone in the mixture. I think this will be much more durable than painting.
 
That's pretty amazing!

Sandblasting...forget about it.
Powder coating...probably not - toxic fumes, need an oven, etc. These things are probably best left to professionals.
But, dyeing sure looks like a very viable option for restorers like us to do on our own:coolkettle: .

Thanks very much for posting the before and after pictures. This is something I for sure want to add to my repertoire. I do agree it has a much better chance of long term successful use than paint.

I can see it now, my Skyline 2.0 with BLACK durawood slats:) like that nice dark gray Genesis from NJ someone posted recently.

Next big test is to try this on durawood.

Bruce, I hope you can give that a try soon!
 
Yah, I am getting the bug now. I should have done it today. They were threatening rain all day, but it didn't even rain until late afternoon. I have to pick up some dye and acetone, but maybe tomorrow afternoon. I got stuff all morning, but I am hoping to do some grill painting in the afternoon and can do some dye work while I wait for paint to dry..
 
Not sure what exactly durawood is? is it a plastic compound ? It is worth a try, although if it is already black, I don't think that you can go backwards in color when you are dying.
 
It was a synthetic replacement for the wood slats on the early Genesis 1000-5000 grills. It is gray in color like those end handles you dyed.
 
Then I don't see why it shouldn't work with the dye. I don't have any durawood, but someone should try it.
 
Rick they look really nice.

It will be interesting to see if the high heat clear holds up. On a Silver C I did a few years ago had a thread I had painted the handle, knobs and end caps then sprayed them with a high heat clear. It was not the paint that gave me a problem and I had let those parts dry at least 10 days with the clear it was the clear.

For some reason almost like the clear never cured I got the grill back together put a cover on it like I always do it was in May or June pretty hot in ATL and its on the deck in sunlight. Went to use it one night took the cover off and parts of the black cover had stuck to the clear where it rested on those parts almost like it melted into the clear. You can imagine the amount of cursing I did and after countless hours with goof off I was able to get them stripped of the clear and paint.

I hope you have better luck that Ceramic Coating might hold up much better and since you dyed the parts it is totally possible since I had used paint their was a reaction when the clear was sprayed on causing it to not dry properly but I did use all Rusto paint did not mix brands.
 
The gloss does look nice, but I am hoping that just the black dye will suffice. The whole purpose for dying them IMO is to not have to paint them and deal with the inherent frailty of the paint.
 
I didn’t use the ceramic coating on the handle, because I wasn’t sure if it would hold up to any heat exposure that the handle gets, although In hindsight, probably would’ve been OK, I doubt the handle gets that hot, and I think the ceramic coating is rated up to 300°F. That’s why I sprayed the handle with the high heat clear gloss.
 
Bruce said:
The gloss does look nice, but I am hoping that just the black dye will suffice. The whole purpose for dying them IMO is to not have to paint them and deal with the inherent frailty of the paint.
Click to expand...
I agree Bruce, the black dye permeates the plastic, it cannot flake off or be scratched off. Any scratches that would occur, it’s still black underneath the surface so it’s a more durable solution.
 
Yah, those handles and even knobs won't get to 300 degrees unless you have a nuclear melt down.
Rick, I did a test on some knobs that I dyed and that dye does not penetrate all the way through the plastic piece. I think if you take a file to one of those parts, you will see it doesn't penetrate way deep. But, certainly deep enough to survive normal wear and tear for many years.
 
Rick, I agree with Bruce no way that handle gets that hot your idea to me is a great one. I have done three sets of wheels and inserts with paint and regular clear never had a problem. I used the high heat clear on the emblem no issues but that was metal. It was something to do with that plastic used on the end caps, handle and knobs at least that is my theory where the paint and the clear collided one or the other never really hardened. You avoided the paint it would be great if that solves the problem with the high heat clear over the dye.

You need to keep the thread updated when you get the grill in service if your using a cover taking that on and off you should see what kind of wear you get if any fairly quickly. I basically did not get 2 weeks out of it but that project was cursed from the start.

I can see it now people here pulling their turkey fryers out of the garage and using them for dye machines for their restores. :cool:
 
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