Rit Dye for Control Knobs


 
Bruce

Bruce

TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Ok, bottom line. this is what I came up with.

The knobs on top are before. You will see I could not completely clean them and one was either weathered or was designed to have a kind of matte texture. They are all three random knobs from my stash and likely all from different grills. The knobs below on the left are the same knobs after dying them. The knobs below on the right are a set of factory black knobs that I also had in my stash and I put them in for comparison.

My thoughts: Keep in mind I am technically color blind, but the dyed knobs look very black to me, although not quite as shiny or glossy looking. Especially the one knob that had a kind of matte texture to it. I like the fact that they are black (much cooler than the cream color IMO). I like that the black completely covers and discrepancies and stains on the knobs that I couldn't otherwise get off. I also like the black because it won't show grease and grime like the lighter colors would. I can live with the fact that they are not as shiny as I had hoped. I am thinking it is more a symptom of the plastic not being smooth and shiny to start with rather than the dye causing it. I think it could also be from the acetone which is a solvent that will eat into plastics in too strong a dose and that could be causing a more matte look. Also, the fact that it is not truly black but "Graphite" color could be the cause. Probably the best thing is that it actually dyes the plastic and will not wear or chip off like paint.

That being said, I like it a lot and will probably do a lot more knobs this way. I am also going to try some of the gray handles to see how they come out. I am thinking they will be similar with a somewhat matte appearance as well. But, they should be very evenly and durably black after dying them as well.

I know some have used the regular Rit dye, which comes in regular Black, to color plastic parts, but according to what I understand, you should always use the Rit Dymore for plastics and other synthetics.

And this brings me to this question: What about RED or any other color for that matter. A redhead with red knobs. A blue head with blue knobs, etc...... Or a bluehead with red knobs??? What about Durawood slats and handles, or even the Silver B handles?

I did film this process tonight, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, I will reserve the right to not post up the video and embarrass myself. But, I do for sure intend to do more of this in the near future and am looking forward to posting up a HOW TO. I will be interested to if some of you run with this and come up with some great mods.

20200622 Black Knobs3.jpg
 
I wonder...Can you store and re-use the dye solution, or is it single use only?
 
From what I understand, yes, you can do that. However, that batch there cost me about 3-4 bucks. I didn't try to save it. Any mishaps while storing it are likely to be and the catastrophic side. If you store it, I would only do so in the garage or shed. If you are mixing up 2 or 3 gallons which would about three bottles of dye or more, it might be worth while. The Dye is about $5 a bottle at Hobby Lobby or JoAnn Fabrics. The acetone is not very expensive for how much you use.
 
Acetone is supposed to make the plastic "more porous" so that it more readily accept the dye. It is mixed in with the water and dye before you place the part in to the solution.
 
I kind of like the idea of color matching knobs! Maybe I should do some maroon ones. Ignition switch and frame?
I don’t get the acetone in water thing, the acetone might just be a film on the surface, as it’s lighter than water? If you were to give them an acetone wash just prior to painting the “softening” effect might make more sense to me.
Anyway Bruce, those look pretty good to me! Do up a set in maroon for me, I’ll send you some beer money!;)
 
Looks Good Bruce! What about using some kind of automotive plastic treatment to make them shiny. I don’t know of any but someone on here might know what might work. Thanks for experimenting for us.
 
Yah, I have Aerospace 303 protectant and I will see how they accept that stuff.
 
How did you get the white/gray indicator stripes on there? Was that painted on after the dye job?
 
Jim: The three black knobs on the right are actual Weber factory black knobs. I just put them in the picture for comparison. But there is a way to do that on dyed ones as well. You would have to cover that little indicated tab with some sort of glue which Rit Dye will not penetrate. Therefore, it will stay light gray.
 
Bruce said:
Jim: The three black knobs on the right are actual Weber factory black knobs. I just put them in the picture for comparison. But there is a way to do that on dyed ones as well. You would have to cover that little indicated tab with some sort of glue which Rit Dye will not penetrate. Therefore, it will stay light gray.
Click to expand...

Thanks Bruce. Somehow, I completely missed that in your post. 🥴
 
You could still paint those little markers white after dying, couldn’t you?

I am impressed with the results and agree that it also opens up a lot of interesting possibilities. Thanks for taking this ion and sharing with us, Bruce!
 
"Bruce, now you could really make a Packers grill!!! Green lid with a yellow frame and controls!!!"

You could do way more than that.

Dye the handle yellow. Then use stick on letters to spell out "Cheese Heads Rule -- Go Packers" Also put on stripes made out of duct tape.

Then dye it green. All the taped parts will stay yellow.

Possibilities are endless.
 
Yes they are. However, the thing with dying plastic is that the starting color makes a difference. Black is easy as the base color has little effect on the final product. However, if you try to dye a gray part Yellow, you might not get exactly what you were hoping for. Same goes for any color other than Black. You cannot go to a lighter color for sure.
I am still in the initial stages with this and am hoping I can get the black process down. Then, I hope to maybe do some Red. The others will have to wait.
 
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