IBM Model M (Failed) Dye Mod

[DrSchlock]

Well they say one of the best ways to learn is through failure so hopefully others can learn from mine.  

I have an extra IBM model M with some missing key caps and thought it might be nice to dye it and bolt mod it. For whatever reason, I thought a purple case with neon green and red keys would look cool. I used Ritt dye for the keys and vinyl/plastic paint for the case. The red key caps dyed very well. The case and the green key caps are another story.

The bolt mod was successful and therefor not interesting. I simply followed this mod.

The overall result...
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As you can see the green dye did not come out neon green. Despite washing the case, the purple paint also started to flake off rather easily.

For the case paint, I went with a marine (as in for boats) purple vinyl paint because regular purple plastic/vinyl paint was difficult to find. Thus the peeling may have something to do with the paint being for marine-intended uses (or me not cleaning the case properly).

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Here are some details for the green-dyed key caps. There was one key with the "C" legend that was accidentally left in the bottom of the pot for the entire green dying process. You can see the dye soaked into the legend pretty thoroughly.

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Notice the dye did not soak into the sprue mark. This was the case for all of the keycaps including red ones.
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Procedures

Rit Red Dye:

[*]approx 1.5 gallons of water
 [*]1 cup of vinegar
 [*]Full pack of powdered dye
 [*]Temp: 70-78 C for 25 min
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Rit Neon Green Professional Dye:

[*]two gallons of water
 [*]1 cup of vinegar
 [*]3 tablespoons of powdered dye
 [*]Green "U"key: Temp 70-78 degrees C for 50 min
 [*]Green "K" Key: Temp 87-90 degrees C for 20 min
 [*]Green "C" Key: Bottom of pot for 70+ min for the entire duration of the "U" key and "K" key cycles.
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Case Painting:

[*] Three light coats applied approx 15-20 min apart (as specified on the paint can) at 65 degrees F.
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Observations:

Red Dye: Worked great

On green dye: Longer dye times at lower temps appear to have greater effect on key legends.

TODO's for Next Time:
 

[*]For the case, Rustoleum makes a plastic primer that supposedly allows you to paint over it with almost any other type of paint.
[*]For the neon green, use less dye (2 tbsp for 2 gallons), higher temp (around 90 degrees) for about 20-25 min.
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Some open questions that I hope to be able to answer eventually:

[*]Is there a way to remove/reverse my paint job on the case (painting over it risks further peeling since the original undercoat is subject to peeling)
[*]Does the Rustoleum plastic primer work well?
[*]Should a clear coat be applied after case painting? What are the benefits and drawbacks
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Now for my new signature pixel art:

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[fohat.digs]

Having been in the wood business, I understand all too well the staining / painting conundrum.

We always talk about "penetrating" products and "film-forming" products, even though paint stores sell "exterior stain" for your house that is actually opaque and film-forming!

I would love to be able to do a true stain on one or more of my Model M/F cases, but I think that I understand that it will not work.

Any "film forming" product will leave a film that is vulnerable to being peeled off, and additional layers rarely remedy this, although if they stay together and do not release from the substrate, the thicker the better as far as wear is concerned.

Personally, I have much more trouble with peeling / chipping / scratching / nicking than I do with true simple wear.

I have seen discussions of "vinyl dye" but have not actually found it in a store.

So far, I have had very good results with an automotive product, "Dupli-Color Vinyl & Fabric Coating" which I bought in a spray can at NAPA Auto Parts for about $8 per can. I used multiple (at least 4) very thin coats after thoroughly cleaning the case, and found that a can will do about 3 large boards, top and bottom.

The bullet point s on the front of the can list "Dashboards, door panels, seats, and carpet" so I think that this is likely to be your best and most durable choice for a keyboard case.

The dark charcoal gray is awesome, and has held up pretty well so far. I even made a tiny repair on a corner with a black "Sharpie" and it worked OK.