PBT dyeing

[tototoru]

Hi,

Did anyone try dyeing PBT keycaps using traditional powder dye used for wool and leather ?
I can buy it for cheap and I was wondering if it will work for PBT.

Thanks.

[Findecanor]

It is not that easy. Not all dyes will work very well.
People have got the best results with RIT liquid dye and Dylon. Some "black" dyes have not produced a black result at all.
Do get some cheap spare keycaps for testing, and dye those first before committing your precious ones.

Also, there are a few older threads with more info.

[menuhin]

Got decent results with "DYLON Multi-Purpose Dye" (a textile dye for all synthetics and mixed materials).
"iDye Poly" should also work well.

Result varies for difference colors.

[RealLaugh]

Hi,

Did anyone try dyeing PBT keycaps using traditional powder dye used for wool and leather ?
I can buy it for cheap and I was wondering if it will work for PBT.

Thanks.

I tried this with some wool dye here in Deutschland because I didn't have any idye poly. Short answer: didn't work one bit. Long answer: used the same method as for idye poly to try and dye some white abs plastic caps black. It did not work in the slightest.

If you want a solution that works, I can vouch for idye poly which I've used twice overall with great success. Not to shamelessly self promote, but below is a link to a video I created on key dyeing among other things. However, I'm guessing you already know all this because a few guides and posts exist already, I understand that you're just asking if wool dye would work as you have access to purchase some.

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[tototoru]

Thanks guys, I read that iDye poly is the best, I was just curious if the wool dye will work since it's cheap and I can easily get it. I want a bunch of colors so iDye poly will be very expensive to import, I'm looking at dyeing as a saving option.

@RealLaugh do have some photos for the result with wool dye ?

[RealLaugh]

I don't unfortunately. Once I had rinced the parts with water there were some blemished where the color had stuck but in the end apart from slightly blotching some parts of the plastic to overall color was still white, meaning that the color had zero affect an now I just had some white plastic parts that looked like they had been picked up by someone with dirt on their hands  )

[menuhin]

Where are you located?

I forgot where I bought it from but definitely not within Germany - I have a pack of iDye Poly in purple color lying around here - was thinking to use it to dye some blank caps for my HHKB.
I used Dylan multi-purpose (green) in the past and it has decent result.

In the past I am totally reluctant to use (or "hate") any ABS caps, but I'm now not as strict on this.

[tototoru]

Hi,

I'm in Morocco, shipping+customs is high unless it's from China they ship for free.
I was looking into XDA PBT blanks and was thinking I could dye them as a saving option, with iDye Poly it will be expensive with 4 colors or so it's not worth it.

[UsualSuspectXXX]

I've used iDye Poly and it worked pretty well.