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CaseDyeing.md

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Dyeing Polycarbonate Cases

Introduction

Materials

  1. Whichever polycarbonate case you want to dye
  2. iDye Poly Dye Packet
  3. Large pot (big enough to comfortably submerge your case entirely)
  4. Suitable heat source, such as a stovetop
  5. Thin Insulated wire
  6. Mesh/Wire Basket to hold case, or large perforated ladle

When dyeing polycarbonate cases, there are 2 major factors that will dictate how quickly the color dye will penetrate the material: time, and temperature. The former is self-explanatory, the longer the item is submerged, the more the dye penetrates the material. For the latter, as temperature increases the dye will more easily penetrate the material. To illustrate, a case submerged in a near-boil solution of dye and water will be much darker than a case submerged in a lukewarm solution, when both are submerged for the same amount of time.

General Tips

  1. Maintain constant agitation of the solution around the case in order to ensure an even coloring.
  2. Maintain constant temperature, or dye both pieces at once if working with multi-part case designs, to ensure even coloring.
  3. Ensure that the surrounding area is well-covered with waterproof materials, as any droplets of dye will quickly color surfaces that it comes into contact with, clothing included.

Warning

Always ensure that the solution remains below the boiling point! Boiling the solution will cause droplets of dye to fly out of the container and potentially permanently color the surrounding surfaces.

Important

Rinse the cases thoroughly after each application of dye. The cases will appear to be much darker in color upon first raising them out of the dye solution, however much of this color washes out.

Steps

  1. Drop the iDye Poly dye pack into a volume of water that comfortably covers your polycarbonate case pieces when they are resting on the ladle at the bottom of the pot.

Note

If you desire a "solid", dark color, then you can opt to apply the dye strengthener pack as well. This will allow the dye to very quickly penetrate the material, resulting in a much darker color.

  1. Bring the solution to a simmer. Wait for all of the dye to completely dissolve into solution.
  2. Using the ladle or mesh basket, lower the pieces into the solution. Start a timer.
  3. Continuously agitate the solution around the case by:
    • Tying the thin wire around the USB port cutout, and jostling it continuously in the solution. Take care that the surface of the wire is insulated, as to prevent bare metal from scratching the case around the cutout. Additionally, ensure that the wire is thin enough to freely move in the port cutout, so as to not constantly be in contact with the interior faces, resulting in uneven dye coloring.
    • "Bouncing" the piece up and down by quickly lowering the ladle/basket, then catching the slower-falling case. Ensure that the surface of the ladle does not stay at the same point of contact with the case, as this may cause the ladle to become "imprinted" in the coloring of the case.

Important

Remember that polycarbonate is a relatively soft material when compared to the surfaces of any stainless steel utensils or the interior of the pot you are using! Take care in avoiding scrapes or harsh bumps when stirring and agitating the solution!

  1. At regular intervals, such as every 3 minutes, take the case out and rinse thoroughly, revealing the true extent of the coloration. Scrubbing the case with your fingers is recommended. Stop and resume the timer every time this step is taken. Repeat until satisfied.
  2. If any additional parts need to be matched in color, repeat steps 3 to 5 until the piece matches in color to the first.