| Search our quarter-million Q&As |
Home of the finishing HOTLINE since 1989
-----Need metal dyes in different colors
Q. Is it possible to dye nickel and steel metals various colors such as red, blue etc. I have an idea but I need to see if there is a way I can get different colored nickel and or steel wire without painting or coating.
Thank you,
hobbyist - Livermore, California, USA
2003
Q. Did you ever find an answer to your question on how to color steel or nickel?
Kip K [surname deleted for privacy due to age of posting]- Anaheim, California, USA
2005
A. How about getting it as clean as you can and then trying a magic marker (indelible marker)? That may be as close to a permanent dye as you will achieve on nickel and steel.
If the general idea works, you can get "alcohol inks" ⇦ on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil link] in all sorts of colors, sizes, and brush types.
(Aluminum can be dyed much more permanently because an anodized coating is sort of like a honeycomb that can be filled with dye and then sealed).
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. Hi there,
I am looking for an effective way to dye untreated Tungsten beads e.g. brown, green etc...
It needs to be indelible, waterproof and rub resistant.
I've done some experimentation with Industrial metal marking inks, but with no success.
Any advice or solution would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Martin
Fishing Tackle design - Matthews, North Carolina
2007
A. If alcohol inks don't work for you, and paints and powder coatings are unacceptable for some reason, perhaps the best answer would be a PVD coating process, but it won't be cheap.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Sorry! Finishing.com is temporarily Read-Only.
Ted Mooney is retiring but I have several offers to take it over.
We're working hard to make sure we find it the best new home.