Summary for metal coloring using solvent dyes Discussion
Metal coloring using solvent dyes is discussed as a way to get bright, transparent color while still showing the metal’s swirls and marks. Diane Bonine asked for a stain-like process rather than paint, and Jake Koch suggested starting with books on finishing while warning that many solvent dyes, especially blue-heavy ones, are not lightfast and can fade even under UV-inhibiting coatings. Nell Blu added that slow heat treatment and clear varnish can produce color, but the varnish may dull the finish; she noted that a shinier surface gives more vivid, transparent results. In a later reply, Clare Alderson recommended glass paints or alcohol inks, saying they can create striking effects, especially on embossed metal. A separate question from Kurt Rubright about translucent colors on zinc for exterior use received cautious advice to first describe the interior method and consider clearcoats or UV-cured topcoats, but the responder was not confident there is a good outdoor solution.
2002
Q. I am looking for a way to stain metal with bright vivid transparent colors. Transparent is the key. I would like to be able to see the metal swirls and marks underneath. I have heard that there is a process using heat and then applying a patina over it to produce the colors… bright pinks, purples, reds, blues, etc.
I do not want a paint, but rather a stain. I have also heard that a solvent dye is used.
I would really be grateful if someone could provide a product and a process to use.
Thank you.
Diane Bonine
– Avondale, Arizona
Hello,
A. You can start by browsing the titles from this site:
www.finishing.com/books/
A word of caution, most solvent dyes which contain a lot of blues are not light fast. No matter how much UV inhibiting coatings you apply over them, they won’t look quite so nice and vibrant a month down the road.
Have fun.
Jake Koch
G. J. Nikolas &Co.,Inc.
Bellwood, Illinois
A. Heat treatment is just done by heating it very slowly, there are clear varnishes you put over it to stop the metal from oxidizing and making the color go away. But it dulls it a bit… its sucks. The shinier the surface, the more vivid the colors too, and transparent. good luck.
Nell Blu
– Rocklin, California
2007
A. Hi. You need to use glass paints or alcohol inks .
(I use Tim Holtz range) you can also use them together. If you emboss your metal first the colour will highlight the design and create stunning effects.
Clare Alderson
mixed media artist and teacher – Nottingham UK
January 5, 2010
Q. Coloring Zinc: A major portion of our business is Zinc. We carry it in natural colors, but we would like to provide it in “Translucent” colors of Blue, Red, Yellow, so on … that we can put on our bright roll zinc that has no finish. I want something that will hold up over time under outside conditions. We also provide systems for interiors that we can use a different method on to stay cost effective. Right now we’re primarily interested in the most durable and fade resistant way to color zinc for exterior. We do not want to do anodizing. Can some point me in the right direction? What are some of the other methods out there?
Kurt Rubright
Sheet metal fabricator – Peachtree City, Georgia
March 18, 2013
A. Hi, Kurt. Please start with briefly describing the method you are satisfied with for interior parts. Maybe that can be modified, or covered with a lacquer or automotive clearcoat, or something, rather than starting over. Some of the UV or radiation cured topcoats are very hard and durable. Unfortunately I’m not confident that there will be a good solution for outdoor use.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
March 30, 2013
A. Dear friends,
there is a method, old but simple, based on a logical idea.
Can the polyester, acrylic textile be colored with dyes or not?
Yes it can. So if a bright surface (for example silver)
is dipped in polyester or acrylic varnish then dried at 40 °C (before curing) then immersed, in days you expect it to colored or not? It is colored with any color, including
gold colors,
then cured by heating.
We will get a very stable surface with high mar resistance,
in my opinion suitable for outdoor applications.
Raafat Albendary
plastic electroplating – Riadh, Saudi Arabia
Q. I have a structure of sheet metal that has been rusted using muriatic acid then spray varnished, I would like to add other color to this somehow, perhaps shades of red & green, is it possible using simple easily available acid solutions? Thanks.
Paul Lawrence
– Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
February 10, 2018