Custom Dyed Wheels!

[Sidewinder]

Originally Posted by Sir Aaron

So does dying the wheels effectively change the durometer?

Probably makes them a little denser, which would tick the duro slightly up, but the real difference would be putting them in hot water, which would open the pores up a little, stretching the urethane and dropping them maybe 1 or 2a downward.

[Dec8rSk8r]

Urethane never stops curing anyway. I am thinking about dyeing my Otter-box phone case. Part of the outer cover looks and feels like pink Shamans.

[7Skaters]

Originally Posted by Sidewinder

Keep in mind that the primary color doesn't "mix" with what you are adding. It just simply fills the holes. So if you want purple you need to add purple.

Yellow wheels and blue dye do not make green for example. They make blue. Generally a bad blue unless done properly.

I have NEVER had that problem.

White is still the best color to use for dying, but I've done yellow (almost neon yellow at that) in RIT's Royal Blue and came out with an awesome green. Not a neon shade, but a nice, solid medium green. Looking at color charts, I'd have to say...a "kelly green" is what they came out as, maybe a shade darker. I did my "Ice Blue" Radar Demons in RIT's Cherry Red and they came out a very deep purple..again, looking at color charts...I'd say a "plum" shade of purple.

For all of my dye baths, I've used HOT tap water (not boiling, just around 110 degrees F, as our tank is set to that temp. so the kids don't get burned when they take their showers/baths), never stirred, and left them in until the water cooled down OR checking on them lead to the color I wanted (even after the water had cooled). The only time I changed this was when I did a batch of white wheels in RIT's "Lemon Yellow" for a friend. I did have to re-dye them, twice, so it was the hot water, dye, dump, hot water, dye, dump, hot water, dye, dump...in order to get the shade of yellow she wanted. I think the "Golden Yellow" may have provided the same results sooner...and cheaper, as we wouldn't have had to buy as many packs. Every time I've dyed, I've used a full package of powder OR half a bottle of the liquid...same results for the same shade on the same wheels (as tested on several Demons and Cosmics).

Maybe it's the specific urethane compound used? Higher end wheels = higher end urethane such as more or less filler added? Not sure of the process to making urethane. Could that possibly be the issue here? I don't know. What I do know is that most of my sample wheels were $30 or less for a full set.

[7Skaters]

Originally Posted by ellkaysk8

still a little nervous about this haha do you recommend the powder or liquid? how much water? how much dye? should I add salt? how long should I let them dry for? I'm sorry if all these questions are bothersome I just need a little help haha

thanks!

As stated, I've always used either the full pack of powder OR half the bottle of the liquid, tested on a couple different types of wheels, with the same exact color results. Looking at them, you can't tell which were done in the powder and which were done in the liquid.

My dye baths are done in clear, plastic shoe boxes as you can get all 8 wheels in one comfortably (without them touching...believe me, when they touch, it shows!!)...and I only add enough hot tap water to cover the wheels.

Put the wheels in the shoe box, fill it with the hot water so it covers all the wheels (or as many as you're dying if you're not doing all 8)...take the wheels out...add the dye, put the wheels back in.

Do NOT add salt. Don't know if that would effect the urethane or not, but I wouldn't chance it.

As for dry time, just rinse the wheels off until the water runs clear, then use a towel to dry them.

Also remember to take out your bearings before dying them!

[Sir Aaron]

Has anybody had any experience getting white roller skate wheels back to white...obviously not the whole wheel, but the outer edges that tend to turn yellow?

[FanJet8]

Originally Posted by Sir Aaron

Has anybody had any experience getting white roller skate wheels back to white...obviously not the whole wheel, but the outer edges that tend to turn yellow?

Not gonna happen my friend, that's why most people shy away from white or natural urethane or dye them.