dying vinyl

I have some questions about dying vinyl. It comes in spray cans and covers very opaquely. Is vinyl dye just a special thin paint that sticks to vinyl, or is it actually a dye? Is this the stuff I use on my plastic interior trim pieces like kick panels too?

I'm concerned mostly with how the finished product will respond to wear, age, scuffing, and things like armor all. Right now if I scuff one of the kick panels, the scratch is the same color as the surface. If I redye it, how deep does the dye go?

How about if I redye vinyl seats. Will it be permanent, or will it wear through in a few years?

Not really sure if this will help you but here goes...

For the vinyl, i suggest getting vht color penetrating dye, this IS actually a die from what i know and chemicaly is absorbed by the vinyl, as far as it will wear off in a few years, i highly doubt it, but im not 100% sure.

For the plastic(Interior Trim) i suggest the use of SEM color spray. Ive heard tons of great things about this spray. I heard its one tough son of a gun and does not scratch off like the rest. Its great for use on the door handles ETC. which will be constantely touched. Remember to take al steps before just laying down the spray.Clean the piece throughly, Sand the trim piece after, use the SEM primer, and finally lay on the spray. and you can top it of with a clear coat for finishing touches.

So i Suggest VHT color penetrating dye for the vinyl

Hope that helps

Not really sure if this will help you but here goes...

For the vinyl, i suggest getting vht color penetrating dye, this IS actually a die from what i know and chemicaly is absorbed by the vinyl, as far as it will wear off in a few years, i highly doubt it, but im not 100% sure.

For the plastic(Interior Trim) i suggest the use of SEM color spray. Ive heard tons of great things about this spray. I heard its one tough son of a gun and does not scratch off like the rest. Its great for use on the door handles ETC. which will be constantely touched. Remember to take al steps before just laying down the spray.Clean the piece throughly, Sand the trim piece after, use the SEM primer, and finally lay on the spray. and you can top it of with a clear coat for finishing touches.

So i Suggest VHT color penetrating dye for the vinyl

Hope that helps

Yeah!! it does help. I've seen the VHT dye in stores, but unfortunately they don't make my color. I have a diarhhea brown interior in my wagon. They make a tan and a chocolate. I'm going to contact Just Dashes next week. I know they do custom colors and maybe they can color match it.

The same wagon has sun-faded plastic trim in the back end. Any thoughts on where one buys SEM? I did a search for it and didn't find it.

Thanks

Here is the SEM paint pretty cheap, hope its what your looking for. http://store.yahoo.com/yourautotrim-store/semdye.html

Thanks! Great link. I'm having them send me a color chart.

Here is a link to the SEM website where they list the various colors they have. The product you want is SEM Colorcoat.

http://www.sem.ws/product.php?product_id=190

Here is a link to VHT Penetrating Color Dye@ The VHT Website. It will also give you a list of colors that exsist.

http://www.vhtpaint.com/penetratingcolordye.htm

I have some VHT Color dye but haven't used to use it. We usually just use the SEM Colorcoat when we have a need to re-color or re-dye @ the shop. I have used it on many things, most recently on Vinyl door panels to change the color from grey to black. I used Landau Black and the Satin Gloss Clear (deepend the black and gave it a nice low luster satin gloss. It is very tough and worked well. It is a permanent flexible color coat that is UV and fade resistant. It doesn't scratch or rub off. It works well. In the end I thought it basically responded to the vinly much like a dye would in the end. In fact many people, including the Yahoo store in the link a few psots back, incorrectly call it a Vinyl Dye. As I said, this is probably due to the fact that in the end, the end result is very similer to that of a vinly dye. Tough, flexible, Fade resistant and permanent.

If you prefer the VHT (itis an actual DYE) but they don't make what you need, you can try the SEM Color Coat. You the SEM Vinly Prep before you spray it. Actaully, clean it with a mild clearn degreaser first, I use Auto Magic Special Cleaner. Then use some wax and grease remover, this will help make sure Armor all and any other junk like that is removed. Then follow that with the SEM Vinyl Prep, follow package directions on how to use this. After it dries, you can start spraying. SEM Colorcoat works well on vinyl door panels, headliners, visors, dashs, etc...as well as plastic trim pieces (which are preped differently). Use the Palstic Prep for this. I tend to again, first use a good cleaner degreaser (I use what I listed above, you can probably try the SEM Soap. I then use wax and greas remover to make sure all armer all, etc is gone. Then I use the plastic prep. I then send it with 400 grit sandpaper, then use the pastic prep again to clean it off after snading. Then I'll use either the Sand-Free (even though I've sanded) or the Plastic Adhision promoter. There is also a flex-bonding you can try, though I never have. DO NOT use a mixture of products on the same piece, like a glove box, for example. Choose what you want apply via package directions.

Also, if you can, don't use products like Armor All. They are petrolium based and will cause the vinyl to dry out and eventually crack. If you desire more gloss, you can try buying a gloss coating (like VHT Gloss Black) or Add a clear to it in the sheen you prefer (Like SEM's Satin gloss clear). I have found SEM's High Gloss too glossy, and I liked the Satin Gloss clear. I have not used the Low Luster clear before, but it you want a slight sheen, this is a MUCH better way to go that armor all, and it won't wear off...it's part of the SEM Colorcoat system.

Thanks!!! That helps tons

Thanks!!! That helps tons

No problem, I'm always glad to help.:)