Keeping dye off of bindings

[Quickstep192]

I’m getting ready to do a dye job where I’ll be spraying TransTint dye dissolved in denatured alcohol.

I’m keen to keep the dye off of the white plastic bindings during multiple dyeing sessions.

I’ve thought of tape, but I’m not convinced that tape will work all that well since the dye is thin and solvent based. Is there “special” tape?

I also considered putting shellac on the binding to protect it, but it seems that the alcohol based dye will at least partially dissolve the shellac making it ineffective. I think I’d then also be left with the task of removing the shellac without disturbing the dye - vicious circle.

Any other ideas or advice?

[mirwa]

Not really an answer, just a different approach.

Plastic bindings I dont bother protecting, I leave them alone, do the job then scrape them down after applying the first few clear coats

Steve

[Ned Milburn]

Mirwa's thought I share.

Also, are you spraying the dye just in alcohol - no finish...?? If this is the case, you can use a cotton ball and alcohol to wipe it from the bindings afterward.

Dyeing wood with alcohol borne dye is challenging... Try a test piece first...

[redir]

+1 on the scraping. For wood I shellac AND tape the bindings before staining.

[Sam VanLaningham]

I like scraping bindings but when I did a wood binding and water based hand rubbed burst I shellacked AND taped with 3m 471 vinyl tape, 1/4" thick I think. I found it in stock at an auto parts store (O'Reillys). It bends perfectly and can be adjusted at sub mm precision without wrinkling if you want it to. Amazon et al also have it.

Sam

[Rodger Knox]

Originally Posted by Quickstep192

I’m getting ready to do a dye job where I’ll be spraying TransTint dye dissolved in denatured alcohol.

Any other ideas or advice?

Sometimes it helps to use a thin cut of shellac instead of straight alcohol, sometimes the straight alcohol works better. I presume you're planning on a waterborne top coat. The alcohol based dyes are sometimes affected by lacquer. Definitely test on scrap, both the dye & topcoat.

[Quickstep192]

In case it’s of interest, I used 3M 24805 tape and had almost no leakage of the dye onto the binding. The few places were it did sneak under could probably have been avoided if I had made sure the edge was pressed down tight. This coat of dye was pretty wet too. The next coat will be much drier, so I’m hoping for completely clean binding afterward.