Coloring stems

For discussion of fitting and shaping stems, doing inlays, and any other stem-related topic.
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Duane
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Coloring stems

Post by Duane »

I have this pipe I made with the acrylic stem I bought and it's almost a good color, but as you can see it needs some help. I tried the alcohol dyes I use on the briar, but they don't work, just buffs off. Is their some way I can smooth the colors out or re-color it....the coloring is inside and can't be sanded away.
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PremalChheda
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Re: Coloring stems

Post by PremalChheda »

To my knowledge, Acrylic is not porous and cannot be colored. It is just going to come off eventually with friction or solvents.
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Duane
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Re: Coloring stems

Post by Duane »

Yeah...I figured I'd just be stuck with that, or buy a new one. (Tried making one, but found that out of my league for now! heehee!)

Thanks,
Duane
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SchmidtN
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Re: Coloring stems

Post by SchmidtN »

Hold on, I'm about to talk out my ass about plastics.

I'm not really sure if those acrylic mouthpieces are really acrylic, or what plastic they are. But, you can heat and bend them, so they are thermoplastics. So I think those guys have strong primary bonds and weak secondary bonds or something like that... which means they can be colored when they're heated up. Maybe try a google search for coloring thermoplastics while pliable or something like that. Might not help you color a stem you've already formed though, I'm not sure how hot you need to get it.
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Duane
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Re: Coloring stems

Post by Duane »

Thanks!
I'll give that some research and see what I can find out...and...if I'm successful, I'll post my results...if not, heehee, I'll buy another stem, which is what I was thinking I'd have to do anyway! :)

Duane
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RadDavis
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Re: Coloring stems

Post by RadDavis »

I'm pretty sure they can be colored when they're melted, as that's how they're colored in the first place. :lol:

And Duane, please stop with the "heehee". It's driving me crazy. :twisted:

Rad
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Re: Coloring stems

Post by The Smoking Yeti »

RadDavis wrote: And Duane, please stop with the "heehee". It's driving me crazy. :twisted:

Rad
Rad- you already ARE crazy.
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Duane
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Re: Coloring stems

Post by Duane »

RadDavis wrote:I'm pretty sure they can be colored when they're melted, as that's how they're colored in the first place. :lol:

And Duane, please stop with the "heehee". It's driving me crazy. :twisted:

Rad
OK Rad...hehehe! (Is that better then..heehee?!?!)

I found out that alcohol boils at 78.27 to 78.40 degrees C. (depending on the type of alcohol) and that converts to 172.922 degrees F. So, I'm going to mix up a bunch of dye colors, to my liking, as to what I'm going to want the color to look like and then throw the stem into that vat at about 170 degrees F. And from past experiences in the house, I have to do this outside in my gas Bar-B-Que, which has a thermometer on it....that I'm sure it is good to plus or minus 50 degrees or so...hehehe!...and then I'll walk away for a while and see what happens.
The worst that can happen is that I destroy the stem and my Bar-B-Que-ed ribs taste a bit funny for a while, but all that can be adjusted for by increasing the quantity of beer consumed before cooking next time. I'll get back with you on the outcome!

Duane
Duane
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Re: Coloring stems

Post by Duane »

RadDavis wrote:I'm pretty sure they can be colored when they're melted, as that's how they're colored in the first place. :lol:

And Duane, please stop with the "heehee". It's driving me crazy. :twisted:

Rad
OK...No more "heehees", just remember I'm just a joke! ______!

The Bar-B-Que didn't work and putting it in front of a hair drier then cooling it in the dye did put a slight tint on it, but not enough to make it worth the effort. So, much for that.......

Duane
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SchmidtN
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Re: Coloring stems

Post by SchmidtN »

RadDavis wrote:I'm pretty sure they can be colored when they're melted, as that's how they're colored in the first place. :lol:

And Duane, please stop with the "heehee". It's driving me crazy. :twisted:

Rad
I don't think thermoplastics need to be completely melted into a liquid state to color them because most of their properties can be changed when their secondary bonds are broken but their primary bonds are still intact. For example when you heat and bend you don't have it in a liquid state.
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RadDavis
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Re: Coloring stems

Post by RadDavis »

I know nothing of bondage. Not that there's anything wrong with it, I'm just not into that.

Rad
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