The recipe is simple: 1 part water, 1 part white vinegar, salt, and
RIT dye. I usually go with 2 cups each of the liquids, 1/2 tsp of
salt, and a half package of dye.
You need a deep pot and a stove, or a jar and a microwave. A pair of
plastic salad/pasta tongs is useful, as is a roll of paper
towels and newspaper.
If you use the stove, warm the liquids until the pot is hot enough
that you can't keep your hand on the side of it for more than
around 5 seconds. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the salt until
it's dissolved, and stir in the dye.
If you use a microwave, heat the liquids in the microwave until hot
enough that you can almost not hold the jar. Stir in the salt and
dye.
Put the cars in for around 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally, and watch
for deposits, which can be taken off by stirring. Try not to
take the cars out until you are finished. Doing so won't damage the
cars, but you will probably drop it and cause a splatter. My only
tie-dyed shirt was a shirt that I was wearing while dying cars.
Now, the color you get will depend on the color you start with, the
dye, and how long you leave it in the solution. White cars will
dye with a lighter shade of the dye color. For example, the purple
isn't as dark as the package, but it's not far off after 45
minutes. Other colors can do weird things. Also, the black and gray
give you a brown car, not a black or gray. I did a bus with this,
and it looks almost like a root beer brown. It's not useless, but it
is unexpected. In general, the obvious mixes do well. Blue and
red make a nice dark purple.
The wheel chrome and metal parts don't generally take dye. There are
exceptions to this, though. The Tomart's Corvette wheels and
base took the royal blue, but left the chrome tinted. The results are
quite pleasing (at least to me - we should get a more expert
opinion soon). Whitewalls do take the dye. I did one of those lavender
59 Caddys with royal blue and the wheels are now bluewalls,
but the car looks really nice. You can supposedly coat surfaces with
Vaseline to prevent dying.
From Joe's Diecast Shack Custom Board
This is a copy of the Rit Dye chart.
and then follow the timing or dyeing instructions as listed in each RIT package.
Color Recipe Color Recipe Color Recipe
Additional dyeing ideas and color information can be obtained by writing to:
Create your own high-fashioned colors. Just combine the colors as listed in the
recipe, dissolve the powder dye thoroughly according to package directions,
Amethyst 1 pkg Purple
Spice Brown 1 pkg Cocoa Brown
Sea Coral 1 pkg Rose Pink
1 Tbsp Wine
1 Tbsp Tangerine
1 1/2 tsp Tangerine
-or-
Eggshell 1 tsp Tan
Burnt Orange 1 Tbsp Tangerine
1 pkg Yellow
1 tsp Yellow
1 Tbsp Tan
Blue Spruce 1 pkg Royal Blue
Paprika 1 pkg Golden Yellow
Lt Turquoise 2 tsp Royal Blue
1 Tbsp Dark Green
1 Tbsp Scarlet
2 tsp Kelly Green
Khaki Green 1 pkg Tan
Apricot 1Tbsp Rose Pink
Teal Blue 1 pkg Royal Blue
1/4 tsp Dark Green
1 tsp Tangerine
1 1/2 tsp Kelly Green
Shocking Pink 1 pkg Rose Pink
Flesh 1 tsp Tan
Camel 1 Tbsp Yellow
1 1/2 tsp Fuchsia
1 tsp Peach
1/4 tsp Cocoa Brown
Bone 1/2 tsp Tan
Peacock Blue 1/2 cup Royal Blue
Lime Green 2 pkg Yellow
1/2 tsp Pearl Grey
1 Tbsp Kelly Green
1 pkg Kelly Green
Khaki Tan 1 pkg Tan
Aqua 1 pkg Royal Blue
Teal Green 1 1/2 pkg Kelly Green
2 tsp Pearl Grey
1 Tbsp Kelly Green
1 TbspRoyal Blue
Shrimp Pink 1 pkg Rose Pink
Forest Green 2 pkg Dark Green
Caramel 2 pkg Golden Yellow
1 tsp Tangerine
1 pkg Yellow
1 1/2 tsp Cocoa Brown
Bright Navy 1 pkg Royal Blue
Pink 1 1/2 tsp Rose Pink
Light Green 2 tsp Kelly Green
1 pkg Navy Blue
1/2 tsp Yellow
Tiger Lily 1 pkg Tangerine
Lilac 1 tsp Purple
Aquamarine 1 Tbsp Mint Green
1 Tbsp Rose Pink
1 Tbsp Mauve
1 1/2 tsp Teal
Celery 1 tsp Yellow
Soft Rasberry 2 Tbsp Cardinal
Gold 1 pkg Golden Yellow
1/4 tsp Kelly Green
1 Tbsp Fuchsia
1 1/2 tsp Tan
Magenta 1 pkg Fuchsia
Moss Green 1 pkg Golden Yellow
Plum 1 pkg Navy
2 tsp Wine
1 Tbsp Dark Green
1 Tbsp Wine
2 tsp Tangerine
Violet 1/4 cup Purple
Avocado 1 pkg Dark Green
2 Tbsp Fuchsia
Coral 1 pkg Rose Pink
1 pkg Golden Yellow
2 tsp Tangerine
Charcoal Grey 1 1/2 tsp Royal Blue
Grape 1 Tbsp Wine
1 1/2 tsp Black
Mustard 2 pkg Golden Yellow
1 Tbsp Purple
1 pkg Tan
Marine Blue 1 pkg Royal Blue
Rust 1 pkg Tangerine
1 tsp Purple
Cranberry Red 1 pkg Scarlet
1 Tbsp Cocoa Brown
1 Tbsp Wine
Chartreuse 1 pkg Yellow
Beige 1 Tbsp Tan
1 tsp Kelly Green
Old Ecru 1 Tbsp Yellow
1 tsp Yellow
1 1/2 tsp Tan
Maroon 2 pkg Wine
1 1/2 tsp Peach
Hunter Green 1 pkg Royal Blue
2 tsp Dark Brown
1 pkg Kelly Green
Dark Denim 2 pkgs Navy Blue
Cherry Red 1 pkg Fuchsia
1 Tbsp Black
Sage Green 1 pkg Pearl Grey
1 Tbsp Scarlet
1 Tbsp Sea Foam Green
Olive Drab 1 pkg Dark Green
Misty Lavender 1 pkg Evening Blue
1 Tbsp Dark Brown
Bittersweet 1 pkg Golden Yellow
1 Tbsp Mauve
1 Tbsp Scarlet
Dusty Rose 1 Tbsp Mauve
Chestnut Brown 2 pkg Cocoa Brown
1 tsp Tan
Ivory 1/2 tsp Tan
2 pkg Tangerine
1/2 tsp Yellow
Orange 1 pkg Golden Yellow
Burgundy 1 pkg Wine
2 tsp Scarlet
Lt Blue 1 Tbsp Evening Blue
1 pkg Cardinal Red
RIT Consumer Affairs Department
P.O. Box 21070
Indianapolis, IN 46221
(317) 231-8044
