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Topic: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

I once saw somebody say they'd use spray paint on white/natural filament before printing if they needed a certain color and didn't have that color of filament available.  I tried it awhile back, and it worked, but it left a little bit of gunk on my extruder gear (I might have put the paint on too heavily).

Has anybody tried it with pellets and a Filastruder?  I was thinking of trying it, but thought I'd ask if anybody else has tried it first, just in case it caused a huge mess for you to clean up inside the Filastruder.  Sometimes when things don't work people don't post about it, so even though there are no posts about it there is still the chance you guys have tried it I figured.

Also, on a side note, does anybody know what is in the powder colorants that makes it stick to pellets better?  Mentioned here: http://store.os3dp.com/powders/46-powde … undle.html .  I'm saving up wood dust from CNC work (running it through a nylon mesh filter to make sure to only save the small stuff that can make it through the Filastruder filter), and was thinking if I could get ahold of just the part of the colorant that makes it stick to pellets I could try it with the wood dust.

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

Static might be enough to get powder to stick to pellets, if you shake it enough.  It's difficult to purge though, the last time I tried it I finally took the barrel off and cleaned it out.

Spray paint on pellets might be difficult to control consistently, but you might try mix a given weight of pellets with a given volume of regular paint.   Another thing I've seen is RIT dye applied with watered down acetone.

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

only use material with same melt temps as plastic used and careful of flammability. wood dust clogs nozzles I know unless its powder fine

Solidoodle 2 with Deluxe kit cover & glass bed with heater. and 2nd board SD2 used not 3rd and alum platform not installed yet still wood. also need cooling fan installed to board. use Repetier Host couple vers. Slic3r also have all free ware STL programs

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

can you still buy tints like used long ago to color match paint?

Solidoodle 2 with Deluxe kit cover & glass bed with heater. and 2nd board SD2 used not 3rd and alum platform not installed yet still wood. also need cooling fan installed to board. use Repetier Host couple vers. Slic3r also have all free ware STL programs

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

IMHO would not even think of using paint.  You need a pigment or dye.
Dyes and pigments are readily available. the question is the best to use for plastic extrusion.
Dyes and pigments are sold for candles and making one's own wood stain.

Many years ago I worked next to the pigment department in a plastics factory. They formulated the mix to be added to the natural colored pellets. Titanium dioxide is the standard white pigment and adds opacity and zinc stearate was used as a lubricant to help the plastic flow better and aid in the release from the mold.

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

Pigments are generally formulated for a particular type or type of plastics.  The powdered pigment that we have is formulated for use with PLA, ABS, HIPS, PC, and Nylon. 

The pigment that we currently have is not compatible with PP or PE although we could get some that is formulated to work with them. 

We have some additives mixed in with the pigment that help it to adhere to the pellets.  Initially we didn't have that and it was a complete mess with pigment ALL over.

We currently have Red, Yellow, Blue, Green and White.  We expect to have by next week Orange, Brown, Black, and Slate Grey.

-os3dp

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

os3dp wrote:

Pigments are generally formulated for a particular type or type of plastics.  The powdered pigment that we have is formulated for use with PLA, ABS, HIPS, PC, and Nylon. 

The pigment that we currently have is not compatible with PP or PE although we could get some that is formulated to work with them. 

We have some additives mixed in with the pigment that help it to adhere to the pellets.  Initially we didn't have that and it was a complete mess with pigment ALL over.

We currently have Red, Yellow, Blue, Green and White.  We expect to have by next week Orange, Brown, Black, and Slate Grey.

-os3dp

Does it come with the additive in it already from the manufacturer, or do you add it?  Could you sell the additive separately?  I'm trying different types of plastic now, but once I have enough wood powder saved up that will go through a 250 micron mesh I plan to try that and would be curious if the additive would help wood powder stick to the pellets the same way it helps the pigment powders to stick to pellets.

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

genesat1 wrote:

Does it come with the additive in it already from the manufacturer, or do you add it?  Could you sell the additive separately?  I'm trying different types of plastic now, but once I have enough wood powder saved up that will go through a 250 micron mesh I plan to try that and would be curious if the additive would help wood powder stick to the pellets the same way it helps the pigment powders to stick to pellets.

It comes to me pre-mixed.  If you would like I can check with them next week to see if they can send some to me.  The difficult part with mixing it is that you have to mix 1-3% by weight.  The smallest amount I can get from them is 1lb.  They tell me that unless you are mixing at least 1lb at a time, it doesn't mix well.  1lb of powdered pigment is usually good for 300-400 lbs of raw pellets. Which is why we sell 10g packets that is good for about 4.5lbs of pellets.

-os3dp

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

os3dp wrote:
genesat1 wrote:

Does it come with the additive in it already from the manufacturer, or do you add it?  Could you sell the additive separately?  I'm trying different types of plastic now, but once I have enough wood powder saved up that will go through a 250 micron mesh I plan to try that and would be curious if the additive would help wood powder stick to the pellets the same way it helps the pigment powders to stick to pellets.

It comes to me pre-mixed.  If you would like I can check with them next week to see if they can send some to me.  The difficult part with mixing it is that you have to mix 1-3% by weight.  The smallest amount I can get from them is 1lb.  They tell me that unless you are mixing at least 1lb at a time, it doesn't mix well.  1lb of powdered pigment is usually good for 300-400 lbs of raw pellets. Which is why we sell 10g packets that is good for about 4.5lbs of pellets.

-os3dp


Hmm, wonder how that would vary with copper powder (not the colorant, the actual metal) or wood dust - I would think it's a volume thing and not a weight thing entirely right?  Since 1lb of copper powder would be a lot less actual material than 1lb of colorant powder.

You have the Red, Yellow, Blue, White, and Green Dry package for $13.50, or about $2.70 a pack, could you do a bundle with all that plus the new orange, brown, black, and grey for the same $2.70 a pack or 9*2.70, $24.30?  Shipping adds on about $8 so getting as much colorant in one package as I can only makes sense.

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

genesat1 wrote:

You have the Red, Yellow, Blue, White, and Green Dry package for $13.50, or about $2.70 a pack, could you do a bundle with all that plus the new orange, brown, black, and grey for the same $2.70 a pack or 9*2.70, $24.30?  Shipping adds on about $8 so getting as much colorant in one package as I can only makes sense.

I will be creating a bundle for all of the colors, tho it will be a bit more than $2.7 each since the Grey is almost twice as expensive as the others and the Orange is 20% more expensive than the other colors.  Once I get the bill for shipping then I'll better know what I can do a bundle for.

-os3dp

11 (edited by genesat1 2016-06-27 20:58:59)

Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

os3dp wrote:
genesat1 wrote:

You have the Red, Yellow, Blue, White, and Green Dry package for $13.50, or about $2.70 a pack, could you do a bundle with all that plus the new orange, brown, black, and grey for the same $2.70 a pack or 9*2.70, $24.30?  Shipping adds on about $8 so getting as much colorant in one package as I can only makes sense.

I will be creating a bundle for all of the colors, tho it will be a bit more than $2.7 each since the Grey is almost twice as expensive as the others and the Orange is 20% more expensive than the other colors.  Once I get the bill for shipping then I'll better know what I can do a bundle for.

-os3dp

Ok, I'll watch for it to become available.  Have you tried mixing any kind of GiTD additives in powder form?  Powder form results in easier color consistency than colorant pellets without the need for a pelletizer right?

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

genesat1 wrote:

Ok, I'll watch for it to become available.  Have you tried mixing any kind of GiTD additives in powder form?  Powder form results in easier color consistency than colorant pellets without the need for a pelletizer right?

As soon as I can see that people want powders, I hope to be able to get some Glow Colors. 

Powders do get more of a consistent color from my experience.  I haven't done any BIG batches, only .5 lb to 1lb batches, but they turn out nice and consistent.  The big filament makers use powders to make filament.

-os3dp

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

genesat1 wrote:

Hmm, wonder how that would vary with copper powder (not the colorant, the actual metal) or wood dust - I would think it's a volume thing and not a weight thing entirely right?  Since 1lb of copper powder would be a lot less actual material than 1lb of colorant powder.

I talked with my plastic people and they said that I can get an additive that would work with wood dust and copper.  They are going to let me know about how much needs to be used for each.  As soon as I find that out I can get some additive in that will work with those.  Let me know if you would like to order some.

-os3dp

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

os3dp wrote:
genesat1 wrote:

Hmm, wonder how that would vary with copper powder (not the colorant, the actual metal) or wood dust - I would think it's a volume thing and not a weight thing entirely right?  Since 1lb of copper powder would be a lot less actual material than 1lb of colorant powder.

I talked with my plastic people and they said that I can get an additive that would work with wood dust and copper.  They are going to let me know about how much needs to be used for each.  As soon as I find that out I can get some additive in that will work with those.  Let me know if you would like to order some.

-os3dp

Did they indicate about what price it would be?  Also, do you know about how much longer until you have the other colorants in? 

Ebay had a $15 off $75 order recently and I have nearly 30 pounds of plastic (might have gotten too much) coming.  ABS, HIPS, and PP pellets (I know the colorant won't work with PP).

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

genesat1 wrote:

Did they indicate about what price it would be?  Also, do you know about how much longer until you have the other colorants in?

The price will depend on how much is needed for those materials which I'm waiting to hear back on.

The other colors came in but the grey doesn't seem to look grey.  I hope to be able to get the other colors on the website tomorrow. (Gotta take pictures, etc.)

-os3dp

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

I also would be interested in trying out the wood powder.

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Re: Anybody tried spray paint as colorant?

I bet you could use dye as a colorant.

Years ago I read on a "richrap" site I think he used water based clothing dye to color his filament, and then print with it, I would guess that the same thing could be done with raw plastic beads, Translucent filament would probably be feasible.