Jump to content
joelhains

Colorant Settling

Recommended Posts

I have some colorant that is a few years old now and I haven't used in a while. I went down to my bait room and found some of my colorant has settled pretty badly. Most of the bottles are fine but there are a few that I can't get to break loose. any tips for breaking up what has settled and how to get it to mix back in? I've tried shaking, scraping the bottom of the bottle with a small screwdriver, even adding a couple small nuts to the bottle and shaking some more. I've considered trying to put the bottle in the microwave to see if that loosens it up but I don't want to cook it and make it useless. Any advice would be great. Otherwise its time for a few new bottles of colorant.

Thanks

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I put a stainless steel nut in every new bottle and that will really help in mixing the ingredients completely.

I use a small flat head screwdriver to breakup and stir the really tough ones...but sometimes it's best to just buy a new bottle!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The room im pouring mine in is not climate controlled. All my colorant is separating. I was wondering what the heat is doing to them. Would it help or hurt if i put them in a refrigerator???

 

My wife's friend does that with her makeup......for the very same reason.  Might be worth a shot to give a couple colors a try.  Couldn't hurt!  lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The room im pouring mine in is not climate controlled. All my colorant is separating. I was wondering what the heat is doing to them. Would it help or hurt if i put them in a refrigerator???

 

Well, the carrier is an oil based product, so as it warms it thins out. most colourants are pigments, which suspend in the carrier. As the carrier thins out the pigment settles. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try this, with cap tight turn them upside down on the cap for a week and they will start to release, do this over and over until you see results. Then you may be able to shake them manually. Are they pints, quarts or what size? A 2 ounce will work the same way. If they are totally dried out then cut the top off use as a paste.

jeff@mf

Edited by jeff@mf
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try this, with cap tight turn them upside down on the cap for a week and they will start to release, do this over and over until you see results. Then you may be able to shake them manually. Are they pints, quarts or what size? A 2 ounce will work the same way. If they are totally dried out then cut the top off use as a paste.

jeff@mf

This will take forever,do the microwave thing,it will be good as new in under 10 minutes,done it several times

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some color dyes may turn or discolor in the mic like pearl or watermelon and heat sensitive colors but yes it will take time to actually let it drop but it works. We have colors from the 80's still takes hours to break-up correctly and unfortunately won't fit in the mic so the old fashion way. A few years back we sent 100lbs. to be rolled into a paste to make it workable. It's either try a few different ways or trash it.

 

Shake and Bake!

Edited by jeff@mf
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am just a hobby pourer, and pour only for myself and my buddies.

I add my colorant after I've stirred in my flake to my already heated plastisol, so I can see how the flake I want to use affects the color.

I also don't reheat over 335, if I can help it.

When I'm adding fresh plastisol to some leftovers that I've already poured, to make more of the same color, I do get it up to 350 again.  Then I add more flake and color.

I've noticed that the "extended" plastisol does seem to be a little less crisp in color, and I wondered why.

Now it makes sense.

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...


×
×
  • Create New...
Top