MF Plastic Colorant

[DoubleT]

I have some MF colorant in a few different colors. How many drops of colorant to ounces of plastic do you think it takes to achieve the correct color? I added four drops per ounce of the white and it still was off color. Seems like a lot according to what I have researched but it still wasn't a nice true white. I shook the bottle for 10 seconds or so prior to adding to the unheated plastic. Im assuming it was mixed well enough. Thanks. 

[bryanmc]

Depending on how long the bottle sat, 10 seconds may or may not be long enough to mix it.  I never add white (or any color except fluorescents, but white especially) to cold plastic since getting the plastic hot enough to convert will also start to discolor it.  Heat your plastic to conversion (~350f) then let it cool to 325 or so before adding your colorant.

[DoubleT]

1 minute ago, bryanmc said:

Depending on how long the bottle sat, 10 seconds may or may not be long enough to mix it.  I never add white (or any color except fluorescents, but white especially) to cold plastic since getting the plastic hot enough to convert will also start to discolor it.  Heat your plastic to conversion (~350f) then let it cool to 325 or so before adding your colorant.

 That makes sense. I will give that a try. Thx

[Anglinarcher]

I have a bottle of white from a company I have not purchased from in years.  Nothing was wrong with the white, but it sat for about 7 years, except for being moved between two states (LOL).  You can see the white packed at the bottom of the bottle, with the clear part on top.

I don't think just shaking the bottle I have will work.  ROFLOL

You might think of a more aggressive mixing method if the bottle has set for a long time.

[DoubleT]

1 hour ago, Anglinarcher said:

I have a bottle of white from a company I have not purchased from in years.  Nothing was wrong with the white, but it sat for about 7 years, except for being moved between two states (LOL).  You can see the white packed at the bottom of the bottle, with the clear part on top.

I don't think just shaking the bottle I have will work.  ROFLOL

You might think of a more aggressive mixing method if the bottle has set for a long time.

I will see if it is packed. I have a small paint mixer that I will give a try. 

[Bamafan2277]

I keep a bunch of cube rare earth magnets around. they are about the size of a pea. I drop one into each bottle of color I get and use it to mix the color and if its been sitting a while I get the other magnets out and use them to move the one in the bottle around the bottom to knock the settled stuff loose. When I'm done with the bottle I just dump the magnet out and clean it for the next bottle.

 

 

[Slammingjack]

I use pearl white powder added to white colorant . Comes out a lot whiter. I use s/s little nuts inside the bottle to mix it up. 

[DoubleT]

2 hours ago, Bamafan2277 said:

I keep a bunch of cube rare earth magnets around. they are about the size of a pea. I drop one into each bottle of color I get and use it to mix the color and if its been sitting a while I get the other magnets out and use them to move the one in the bottle around the bottom to knock the settled stuff loose. When I'm done with the bottle I just dump the magnet out and clean it for the next bottle.

Now thats using your dang head. I like it. 

[Anglinarcher]

Just don't use BB's.  LOL, I did, thinking they were copper.  THEY ARE NOT, they are copper coated steel and they rusted and destroyed the color.

In my defense, that was 30 years ago.