Vinyl Dye

[Jacob]

Is amazing. For the record.

Rather than paint, near as I can tell it actually changes the color of the plastic. Can't chip, etc. As a basecoat, it seems to be basically magic...

Just saying.

Take it with a grain of salt, all I've done so far is a quick spray job on a small gun, but so far, all signs point to Made From Pure Awesome.

[Manus Dei]

My understanding of the arcane substance is that it Bleeds into the plastic and recolors a few mm deep. It can scratch off but it is harder to from my experience.

[Merana33]

If you put it on in light coats by misting it, it dries super quick (like, 5 mins!)
Plus it's avalible in many different colors, including metallics!

A super light misting of silver over a black undercoat makes a very nice gunmetal look.

Run, dont walk, to your neighborhood automotive supply store to find it. It's usually tucked into the same section as the other spray paints.
Just make sure it's the stuff marked for use on car interiors and/or seats, otherwise it's paint.

[Henry Gondorf]

I shall confirm: The Magic is real. The overall effect is amazing. I have some pride in all my attempts to make props look somewhat realistic. The gun I just painted using this type has me mesmerized. Thank you Jake for spreading the word of Viynl Dye.

[Ho0ber]

Anyone have pictures they can share yet?

I just picked up a Triad, Hammershot, and Rough Cut 2x4, and I'll be looking to snag some vinyl dye soon myself.

Any word on how well this works under shotgun slides? I'm assuming (hoping) that because it dyes the actual plastic and leaves the surface the same, this will be an ideal solution for not affecting the function of moving parts, or setting yourself up to scrape off paint (because it's not paint) under a slide. Also triggers, etc.

[cathy]

Could someone give me an example of store name that carries this? Like Lowes, Michaels...or a more specific Auto supply place?

[Henry Gondorf]

I went to Auto Zone for mine. If you do a search of Automotive Goods stores in the area you can check to see if they carry them.

[Merana33]

Auto supply stores like pepboys, autozone and the like will be where you will find this. Home improvement stores have likely never heard of it.

As long as the dye isnt' one of the 'Matte' ones, it should not interfere with moving parts. That being said it will wear off beneath things that are high friction/use (such as pump slides) but at a far slower rate than paint would.

[Ho0ber]

[Merana33]

As a general rule, yes. However I happen to know from personal experience that the Dupli-color flat black goes on ultra super thin and smooth if you MIST it rather than slathering it on like a graffiti artist tagging a subway train.

Touch ups are never a bad thing but a few tips for anyone new to painting Nerf:
Never paint it assembled.
Yup, throw caution to the wind and carefully disassemble your precious foam slinger before you paint it. Otherwise you run the risk of gumming up moving parts and sealing them in place.

When disassembling nerf, grab a shotglass or a coffee mug to keep all the screws, springs and other teeny fiddly innards that you find during your surgery. That way when it comes time to put it back together, you know where all the bits are and that the cat hasn't decided that your trigger would be far more fun waaaaay back under the sofa.