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Sig Brace Pink No More!!
Thanks to a heads up from a fellow forum member, A few of us were able to get a screaming deal on some Sig Pistol braces. One problem... They were PINK... HOT PINK! I bought 2,(wish i'd bought 5-6). I knew the second I hit the order button, one way or another, I was going to get the pink off.
I've had success with Rit fabric dye on the sand colored PMags, so that was the first thing that came to mind. Well the mail lady dropped of the victims today. After some trial and error, I think I got the process figured out.
It was definitely not as easy as dying Pmags. They actually turned out great, but I didn't quite get the color I was going for. I wanted it to match the pmag pictured below.
Not surprising... even starting with a "whitish" pmag, finding the right combination of colors to get what you want can be very difficult. It takes some trial and error. I started with pink rubber, I expected it to be a challenge. It would probably make more sense to just get more pmags and match them to the brace. Either way, I really wish I had bought a few more of these to experiment with.
Anyway... Here's how I did it:
First I used my trusty 8 quart stainless steel pot I bought from Walmart for $6 specifically for dying pmags, so I didn't ruin the wife's good cook ware. I filled it up about half way with water and brought it to a boil. I read somewhere that vinegar helps, so I added a cup or so to the water, along with about 3/4 of a bottle of "race red" rit dye (it's what I happened to have left over from the last project). I turned the burner down until it was about 180 degrees, or just below boiling. This is also the point where the wife and kids started to complain about the nasty vinegar smell lofting through the house. I reluctantly dropped in the hot pink brace, and let it stew for about 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally.
This is where it differs from the simpler task of dying pmags. The elasticity of the rubber makes things a little more difficult. It seems to take a bit longer for the color to soak in.
Notice the blackish blotches...
At first I thought..Cool.. battle worn finish! Nope.. that is built up dye, and it is not permanent. You defiantly want to wash this off, or it will end up staining everything it comes in contact with. It took some effort, but I eventually got it all off. I discovered I shouldn't use anything abrasive, or rub too hard, or it scuffed the surface up. I tried different methods on the inside of the "flaps", and ended up using a couple old tee shirts and soapy water. I took my time and washed the entire piece thoroughly until I could wipe it with a fresh white rag without picking up any color.. getting into the nooks and crannies was a little tricky.
I noticed that after washing, it was a little lighter colored than I'd like so I put it back in for a second round... repeating the entire process. It was a little darker, but not quite where I want it. I may pick up a different color and try to darken it up a little. If I do I'll update with the results.
If anybody else is brave enough to "ruin" one of their pink braces please share your results here. I'd like to know how they turn out with different colors, or other coloring methods besides rit dye. I heard you can make a pattern with hot glue and put it into a different color dye if you want tiger stripes, or camo, or whatever. Also if you have an "extra" pink brace and you want a red one.. pm me and maybe we can work out a trade. I colored 2... one to keep one to sell/trade. This experience helped inspire me to turn my V7 receivers into a 10.5" 300bo pistol...I need parts!
Thanks to a heads up from a fellow forum member, A few of us were able to get a screaming deal on some Sig Pistol braces. One problem... They were PINK... HOT PINK! I bought 2,(wish i'd bought 5-6). I knew the second I hit the order button, one way or another, I was going to get the pink off.
I've had success with Rit fabric dye on the sand colored PMags, so that was the first thing that came to mind. Well the mail lady dropped of the victims today. After some trial and error, I think I got the process figured out.
It was definitely not as easy as dying Pmags. They actually turned out great, but I didn't quite get the color I was going for. I wanted it to match the pmag pictured below.
Not surprising... even starting with a "whitish" pmag, finding the right combination of colors to get what you want can be very difficult. It takes some trial and error. I started with pink rubber, I expected it to be a challenge. It would probably make more sense to just get more pmags and match them to the brace. Either way, I really wish I had bought a few more of these to experiment with.
Anyway... Here's how I did it:
First I used my trusty 8 quart stainless steel pot I bought from Walmart for $6 specifically for dying pmags, so I didn't ruin the wife's good cook ware. I filled it up about half way with water and brought it to a boil. I read somewhere that vinegar helps, so I added a cup or so to the water, along with about 3/4 of a bottle of "race red" rit dye (it's what I happened to have left over from the last project). I turned the burner down until it was about 180 degrees, or just below boiling. This is also the point where the wife and kids started to complain about the nasty vinegar smell lofting through the house. I reluctantly dropped in the hot pink brace, and let it stew for about 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally.
This is where it differs from the simpler task of dying pmags. The elasticity of the rubber makes things a little more difficult. It seems to take a bit longer for the color to soak in.
Notice the blackish blotches...
At first I thought..Cool.. battle worn finish! Nope.. that is built up dye, and it is not permanent. You defiantly want to wash this off, or it will end up staining everything it comes in contact with. It took some effort, but I eventually got it all off. I discovered I shouldn't use anything abrasive, or rub too hard, or it scuffed the surface up. I tried different methods on the inside of the "flaps", and ended up using a couple old tee shirts and soapy water. I took my time and washed the entire piece thoroughly until I could wipe it with a fresh white rag without picking up any color.. getting into the nooks and crannies was a little tricky.
I noticed that after washing, it was a little lighter colored than I'd like so I put it back in for a second round... repeating the entire process. It was a little darker, but not quite where I want it. I may pick up a different color and try to darken it up a little. If I do I'll update with the results.
If anybody else is brave enough to "ruin" one of their pink braces please share your results here. I'd like to know how they turn out with different colors, or other coloring methods besides rit dye. I heard you can make a pattern with hot glue and put it into a different color dye if you want tiger stripes, or camo, or whatever. Also if you have an "extra" pink brace and you want a red one.. pm me and maybe we can work out a trade. I colored 2... one to keep one to sell/trade. This experience helped inspire me to turn my V7 receivers into a 10.5" 300bo pistol...I need parts!
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