A few days ago I read a post where someone had used Rit dye to change the color of their props. To be honest I was skeptical that you could dye plastic props. I figured there is no way that would work, but painting them is not an option as it would unbalance the prop. I had six white 9450 DJI props and a $2 box of black Rit dye so I figured what the heck.

I used the whole box. I heated the water in a stainless steel pot.  I put in enough water so the props would be covered. Once the water got hot (not boiling) I added the dye. I stirred the dye in for about 1 minute to be sure the powder was dissolved and completely mixed in.  I then added the props. If you try this you need to make sure the props fit in the pot without them bending and you only want the water simmering. You don't want the hot water to change the profile of the props as this would affect how the props perform.


I let the props simmer in dye for about 20 minutes. I took about 15 minutes for the props to turn black. They went from white, to gray, to dark blue to black. I stirred the props every 30 seconds or so and made sure they stayed submerged.

I moved the pot to the sink and ran it under cold water. I removed the props and inspected them for color and shape to be sure the hot water had not deformed them. Here are the results.

Before:


After:

Since the prop nuts are painted metal they retained their original black & silver colors so there is no issue about knowing which motor they go on.
Not sure how the color will hold up with use over time, but so far it seems pretty tough. It's hard to see from the picture but they actually looks really nice in person.  Rubbing on it or wetting it does not cause any of the dye to be removed and didn't leave any marks on the props and it looks like they came from the factory like this!

wow, please let us know how it does over time.  there are tons of options that dye gives you, thanks for sharing.

We airplane guys have known about dying plastic parts for years and you did it just right though the liquid dyes are easier to use. I have dyed plastic and nylon parts that have held their color for 30 years. A lot does depend on the plastic and if it has a coating. If you do break one, cut it and see how far the dye penetrated.

Looks really cool, just ordered a scarlet and navy blue. Gonna do the front props scarlet and the rear props navy blue. Give me a better visual of the orientation of the bird from a distance I hope.

Capt. Bill Posted at 2015-2-25 12:08
We airplane guys have known about dying plastic parts for years and you did it just right though the ...

Do you think the shell would accept dye? It is too late for mine as it is painted already but the dye worked so well on the props I might have tried to dye the shell had I known about this before. If it didn't work then I would have just painted it. I also would have needed a bigger pot!

JATO Posted at 2015-2-25 20:37
Do you think the shell would accept dye? It is too late for mine as it is painted already but the  ...

I have also been curious about this, if the shell/legs/etc will take the dye I will be doing it.   I was thinking that if the shell was lightly sandblasted it may help?  

I don't know about the shell. Instead of sandblasting I would wet sand it with 400 grit paper. That will keep the surface smooth.

Could you say why you wanted died plastic props vs the carbon fiber props that DJI sells? Is it just a matter of cost? Do the carbon fiber props break a lot?

The ideal temperature for RIT dye is 140° F or 60° C

NM I just found the other thread about CF props. I just wish DJI made black plastic props with those cool yellow stripes.
http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... age%3D1&lang=en

WOW...Nice...Im going to try it. I guess you can buy it anywhere like Walmart?  I hope it makes my phantom more visible in the sky and doesn't effect flight!!!

grangerfx@gmail Posted at 2015-2-26 02:19
NM I just found the other thread about CF props. I just wish DJI made black plastic props with those ...

You can try masking off the stripe area and dye it black then remove the masking and dye it yellow or another color. Experiment with an old prop.

Several coats of this masking film might work well

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXC099

JATO Posted at 2015-2-25 20:37
Do you think the shell would accept dye? It is too late for mine as it is painted already but the  ...

Well, I just removed the battery cap and attempted to dye it black.  It didn't take AT ALL... I mean I wiped it off and it's exactly like it never touched the dye.   I replaced it back on the battery.

grangerfx@gmail Posted at 2015-2-26 02:06
Could you say why you wanted died plastic props vs the carbon fiber props that DJI sells? Is it just ...

Since I painted my Phantom black I replaced my 9450s with a set of CFR 9443s. The old white 9450s look pretty crappy on my Phantom if I ever used them, so I dyed them.

Greetings ! thanks for putting your props in the pot ! that was to be my project today ,the store didn't have the color  of dye I wanted , so the mission continues tomorrow . It was good that liquid masking film was mentioned in a comment post  ,I will try that too I have plenty of spare props . I tried masking tape it  only ruined my project as well as a sharpie marker , the result with the sharpie was like tie dye so that won't happen again .

texaztwister@gm Posted at 2015-2-27 10:30
Greetings ! thanks for putting your props in the pot ! that was to be my project today ,the store di ...

If your experimenting you might also try package sealing tape, it is waterproof

Dyed my two fronts Scarlet just now.   THANKS FOR THE TIP~  LOVE THE NEW LOOK!  If I knew how to insert pics I would share my before/afters.

I will have to do that to the props, as well.  Can you see the color of the props when it is flying?  That would be nice!

Trying to upload pics..hope this works. These were taken 30 minutes apart.  Heated water, dye, and props to 150 for about 15 min.  

Looks good, I am glad this topic came up to help people. I learned about RIT dye and plastics 40 years ago but never thought to mention it here. It sure is a lot easier and neater than painting.

really great!

bahamasboy.aol Posted at 2015-3-4 11:16
Trying to upload pics..hope this works. These were taken 30 minutes apart.  Heated water, dye, and p ...

They look great.  Easy to see  in the air.

rdc44444@hotmai Posted at 2015-2-26 02:40
WOW...Nice...Im going to try it. I guess you can buy it anywhere like Walmart?  I hope it makes my p ...

I found some at Walmart it was in the laundry detergent area.

Fabric stores usually have it and it is available online. I like the liquid since it is easy to store if you don't use all of it.

I tried Rit dye cherry red and not happy with the color it's purple not red.

tonyray955 Posted at 2015-3-5 07:34
I tried Rit dye cherry red and not happy with the color it's purple not red.

Scarlett works best, other colors are a trial and error process

I had a thought that someone might try with some old props. If you wanted say yellow stripes on a black prop, try using automotive striping tape to mask of the areas that are to be stripes. It is waterproof and sticks well, be interesting to see if there is an bleeding under the tape.

I'm planning on doing my back props green.  I'll play with the timing because I don't want a dark green.  I'll post em when I get them done.  Our birds are going to look like skittles.... a rainbow of flavor!

Thanks for sharing! They look great. I'll have to experiment with my first 'retired' set and go from there.  Barney

bahamasboy.aol Posted at 2015-3-4 11:16
Trying to upload pics..hope this works. These were taken 30 minutes apart.  Heated water, dye, and p ...

Great looking prop !

bahamasboy.aol Posted at 2015-3-4 11:16
Trying to upload pics..hope this works. These were taken 30 minutes apart.  Heated water, dye, and p ...

Those are fantastic!  Love the color!   

I really like the idea of coloring the blades.  Has anyone tried green yet?  I am wondering of there is a shade that works well like scarlet does for red.

very cool.  will get some RIT.

Yesterday was my first flight with my "Scarlet" props.  While it looks cool on the ground, in the air it offered VERY LITTLE assistance with orientation- even at relatively close ranges (under 50 feet).  They just spin too darn fast!   NRGWISE, I planned on dying my  backs green but don't know if it's worth the trouble at this point.   If I do, I'll post pics.

Well, I did my fronts and they got a bit darker than I would have liked, but I am okay with it.  I like the look as it sits on the ground.  I did not get a chance to fly today as it snowed most of the day.  But outside my office is a huge field and I get a long lunch - enough for two batteries of flight.  So my 'kit' will be with me.

b'boy - I would probably not do my rear props after seeing the fronts.  I like the look and don't think I would be as happy if the rear ones were done.  Nothing to tie them into the Phantom.  The front at least has the red stripes. (well mine does, the prop dye is the only mod for me)

nrgwise@gmail.c Posted at 2015-3-9 06:32
Well, I did my fronts and they got a bit darker than I would have liked, but I am okay with it.  I l ...

My thoughts exactly!

bahamasboy@aol. Posted at 2015-3-9 08:24
My thoughts exactly!

I just assembled (after calibration) everything and packed it for flight tomorrow (Monday Mar-9-15).  I really do like the look of the props when on the ground.  I am still concerned with the gimbal problem I am having, but my main concern right now is learning to fly the Phantom and controlling it as I want.  Camera operation is secondary until flight control is second nature.  But there is a warranty period.  I am not sure if it is the gimbal, the Phantom, the cables, the controller, what and not sure how to isolate it.  Seems to be the wheel in the controller and the calibration on the X axis.  

I just want to fly...

Looking real nice!!!!  Did you just use a black spray for the body?  I assume?  And wondering where you got the yellow stickers?

Thanks for the info.

Nick

doing my dye this weekend...