Disc Golf Dyeing Techniques

There are many techniques to dyeing discs. In this video, I show the four most common methods that people use and the materials you will need to dye with each method. I also give some tips on each technique and show pictures of what you can expect for the outcome.
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Discount Code: HayTrain
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Time Stamps
1:13 Basic Supplies
5:01 Dyes
7:03 Shaving Cream
9:15 Glue
11:45 Lotion
13:09 Cells
Shaving cream dye photo: u/caleblincoln on Reddit; 11 Sep 2018. / first_dye_attemptnot_bad
Shaving cream dye photo: u/ilikeOutside on Reddit; 29 Jul 2017. / new_to_disc_dyingi_hav...
Lotion dye photos: Done by Christopher Strasburger 2020
Creating Cells with Tiffany Shaw: KZbin channel "The Difference is Doing It" • Disc Golf Dyeing - Cre...
Video Editing Software: All done on iPhone8 with LumaFusion App
Music: Purchased from www.epidemicsound.com
Fly Shroom - Giants' Nest
Skydive - Killrude

[@TheSubtleamuzement]

Finally, I have been looking for someone to talk about dye mixing. Thank you.

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Sure! I’ll tell ya what I know. 🤙

[@WillRadney]

Thanks for breaking everything down!!! Finally a video that shows in-depth!!

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Thank you sir! Lots of stuff to cover, lol.

[@coryover9359]

Great video! I’m about to dive into this sweet looking hobby and i appreciate the video incorporating all of the techniques!

[@dustinhicks887]

Man. This is the video I've been looking for. I'm just getting into dyeing and I've seen a lot of seemingly conflicting data. This video is straight forward and very informative. Thank you thank you thank you.

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Awesome. Thank you much for the feedback. 🤙

[@dustinhicks887]

@@haytraindiscgolf4697 I've been having not so great results with rit. Very muted colors. Have you ever mixed the dye into lotion or anything to make the colors brighter?

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

@@dustinhicks887 I don’t use RIT very often. I’ve had decent results putting it ON a bed of lotion and swirling it....so the disc is directly touching the dye. I think the other dyes give brighter colors tho - iDye Poly, Worm Dip, Spike it, and ProChem. I mix ProChem with lotion pretty often and it doesn’t seem to mute the colors. But I don’t know if anything you can mix with any dye to make the colors brighter.

[@RaabStephan]

Dude, these look fantastic! Can't wait to see some of your step-by-steps.

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Thank you much! 🤙

[@cmingle]

Great video, I'm new to disc dying and am trying out new methods. This video was exactly what I was looking for.

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Awesome! Glad to hear it. Good luck with your dyes. 🤙

[@wetcoastproductions]

This was very helpful for me to understand the simple spin dye technique. Your reminder on to keep the iDyePoly/Acetone mix in glass jars and not plastic containers as the acetone will eat through the plastic and make a mess. Thanks for that. My question.....is there any known potential harm on the disc over time from the acetone? If it dissolves plastic...and discs are plastic...just curious. Thanks mang! Keep on dyeing!

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Good question. In short, no there is no long term harm on the plastic. Feels, weighs, and flies the same....minus wear and tear on the disc. But! If you rub too hard or for too long, when wiping off the stamp, you can “damage” the plastic. Dyers call it “acetone burn” and it creates a noticeable scuff mark on the disc. Everywhere else will be smooth and that “burnt” spot won’t look shiny or be smooth to the touch. You’ve got to go pretty overboard to do that though. When removing the stamp, just wipe until the stamp is gone and you’re fine.

[@LetsGoDiscGolf]

This is awesome! I’d love to try some of these out myself 🤘

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Thank you! It's worth a try for sure. Could end up with your new favorite disc. 😀

[@LetsGoDiscGolf]

@@haytraindiscgolf4697 No problem! and no doubt lol

[@tf-d8arxstimulum95]

I use the clear glue and rit method but I mix a small amount of acetone with the Rit to keep it on top of the glue. Still looks super sick

[@brandonfairbanks376]

Great first video with a solid outline of a few methods. We should definitely get together soon for a video. You missed one of my personal favorite methods, the spin dye. Keep it up!

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Thanks dude. Yeah I had to leave some stuff out or it would’ve been even longer. I’ll do a follow up video at some point showing variations and other techniques too. Your presence is required. 😎

[@brandonfairbanks376]

@@haytraindiscgolf4697 absolutely! Some of us have attention spans like goldfish so shorter videos are a good idea.

[@Gloryofthereef]

You can mix RIT with acetone in a separate container, and then it will float on glue. Works out really well once you dial it in

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Oh yeah? Nice! I’ll have to give it a try. Are you using powder RIT or the premixed/liquid RIT?

[@Gloryofthereef]

@@haytraindiscgolf4697 the premixed. The Powder isn’t available out where I live unless I order it from somewhere online.

[@JustlaxDiscs]

Thnx for de vids ^^ you making it sooo much easier to start dyeing!

[@joshuagoodrich3094]

Awesome job with this for first timers

[@JusThrowitDiscGolf]

I’m looking for the most vibrant technique. Can you advise on that?

[@ramirod93]

Dude awesome video! Really like the breakdown you did!

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Thank you much! I’ll do another video showing variations on these techniques too. 🤙

[@chrisk7509]

What your mixture of I dye poly or powder dye with acetone

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

I use a healthy 1/4teaspoon to these containers. These are bead organizers and it doesn’t say the size. They’re about 2” tall x 2” diameter. I’d say....around 1/8th cup. You could prolly go up to 1/2 cup or a little more. After you mix it and shake it up, there should be sediment on the bottom after it settles. That’s a good indicator that your acetone is saturated.

[@eaglekim7027]

Very nice 🤩

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Thank you much! 🤙

[@bheleu021]

Think this will make my crap brown camo "lose in a parking lot" disc a brighter color?

[@AyeYoItsChiu]

do you think you can do a video on testing Hand Sanitizer? we have so much from this pandemic, and it’s so cheap at stores, i wonder if it would work?

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Haha. Yeah man, I can give it a try. Never thought to try that before. I’ll add it to the queue. 🤙

[@Dr-Manhattan]

Hey! Great video - very insightful 👍 I have a question though; I have no intention of dyeing discs, but I am into making custom figures and such. Do you think this method would work on a plastic action figure, if say, I wanted to dye it grey? So far my methods for dying are limited to heated water with rit - but that only helps if I wanted to dye a figure black, or if I have a lighter color figure that I’m trying to turn blue or red or something. Haven’t achieved grey yet. I’m thinking this chemical method may work. Do ya think it’s possible?

[@guyhofff3900]

How long do you leave it in the glue for? And how long in motion? Thanks for video!

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

It depends on the plastic. For Star/ESP/Gold Line/Fuzion/etc...you can leave it in the glue for 24 hours, but I wouldn’t go more than that. I’ve pulled them out at 12 and they look fine. If you’re dying Champion/Z/Lucid/or other clear type plastics, you should leave it in at least 2-3 days. With lotion, a lot of people only leave them in for 2-4 hours but I like to go between 12-24 hours....for the Star/ESP type plastic. Again2-3 days for the Champion/Z style.

[@mik1di72]

Can you do spindye with rit dye

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Well…you could….but you’ll get way better colors that ‘pop’ if you use iDye Poly or Prochem. I find myself not using Rit too often anymore because iDye Poly and Prochem are just way better. **Pro tip** When doing your spin dyes, try mixing your powder with alcohol instead of acetone. It takes a little longer to get the vibrant colors but it’s way easier to fade out your colors. OR! You can still use your acetone/powder mix and then just wet a q-tip with alcohol and go over your areas (while it’s spinning) to get your color fades. 🤙

[@Blake-nm6pw]

So the last few time I've dyed discs with glue I get white spots left on my disc due to bubbles. I try clear all the bubbles out before I drop the disc but still get the spots. Is there anything I can do to remove the white spots?

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Well! Could be two things. If it’s residue on your disc, I’ve started washing with Dawn soap and then also hitting the disc with a magic eraser. That takes care of any residue and prevents spots on your finished product. If it’s air bubbles in the glue, there are a couple ways to help. I’d recommend letting the glue sit for a while after purchasing it. That can help to let the bubbles settle before you pour. After you pour your bed, try to pop them or push any bubbles to the edge, before you drip your dye. After you mix, blow, or swirl your dye, you can use a torch to pop bubbles or you can dip a toothpick in alcohol and manually pop individual bubbles. I’ve been using the toothpick method recently. It takes longer but I like how it doesn’t mess with the dye like how a blow torch can. 🤙

[@ForehandDiscReviews]

I’m confused what you do with the UV worm dip do u use that in place of acetone and the dye mixture so powder with the uv worm dip or is it an additive to your dye mixture?

[@brycejohnson7051]

Does Rit "all-purpose dye" not work at all? Is there a way to make it dye discs still?

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

When I first started I bought/used one color that was all purpose and it worked ok somehow. I’ve seen other people use it and it didn’t work at all. Same thing if you buy the wrong kind of iDye or Prochem. They either won’t stick to the plastic, will be very faded, or be really inconsistent.

[@weevrr0]

Are the pro Chem dyes procion??

[@joshuadickson4862]

How do you dye the disc but not the stamp? There's no way you just taped Paul McBeth's signature...

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

With most manufacturers, doing that is no big deal. Just use acetone/cotton ball to wipe off the stamp or whichever stamped section of the disc. Then wash it off with dawn soap and also a magic eraser, if you have it. If you are using acetone or alcohol in your bed, just make sure to wait 5-10 minutes after you’re done making the bed and then drop your disc in. Waiting a bit let’s the chemicals air out so they won’t take off any stamp that you decide to leave on the disc.

[@joshuadickson4862]

@@haytraindiscgolf4697 Cool! Thanks for the reply, I really didn't want to dye over some of my Pierce and Paul signature discs.

[@brycejohnson1942]

Can you do these techniques with DX plastic discs?

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Well...you can, but you likely won’t be pleased with the results. More base plastics like DX, Pro, D, 250 or whichever manufacturer you choose, will absorb dye but it will look faded. The colors are much more vibrant and bright looking when you use equivalents to Star, ESP, 500G etc.

[@justinroy499]

So if you want to keep the foil stamp should you tape it off or will the glue not effect it once you wash it off?

[@addy1481]

How did you manage to have white spots on a disc? Is it a white disc or white dye?

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

It was a white-ish disc. Unfortunately there is no such thing as a white dye. You could use acrylic paint but then it wouldn’t be PDGA legal. Below are common ways to keep white in your design…but these are only if you have a white disc to start: 1. Leave bare spaces in your dye bed where there is no dye to be absorbed by the disc. 2. Put a few layers of glue on your disc, letting it fully dry between layers. This creates a barrier between your dye bed and the disc so it won’t absorb dye. This is commonly used by those who want to leave the color behind the stamp untouched. Glue mask the stamp and it makes the stamp pop out after you drop in a glue bed. 3. Use vinyl, I like Oracle 651, to mask off your disc or create stencils. 🤙

[@Hibenzki]

So do you mix the dye with acetone in the glass jars?

[@jessefrankland4910]

Hey! I'm having some of my discs getting rough like sandpaper on the top after I dye them with a floetrol only method. I wash them thoroughly right before. Am I just adding too much heat or am I not stirring the prochem dye enough? I add a lot of heat.

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Hmmm…if you’re not using any acetone or alcohol, then it must be the heat. The only time I’ve had rough texture was when I used too much alcohol/acetone. Also some of the older discs (2010-ish) I’ve tried have come out with a rough texture too, which I think was just the plastic itself.

[@johnsquints1023]

Hey quick question, I use the rit synthetic but I notice that some colors (most) sink to the bottom of the glue and they don’t stay on top. How do I fix this? Thanks!

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Yup I hear ya. I haven’t found a way to make it work. I think I listed that as a point in one of these videos. Stuff just sinks in glue. I’m pretty sure Rit is not acetone or alcohol based so it does that. It works well in lotion though. If you want to use glue, you’ll have to go with a powder dye (ProChem or iDye Poly) and then mix it with acetone or alcohol. Or you can use some premixed dyes that are made with acetone/alcohol like Worm Dip or Spike It.

[@Medic6666]

have you tried using shampoo or conditioner? i find it does'nt sink in those. Worth a try, you only need the cheapest shampoo or conditioner. A quick disclaimer, i have never used glue to have no idea what the difference would be. :)

[@Tombann2006]

What is your ratio for rit dye to lotion? For your lotion method?

[@batingbunnies]

Caution to anyone thinking of getting that same torch. I bought one years ago and I still use it but the ignitor with most likely go out after a few months. You can light it with a lighter but it gets annoying

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Good call. I haven’t had any issues but wondered how long that pen style torch would last. It was really cheap so I didn’t have high hopes. 🤙

[@batingbunnies]

@@haytraindiscgolf4697 I was referring to the other blue and black one but I wouldn't expect much longer from the pen one either tbh

[@joonatanjunttila6441]

Can you use clear glue and food coloring?

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

I’m sure the food coloring would impart some color, but it wouldn’t be a good result. Best to stick with the well known dyes: iDye Poly, ProChem, Worm Dip, Spike It or Rit.

[@joonatanjunttila6441]

Ok thanks

[@calebdyer6332]

Do you use white discs? And does plastic matter?

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

I like to use white discs whenever I can. That gives you the most freedom for color selection. For example…if I start with a light blue disc, I can only use the colors between red and blue on the color wheel. Yellow or orange would look crappy on a light blue disc. Know what I mean? Yes, plastic does matter! Stick to the premium plastics like Star, ESP, Gold Line, 400g, etc. That type of plastic from the respective brands will give you the best results in terms of color saturation. 🤙

[@elguero9279]

Less than 2$ a botte at walmart!??? Fuck, here in Canada that shit is like 30$

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Jeeeez! That definitely makes for a more expensive ingredient list. 👀

[@rasmusblom863]

What kind of powder dye mix do you use? I have tried with idye and acetone like in your other video, but the powder just does not get dissolved enough, and if i just poor all lot, it just mixes all together. Not sure how to get the great result you do. Really nice and simpel breakdown videos! no Nonsens

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

I use a dye called ProChem. A lot of people that dye discs use it. You have to order it online tho. Here’s where I get mine. prochemicalanddye.net/prosperse-disperse-dyes.html You also mix it with acetone. After you mix it, there is supposed to be some settle in the bottom of your container. That lets you know that your acetone is saturated with dye. When you use an eye dropper, don’t suck up any of the sediment and it comes out fine.

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

How are you trying to dye discs? Do you use lotion? Glue? Shaving cream?

[@rasmusblom863]

@@haytraindiscgolf4697 - hey, sorry for not getting back to you sooner. Been busy getting better at this disc dyeing, as i can see from your now videos you have as well - really nice cells videos :) I dye with Idye Poly which is kind of the only thing i can get i Denmark for dyeing - but the community i growing and maybe this will attract more brands, fingers crossed. My acetone/Idye in clear glue methode is getting really good! When i wrote earlier, i was frustrated that the colors mixed much and didn't sank in to the disc very well. Turns out i need more patients when dropping in the colors, and a bit more bravery in how much color i needed to drop. And then a different kind of glue... But looked back into your videos and still really glad i found your channel back then, used your content for inspiration and guidens a lot!

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

@@rasmusblom863 Very glad to hear you’re getting some good results! I’ve got a couple more video ideas that I’ll be posting as soon as I can get too it. Been doing a lot of work on our local course to install new holes. I’ve got Am Worlds in a couple weeks and then I’ll get busy on making more videos. Stick with it my dude! 🤙

[@jasondouglas82]

Yo. You ever gone throw a disc on here!?

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

lol yes that will come soon. Waiting until after GBO in late April so I can cap off the mini series on disc dying.

[@landonjohnson77]

I wish you would have actually dyed disc so we could see exactly how you do it instead of just explaining it

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

I hear ya. There is so much basic stuff to cover before getting into the dye process. This video is just meant to be a primer. I have some other videos that show step-by-step how to do glue beds and cell dyes. 🤙

[@landonjohnson77]

@@haytraindiscgolf4697 I ended up watching your other videos i didnt see them at first. Thanks it helped me out a ton!

[@triston574]

Can you not use water?

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

Well....I imagine it would kinda work if you used an acetone and powder dye mix - that would prolly stay on top of the water....but I imagine you’d have no control over swirling the dye. The colors would likely all blend and just give you a muddy colored disc, if it worked. I’ve never seen anyone try it tho.

[@triston574]

@@haytraindiscgolf4697 I found some clearance dye at hobby lobby and it used water. However, it wasn't a proper dye. It's also a silicone or plastic.

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

@@triston574 Oh I see. You’re asking about mixing the dye with water - I haven’t tried or heard of people doing that. Acetone is preferred to mix with your dyes because of the way it interacts with the disc plastic.

[@roberttitler7204]

Got a question. I am new to using the pro tech. I mixed it with straight acetone, but it won't mix. Just keeps sitting on the bottom.

[@haytraindiscgolf4697]

@@roberttitler7204 Thats ok my dude. It won’t mix up all the way. My little bottles have a little less than 1/8 inch of sediment at the bottom. Actually that’s a good thing because it lets you know you’re acetone is fully saturated. I usually give them a shake every week or two just to stir the pot. When you put your eye dropper in, take care to not suck up any of the stuff at the bottom.