Vinyl Dye

[richard waters]

Arch,
I just finished reading some of your writings on how to restore
and rebuild the cab headliner and the window trim pieces.

You mention purchasing Plasti-Kote Vinyl dye. Where did you buy
that material. I am in the process of replacing my headliner and
have found that the color of the various trim pieces and the cab
headliner has yellowed considerably. I don't have a lot of damage
to repair, I just would like to restore the original white color.

Richard Waters '76 PB, Troy, MI

PS. Enjoy your visit to Michigan.

>

 

[richard waters]

Thanks Arch,
This info will keep me from wasting time at Home Depot, etc.

That was where I had planned on going.

Now, instead I'll head over to the auto parts stores.

Richard

> Richard
>
> Got it at my local auto parts store. 412 White is the color that seems to
> match the original white.
>
> Take Care
> Arch
>
> In a message dated 6/8/99 2:02:20 AM Central Daylight Time,

>
> >
> > Arch,
> > I just finished reading some of your writings on how to restore
> > and rebuild the cab headliner and the window trim pieces.
> >
> > You mention purchasing Plasti-Kote Vinyl dye. Where did you buy
> > that material. I am in the process of replacing my headliner and
> > have found that the color of the various trim pieces and the cab
> > headliner has yellowed considerably. I don't have a lot of damage
> > to repair, I just would like to restore the original white color.
> >
> > Richard Waters '76 PB, Troy, MI
> >

 

[richard waters]

Arch,
All of my local auto parts and auto paint stores must be "brain dead".
None of the ones that I called have heard of "Plasti-Kote Vinyl dye".
I did find some Vinyl paint. I bought some, but it appears to be better
suited to painting soft vinyl parts. I don't think it's what you used.

Can you give me the name of the company that makes "Plasti-Kote Vinyl dye"
so that I can call them direct and see who retails it in my area?

I have the headliner down and all the vinyl trim pieces out and want to
do something to them soon to restore their original appearance.

Thanks for your help,
Richard Waters '76 PB, Troy, MI
- ---

> Richard
>
> Got it at my local auto parts store. 412 White is the color that seems to
> match the original white.
>
> Take Care
> Arch
>
> In a message dated 6/8/99 2:02:20 AM Central Daylight Time,

>
> >
> > Arch,
> > I just finished reading some of your writings on how to restore
> > and rebuild the cab headliner and the window trim pieces.
> >
> > You mention purchasing Plasti-Kote Vinyl dye. Where did you buy
> > that material. I am in the process of replacing my headliner and
> > have found that the color of the various trim pieces and the cab
> > headliner has yellowed considerably. I don't have a lot of damage
> > to repair, I just would like to restore the original white color.
> >
> > Richard Waters '76 PB, Troy, MI
> >

 

[jim hall]

I found this site for Mar-hyde when I need vinyl dye in a can. Call them
they can provide you with a source. There URL is
http://www.bondomarhyde.com/. Very nice people. phone number is
1-888-mar-hyde.

Jim Hall
77PB in Pawleys Island

 

[jim hall]

Just got off the phone with mar-hyde. There is a mail order source for
the vinyl dye that you paint on with a foam brush. It is Smart Shopper
at 1-800-541-0399. I ordered #2207 - which is an off white - eggshell
color. The price is about 15.00 per quart, but they have a minimum 50.00
order policy so I bought 3 quarts. I should be able to do th pod with
that much. Hope this information is of use to anyone interested in the
dye.

Jim Hall
77PB in Pawleys Island

 

[bartz paul]

Jim:

I've commented a number of times during the past year about mar-hyde Bri-Top
vinyl color products. They are generally available from an auto body shop
supply store or they can get them for you. That way you're not at the mercy
of a minimum order amount.

Paul Bartz

From: Jim Hall [mailtozone3]
Sent: Monday, June 21, 1999 3:16 PM
Subject: GMC: vinyl dye

Just got off the phone with mar-hyde. There is a mail order source for the
vinyl dye that you paint on with a foam brush. It is Smart Shopper at
1-800-541-0399. I ordered #2207 - which is an off white - eggshell color.
The price is about 15.00 per quart, but they have a minimum 50.00 order
policy so I bought 3 quarts. I should be able to do th pod with that much.
Hope this information is of use to anyone interested in the dye.

 

[richard waters]

I received this response from Plasti-Kote on doing the trim in the GMC

- --

From: Rubi Medley
To: "'digitek'"
Subject: RE: Vinyl Die
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 11:24:08 -0400

Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at Plasti-Kote.
Our Ultra Vinyl products are not compatible with either Polyethylene or
Polypropylene plastic surfaces. The solvents included in the formula
tend
to dissolve the surface of the plastic and leave the user with a mess on
their hands.
What you might like to try would be our Flexible Bumper and Trim product
which is a 3-step process that first adds clear etching primer to the
plastic before applying a primer and Acrylic Lacquer color coating.
This
can be found at your local auto parts stores that carry the Plasti-Kote
products.
Again, thank you for contacting us.
Rubi Medley
Consumer Services

- -----Original Message-----
From: Richard Waters [SMTP:digitek]
Sent: Sunday, June 20, 1999 2:36 PM
To: plasti-kote; Richard Waters
Subject: Vinyl Die

I am in the middle of a GMC Motorhome restoration project . I have been
told that you have
a vinyl die product "412 White" that will let me restore the original
color of some of the
plastic moldings that have faded over the years.

If that is true, can you direct me to a reseller in the Detroit Michigan
area that stocks
that product.

Richard Waters

 

[richard waters]

Arch,

I was surprised by the response from Plasti-Kote. I don't
think they really knew what I was talking about. I thought I
was clear in my message to them.

So far I have not found a source for the stuff you bought. I would
like to use what you used, since you did all the testing and seem
to be happy with the results.

I have leads on other products that apparently do the same thing.

How was your dye applied? Spray or painted on? I think I would
like something that could be painted (or swabbed) on with a brush
or sponge. What do you think?

I'm way behind schedule on my headliner replacement program.
I have a trip in 3 weeks and the coach is all apart. All of the plastic
trim pieces are in my garage waiting to be painted/dyed.

I really appreciate the help,

Richard
- ---------------------

> Richard
>
> Well, our trim must not be made of the 2 plastics mentioned. I have done
> mine and they look great. I can tell you that the end caps are made of
> ABS plastic. I think the trim is ABS also but I am not sure.
>
> Take Care
> Arch
>
> In a message dated 6/23/99 12:45:26 PM Central Daylight Time,

>
> > Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at Plasti-Kote.
> > Our Ultra Vinyl products are not compatible with either Polyethylene or
> > Polypropylene plastic surfaces. The solvents included in the formula
> > tend
> > to dissolve the surface of the plastic and leave the user with a mess on
> > their hands.

 

[richard waters]

Arch,

Thanks for the detailed info on your experiences.

It sounds like I will have to remove the front and
rear plastic headliners in order to restore their
appearance. I had hoped to do them in place (didn't
want to mess with removing the visors). So I think
I will "bite the bullet" and take them all down.

I'm also going to have to go into a production mode as
you well know there are lots of individual trim pieces
and they all have to be sprayed.

Richard

I'm going to attempt to start

> Richard
>
> I sprayed on all of mine. I got some brush on stuff but did not like the
> results. There were brush marks. So I decided to spray. Spray is ok
> if you can lay down all of the stuff. The stuff I got was real thin and
> loved to run if put on to thick. With it laying down you could do it real
> easy. I had no problem with the parts turning into goo. It does however
> soften the surface. I think that is why it works so well. I would almost
> bet that the Mar-Hyde stuff is almost the same thing because tonight
> I used some of their stuff on the cockpit side panels----same ABS as
> end caps. I like the Mar-Hyde Lt. Blue better than the Plasti-Kote. I sprayed
> both of them tonight and they seem to be the same stuff. Get what you can.
> Will do tests later to see how it holds up. Thats what I know.
>
> Take Care
> Arch
>
> In a message dated 6/23/99 9:36:07 PM Central Daylight Time,

>
> >
> > How was your dye applied? Spray or painted on? I think I would
> > like something that could be painted (or swabbed) on with a brush
> > or sponge. What do you think?
> >
> > I'm way behind schedule on my headliner replacement program.
> > I have a trip in 3 weeks and the coach is all apart. All of the plastic
> > trim pieces are in my garage waiting to be painted/dyed.
> >
> > I really appreciate the help,
> >
> > Richard
> >

 

[richard waters]

Arch,
I have all the plastic pieces out now. I took
your published advice on how to remove the
visors. That was still a job! It would have been
a mother... with out the advice you and some of
the others have written about over the past few
months.

Now I'm ready to repair the cab headliner. It
has a pretty large crack, located the first screw
hole inside the passenger side visor. It didn't
look bad until I took the headliner down. Now
it looks very big (about 8"). It had been hidden
behind the visor all this time. I'm going to follow your
method of repair that you wrote about earlier.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to use to dye
the plastic. I'm going shopping tomorrow again
for that stuff.

I hope the weather won't be too much of a factor when
I dye the plastic. It looks like I will have to just take
my time doing that.

I also thought about replacing the Clearance Lights, but
after reading your article, I'm not so sure. Sounds like
big job.

It's sure amazing how one project turns into another, that
turns into another etc. I just started out intending on replacing
the curtains! Nothing more, but now I have everything out of the
coach, except the bath and kitchen modules.

Richard '76 PB, Troy, MI

> I want to add one more thing. When you go to paint the trim pieces
> first lay them face down and shoot the edge where it curves under.
> This cost me 2 days because I got them all painted and ready to go
> and found that the edges were not done well even though I had tried
> to shoot paint in there. If you shoot the curved lip first you can let
> them dry for a while then turn them face up and do the rest. Hit the
> curve with at least 4 coats. 15 min in between each if it is a good
> day. Then flip them over and do the face. Some of them may stick
> down but it will be in places where You cant see it. Another thing
> DO NOT stack the pieces touching each other for a few days. They
> may seem dry but they will stick to each other. Seems to take some
> time for them to completely dry. Sun and heat should help. Did mine
> in the fall and it was cool and cloudy. HTH
>
> Take Care
> Arch

 

[rob teed]

Richard,
I had cracks in mine too. I drilled a 1/4" hole at the end
of every crack. This should stop the crack from getting
any bigger. I inspected the intire coach for these cracks.
Found quite a few up front and in the back. Drill them all
out before they get worse. I did use a smaller drill bit on
the others. I had a wide crack in the headliner near the mirror.
Rob Teed 74 Painted Desert

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-gmcmotorhome
> [mailtowner-gmcmotorhome]On Behalf Of Richard Waters
> Sent: Sunday, June 27, 1999 11:50 PM
> To: gmcmotorhome
> Subject: Re: GMC: Vinyl Dye
>
>
> Arch,
> I have all the plastic pieces out now. I took
> your published advice on how to remove the
> visors. That was still a job! It would have been
> a mother... with out the advice you and some of
> the others have written about over the past few
> months.
>
> Now I'm ready to repair the cab headliner. It
> has a pretty large crack, located the first screw
> hole inside the passenger side visor. It didn't
> look bad until I took the headliner down. Now
> it looks very big (about 8"). It had been hidden
> behind the visor all this time. I'm going to follow your
> method of repair that you wrote about earlier.
>
> I'm still not sure what I'm going to use to dye
> the plastic. I'm going shopping tomorrow again
> for that stuff.
>
> I hope the weather won't be too much of a factor when
> I dye the plastic. It looks like I will have to just take
> my time doing that.
>
> I also thought about replacing the Clearance Lights, but
> after reading your article, I'm not so sure. Sounds like
> big job.
>
> It's sure amazing how one project turns into another, that
> turns into another etc. I just started out intending on replacing
> the curtains! Nothing more, but now I have everything out of the
> coach, except the bath and kitchen modules.
>
> Richard '76 PB, Troy, MI
>

>
> > I want to add one more thing. When you go to paint the trim pieces
> > first lay them face down and shoot the edge where it curves under.
> > This cost me 2 days because I got them all painted and ready to go
> > and found that the edges were not done well even though I had tried
> > to shoot paint in there. If you shoot the curved lip first you can let
> > them dry for a while then turn them face up and do the rest. Hit the
> > curve with at least 4 coats. 15 min in between each if it is a good
> > day. Then flip them over and do the face. Some of them may stick
> > down but it will be in places where You cant see it. Another thing
> > DO NOT stack the pieces touching each other for a few days. They
> > may seem dry but they will stick to each other. Seems to take some
> > time for them to completely dry. Sun and heat should help. Did mine
> > in the fall and it was cool and cloudy. HTH
> >
> > Take Care
> > Arch
>
>
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[thomas g. warner]

Here is a possible easy solution to redoing the plastic pieces if you do not
want to paint them. Most hobby shops sell plastic rolls of heavy duty
shrink covering for air planes(can't remember what it is called). It comes
in hundreds of colors both shiney, semi and flat. It sticks on to the
surface and than with a hair dryer shrinks to a nice uniform fit. anyone
tried it?

>Arch,
>I have all the plastic pieces out now. I took
>your published advice on how to remove the
>visors. That was still a job! It would have been
>a mother... with out the advice you and some of
>the others have written about over the past few
>months.
>
>Now I'm ready to repair the cab headliner. It
>has a pretty large crack, located the first screw
>hole inside the passenger side visor. It didn't
>look bad until I took the headliner down. Now
>it looks very big (about 8"). It had been hidden
>behind the visor all this time. I'm going to follow your
>method of repair that you wrote about earlier.
>
>I'm still not sure what I'm going to use to dye
>the plastic. I'm going shopping tomorrow again
>for that stuff.
>
>I hope the weather won't be too much of a factor when
>I dye the plastic. It looks like I will have to just take
>my time doing that.
>
>I also thought about replacing the Clearance Lights, but
>after reading your article, I'm not so sure. Sounds like
>big job.
>
>It's sure amazing how one project turns into another, that
>turns into another etc. I just started out intending on replacing
>the curtains! Nothing more, but now I have everything out of the
>coach, except the bath and kitchen modules.
>
>Richard '76 PB, Troy, MI
>

>
>> I want to add one more thing. When you go to paint the trim pieces
>> first lay them face down and shoot the edge where it curves under.
>> This cost me 2 days because I got them all painted and ready to go
>> and found that the edges were not done well even though I had tried
>> to shoot paint in there. If you shoot the curved lip first you can let
>> them dry for a while then turn them face up and do the rest. Hit the
>> curve with at least 4 coats. 15 min in between each if it is a good
>> day. Then flip them over and do the face. Some of them may stick
>> down but it will be in places where You cant see it. Another thing
>> DO NOT stack the pieces touching each other for a few days. They
>> may seem dry but they will stick to each other. Seems to take some
>> time for them to completely dry. Sun and heat should help. Did mine
>> in the fall and it was cool and cloudy. HTH
>>
>> Take Care
>> Arch
>
>
>

 

[richard waters]

Lanier,
During my search for a vinyl dye, I was only able to find
SEM #15103 Super White. It was $8.00 a can including
tax. I bought a can about a week and a half ago. I wasn't
sure if it was the real deal until reading your message.

I would have responded sooner to your email, but I couldn't
find the stuff (was lost in my garage) and therefore I didn't
know if it was the same thing you wrote about.

I assume you used it to refinish your interior plastic parts?

Richard Waters '76 PB, Troy, MI

- ---------

> In a message dated 6/20/99 7:06:28 PM Central Daylight Time, Gcbr

>
> a site for Plasti-Kote. I did not see Vinyl Color on a quick look but you
> might e-mail them for a dealer list. HTH >>
>
> I'm holding a can of SEM Vinyl & Plastic Color Spray # 15103 Super White by
> SEM Products of Charlotte, NC 28217 that we've used for headliners, seats,
> dashes, door & window trim, etc.; works great, available from local auto
> paint supplier.
> 1-800-831-1122
> @6/1994
> Lanier