Caswells GOLD dye....not alotta bling for the $$?

[Sid03]

Just tried out my new gold dye today. Ill have to admit, im rather disappointed. Its more orange then anything. Im 98% sure I could get the same color with my orange dye and a short dye time.

Anybody else have a color sample using the caswells gold dye? Ive had things that were anodized gold before, and this looks nothing like what it should. My Fl. Yellow looks more gold then this stuff does.

[sswee]

Sid03,
I've made 3" disc for color chips for all the colors Caswell has. I have about 8 more to dye to finish all but I've already done the gold if you want a pic of it. I think the copper looked better. The green on that gun was listed as green AEN but the pic looked flourescent. I'd like to know if it was a different color or the lighting and perspective of the camera. I posted the color chips in the album of the starter kit colors. Do you have any of those colors and does the pic look like the colors are right to you?
Later. SS

[Sid03]

ive only got three of those colors, the red orange and yellow. Those colors look about the same as I would expect to see. Let me know whaen ya get the rest done, id be interested in seeing them.

[mcaswell]

We've been selling this very reputable dye for years.

There is nothing wrong with it and it is almost indistinguishable from a real gold.
I'd suggest you fill in a PRS trouble ticket, so we can get our tech boys to figure out what you did wrong.

[Sid03]

ill be looking forward to it. After mixing up my other 11 or 12 colors, I thought I had a grasp on mixing the dye you sent me with water and adjusting for Ph, guess not

caswell, you have some finished color samples of what this is SUPPOSE to look like? Mine looks kinda similiar to the color on dye page.....which looks nothing like real gold nor anything like other gold anodizing ive seen before.

[acidrain]

I have had the same results from the gold dye... about exactly the same color as the orange like Sid03 describes.
I have adjusted my gold with yellow to make it much lighter and more what I consider gold.
Vise versa, I have added some deep red to the orange to make it a brighter, more intense orange.
I'm very happy with the colors adjusted the way they are now, and the dyes last a really long time, so it's not like you have to continually adjust new batches of dyes all the time.
The only problem is that you need to actually dye a properly prepared and ano'd sample to see what the end result is. I've gone through dozens of samples to get my colors adjusted just right.
BTW, orange and gold are the only colors I've had to adjust.

[Tim Wiltse]

It's funny I was not real happy myself with the gold dye at first. I bet it's the PH or something along those lines because I used it again after it was mixed for about 1 month and now the color looks 99% like 14K gold.

Later,
Tim

[Sid03]

Tim- I adjusted Ph before using, so that shouldnt be an issue in this case.

Caswell- Apparently im not the only one with an issue related to the gold dye. Think you could give us an insite on possible things we are doing wrong?

Anybody have a sample picture of this dye where it actually looks gold? Id be intested in seeing it. Is it possible there was a bad batch of dye that went through?

[scocklin]

I just posted a gold silver fade marker I did months ago, It was a practice piece using Caswell gold. The pic is posted in the Album section under anodize pics.

[Sid03]

now that to me looks more orange. Im 98% sure I could do that with orange dye pretty easily. Im sure the majority of the public would consider that paintball gun orange also.

The only thing that I have learned about the gold S dye is that the dye manufacturer recommends a thin ano coating when using it.....no more then .3 mil.

[mcaswell]

Follows are the manufacturers specs on this product:

OPERATING PARAMETERS
Oxide thickness: 0.20-0.50 mils.
Concentration: 1-2 g/l
pH: 6.0
Buffering: Not required.
Temperature: 1400F
Time of immersion: Varies according to depth of shade desired for normal applications.

[Sid03]

their tech told me no more then .3mil, but either way it needs to be thinner then what I did my test part at.

Although running a thinner coating may help some, I doubt it will make it look like any gold ive seen.

Caswell, I know other gold dyes are available.....can you get one thats more yellow-gold? I can find I picture of what im looking for if it helps. Thanks

[mcaswell]

Our Suppliers say:

Your customers are anodizing too long for the gold color. They only need
about 0.20 mil and a dye time of 1-2 minutes.

FYI, all gold dyes can be used to achieve orange shades with thick coatings and long dye times (except F.A.O.). Just as orange dyes can be used to achieve gold shades at lower coating thickness and reduced dyebath concentration. This customer called me last week. He was putting on 0.70 mils oxide coating thickness.

[Sid03]

Re: Our Suppliers say:

Your customers are anodizing too long for the gold color. They only need
about 0.20 mil and a dye time of 1-2 minutes.

FYI, all gold dyes can be used to achieve orange shades with thick coatings and long dye times (except F.A.O.). Just as orange dyes can be used to achieve gold shades at lower coating thickness and reduced dyebath concentration. This customer called me last week. He was putting on 0.70 mils oxide coating thickness.

yeah, i pretty much covered all that already. Had I known this gold dye was to be used at such a thin coating, I wouldnt have even considered it. Also, none of this even matters since no matter what coating thickness you use for this dye, it wont look like the gold color im used to seeing elsewhere.

[mcaswell]

As per email to you.

All gold dyes are only going to work correctly if they are applied to a thin anodize.

If you have no idea what the ano film thickness is on the samples you have seen, how can you say its the dye's problem?

Also, if you don't use our LCD instructions, we can't give the the tech support you deserve.

FOllow the manufacturers instructions . thin ano film and 1-2 mins in the dye and you should be fine.