Author Topic: Too much color, fixes?  (Read 4200 times)

Offline jsnyd86

  • Yearling
  • **
  • Posts: 39
Too much color, fixes?
« on: 02/27/13 10:08 UTC »
    Hi all, this will be my first post along with a question. My first pour was last night and other then the color being off I think it was a pretty succesfull first attempt. When I was younger I did some painting and arts&crafts type stuff. The great thing about paint was if you messed up just let it dry and paint over it.
    I was going for a green pumpkin/watermelon color. I wanted the green to be a little darker so I added some black. Once I stirred I immediately noticed I added way to much black and now I have a thick dark forest green. To prevent a total loss I tried adding chartruese in hopes of bringing the greens back out but it didnt help much.
    My question is.. if I add color resulting in to dark of a color, can I add white to bring it back a few shades? Or will that just turn everything grey...   


-Jon
Yak Fisher
Bait maker
www.dirtyredbaits.net

Offline andrewlamberson

  • Lunker
  • *****
  • Posts: 2463
Re: Too much color, fixes?
« Reply #1 on: 02/27/13 10:57 UTC »
The only way that I've been successful lightening a color was to add more virgin plastic to the mix.

Once I start adding other colors...my mess becomes a bigger mess!
" You can't buy happiness...But you can buy fishing gear...and that's kind of the same thing"

Offline TheDreamer

  • Lunker
  • *****
  • Posts: 764
    • CBBD
Re: Too much color, fixes?
« Reply #2 on: 02/27/13 10:59 UTC »
Welcome to the forum, the best thing you could do was add some fresh liquid plastic into that batch of dark green. Once everything is heated up it should be much lighter and you will be able to add more/different colorant to create what your going for.

If you are using the X2 colorant you have to be very careful in how much you add, it goes a long way.

If your trying to create a solid color such as watermelon, I suggest getting the actual colorant and you can adjust how dark you want it by how many drops you add. If your going for a one off color as you described I would start with watermelon and add either brown or pumpkin seed to try and achieve such a color.

Hope this helps,

Drew

Offline Denny Welch

  • Lunker
  • *****
  • Posts: 2377
    • Believe Baits
Re: Too much color, fixes?
« Reply #3 on: 02/27/13 11:16 UTC »
Hey Jon,

Welcome to the forum.

Depending how dark your color got, sometimes it just makes sense to chalk if up to experience and add more black and then add some blue or some red glitter.  You can then use that color for any number of different baits.  I find it difficult to go from dark to light and I usually end up with a color I don't like.  I suggest you add your colors a drop at a time...you can always add more.  It's pretty hard to take color out.  Look at some of Ctom's posts.  Sometimes he dips a toothpick into the colorant and then swishes it around in the plastic to get just that "right" tint.
Until next time.

Denny

denny@believebaits.com
www.believebaits.com

Offline jsnyd86

  • Yearling
  • **
  • Posts: 39
Re: Too much color, fixes?
« Reply #4 on: 02/27/13 12:17 UTC »
Thanks for the advice everyone. Would it be easier for a newbie, like myself, to add the color before or after heating? I added it before so I could take my time, but on the flip side maybe working with a clear liquid would make it easier to see how the color will turn out.
Yak Fisher
Bait maker
www.dirtyredbaits.net

Offline pjmcla

  • Lunker
  • *****
  • Posts: 1721
Re: Too much color, fixes?
« Reply #5 on: 02/27/13 13:33 UTC »
One other solution.  Just let it cool and solidify.  Then later you can cut it into small pieces and add it to new plastic on another batch.  I keep mine "left overs" in sandwich bags with a note on the bag; with a sharpie; as to what is in the bag.
When just starting out; I would suggest to adding to already heated and catalyzed plastic ( unless the color must be added to cold plastic ).  A drop or two at a time and stirred well.     

Offline ctom

  • Lunker
  • *****
  • Posts: 11413
Re: Too much color, fixes?
« Reply #6 on: 02/27/13 13:35 UTC »
Welcome aboard.

Adding some raw plastic and re-heating is the best route to follow. Depending on the color that you want to end up with by adding more raw plastic, you may want to add a shot of stablizer just in case so you aren't burning the color. We've all had this happen  and we've all tried the fixes, but only a couple really get the job done right. Now if this were me and knowing now that its easy to overwhelm a color with a darker color, I'd let this current batch cool, bag it and save it for later. Then I'd start over. You can always come back to this later on when you've developed some color adjustment skills. Until you know it is only good as black, assume it can be ressurected and this "iffy" stuff can be a great learning tool  down the road.


It is best to mix your primary color into the raw plastic before cooking. Once you get that raw plastic heated to about 320 degrees you can add some of the black, very small amount mind you, to bring the color to where you want it and finish the cook to get to the needed 350 degrees. Flip a mold over so you have a smooth surface and put a nice drop of that plastic on the mold and let it cool just a second until you can handle it and check your color under a good light or take it outside where the sun can light it up. If its good enough for you, pour away. If it still needs to be toned down with some black, use that toothpick trick and stirr it up good between the additions so it doesn't get away from you.

Color isn't an automatic thing and there is a learning curve you'll go thru. Some over-doses can be expected. How colors play on another comes with experience and the more you work with the colors the faster you'll master this stuff. You're already on your way. 
There are good ships
and wood ships
ships that sail the sea
but the best ships are friendships
and may they
always be ......An Irish Toast

Offline basskat

  • Kicker
  • ****
  • Posts: 333
Re: Too much color, fixes?
« Reply #7 on: 02/27/13 17:01 UTC »
Hey Jon,

Welcome to the forum.

Depending how dark your color got, sometimes it just makes sense to chalk if up to experience and add more black and then add some blue or some red glitter.  You can then use that color for any number of different baits.  I find it difficult to go from dark to light and I usually end up with a color I don't like.  I suggest you add your colors a drop at a time...you can always add more.  It's pretty hard to take color out.  Look at some of Ctom's posts.  Sometimes he dips a toothpick into the colorant and then swishes it around in the plastic to get just that "right" tint.

+1

Offline MO QWACK

  • Lunker
  • *****
  • Posts: 1760
Re: Too much color, fixes?
« Reply #8 on: 02/27/13 19:41 UTC »
Just a tip with black and white just add one drop no matter what. Those two colors react very strongly. You can always add more