1+ 2 + 3

Stain PVC Any Color

BY SEAN MICHAEL RAGAN

PVC PIPE IS GREAT, BUT IT’S KINDA UGLY

— it only comes in white, gray, sometimes black, and clear. Sure, you can paint it, but paint can flake and can screw up dimensional tolerances. Stain doesn’t flake or add thickness, so the pieces will still fit together.

CAUTION: Work in a well-ventilated workspace and wear gloves and goggles when handling the solvent or dye.

1. Mix the stain.

Visit makezine.com/projects/stain-pvc-any-color-you-like for a list of dye-to-PVC-cleaner ratios for red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, brown, and black.

Using your pipette, draw up the required volume of each dye and transfer it to the PVC cleaner container. Be careful not to cross- contaminate the dyes. Note that solvent dyes are very strong; 1 ounce goes a long way.

Close the can lid tightly. Wipe off any stray liquid on the outside of the can. Gently shake for about 15 seconds to mix.

2. Apply the stain.

You can use a holder for the PVC, such as a piece of bent wire hanger. Generously slather the stain onto the pipe using the cleaner can’s built-in applicator. Work quickly, smoothing out streaks before they have time to dry.

3. Dry and test.

The solvent will dry quickly — an hour will be more than enough. Once dry, the stained PVC should be able to pass a “white glove test” and not transfer even a small amount of color to anything that touches it.

Damien Scogin

NOTE: Dyes can fade over time; try using light-fast dyes or adding UV stabilizers.

Sean Michael Ragan (smragan.com) is descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using hominids. Also he went to college and stuff.