Dying closed cell foam?

[Blackwater Virgil 0]

I've tried a number of ways to dye white foam "bug" and "spider" bodies, but nothing gives me quite the colors and effect I want. I'm especially interested in getting them a bright chartreuse or lime. I learned long ago that the fish locally don't hesitate to take the green and chartreuse grasshoppers, but DO with the tan and gray ones, and rarely show any interest in the black ones, at least in my locale. Don't know if the black ones taste bad, or what, but I've observed it time and again for many years now. The tan & yellow ones seem to be 2nd in preference to the chart./lime colored ones. I've tried brown Rit clothing dye, and can get a decent, servicable tan with it, but the chartreuse eludes me completely. Have tried the Magic Markers, but they turn yellow quickly, and that's not what I'm after. Can anyone educate me on how to get a good chartreuse and/or lime with them? Thanks in advance for any info on this.

[Crackaig 0]

There may be a way, but is it worth the effort? Foam is a relatively cheap, and available in myriad colours, just buy it in the colour you want. My suspicion is that the only time you would be able to add colour is when it is in its liquid state before it is cast into blocks for cutting up.

 

The only time I change the colour is to add markings. That I do with a permanent marker. They fade over time so I will coat it if I can. Sometimes I can get away with a hard coating, the carapace of a beetle for example. For that I use Diamond Fine UV resin. if flexibility is needed then Diamond Flex. Last year I discovered, by happy accident, that colouring foam with a Prismacolour marker and coating with Diamond Fine results in an iridescent colour on the foam. You can see this in my Soldier Beetle.

However, I would always start with the right base colour of foam.

 

cheers,

C.

[flytire 0]

 

foam sheets come in a rainbow of colors at the big box craft stores

[Blackwater Virgil 0]

^{Yep. Points well taken, and indeed, I DO have plenty of foam sheets from Walmart. Just wanted to know if I was missing an easy way to color the white pre-shaped bodies I have. With all the knowledge here, I figured maybe someone would know a way to get a nice, even and bright color like I'm wanting, but I can always revert to the sheets and cut my own. Thanks anyway.}

[FlaFly 0]

Coloring the white ones shouldn't pose a problem... just use markers, and if they fade, recolor them. Coloring the black preformed ones is more of a problem.

[Bruce Norikane 0]

Foam soaks up a lot of ink, paint, dye, etc..., which makes the colors dive. You can get subdued colors easily with markers on white, but chartreuse might be a problem.

 

I just tried a BIC Brite Liner yellow fluorescent highlighter on white craft foam, and it's pretty bright. I don't have any other colors, but they come in color packs including green. When I use the yellow Brite Liner over green foam, it creates a chartreuse look. Note: this effect shows up in daylight or daylight bulbs, but is diminished under typical compact fluorescent bulbs.

 

 

There's a lot of info on painting craft foam in the popper tying and cosplay costume DIY communities. "painting craft foam" or "painting EVA foam" are useful googles.

 

People that want vivid colors on foam usually seal the foam before painting. Many things work for sealant including Modge Podge found in Hobby Lobby or JoAnnes, gesso found in art supply stores, acrylic primer used for modelling or house painting. Some of these are pretty thick and heavy.

 

After sealing, you can paint with acrylic paint and the color will stay true, but the foam texture is probably lost. The sealant and paint will add significant weight which will definitely affect smaller dry flies, so this may not solve your problem.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Bruce

[ditz2 0]

Forget walmart....go to Hobby Lobby or sum such and you should find just about any color you want. Yes they have lime and chartreuse.

[FlaFly 0]

Sorry ditz but I don't agree... for 5 bucks I got a huge assortment of all the colors I was looking for at Walmart. I don't patronize HL for personal reasons.

 

Just wondering if anyone has tried paint pens instead of markers on foam?

[mikechell 0]

Try Mustard. Frenches Yellow Mustard stains everything. It might not come out the chartreuse your looking for, but it's worth a try.

 

You could try nail polishes or other paints. Wipe it into the foam, rather than painting it on.

 

It's very likely there are colors available online that aren't available in stores.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Here's an additional possibility for you to try. I have used the special coloring dyes that are meant for plastic worms with great results. Pretty sure you could find a color you want then do a sample run for very little cost. The worm dyes I've used are meant to be dipped using already formed and cured worms right from the package. I do know that the bright red takes very well on white plastics but I've never tried it on foam. I've seen them in big catalogues like Cabela's and Bass Pro so the dip shouldn't be hard to find.

 

By the way I use soft foam heads for poppers quite a bit and at least in the salt the fact that I leave them in white or whatever color they come in hasn't slowed down the fish in the slightest.... I'm using a "guide's pattern" for those bugs since I need to be able to knock out a half dozen or a dozen in less than an hour or so....

[FlaFly 0]

For red..... beet juice! Stains everything it touches, and won't come out.

[mikechell 0]

The dips Capt. LeMay mentions do come in Chartreuse ... and it DOES dye rubber worms very well.

 

I have seen the Chartreuse on the tail of a black worm ... and it works.

 

I think I remember seeing small bottles of it in Walmart.

[crazy4oldcars 0]

I got to thinking, "Hey! I need to run to wally world anyway, why not...." Then I remembered why not. .

Me....Brightly colored liquid dyes....

A recipe for disaster, for certain!

 

Y'all let us know what you come up with.

 

Kirk

[flytire 0]

 

markers on white foam

 

kinda streaky to me

 

i'll stick with colored foam sheets from the craft store. they wont smell like foam colored with markers

[crazy4oldcars 0]

Bruce,

Highlighters are water-based ink. It washes out of my shirts, so I don't think it will last long on a fly.

 

Kirk