Thanks to Manyak for turning me on to using RIT dye to customize keys! After reading up on the webs about the process...I figured I would share my findings and my first attempt <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/biggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Big Grin"><br><br>

Using dye to color your individual keys and board work much better than paint, because the dye gets infused with the plastic, and won't ever wear off.<br>

As far as I can tell, the most widely used and most effective dye for this process is RIT dye, which you can find at your local drugstore (Rite Aid) or department store (Wal-Mart).<br><br>

The Rit dye comes in several colors, and is available as a powder or a liquid.<br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/PC%20pics/dyechart.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br>

I chose royal blue, cocoa brown, and scarlet for my next few projects. So lets give it a shot ...first with some Scarlet!<br><br>

I try to use a highly concentrated batch of dye/water. I'd say what I used was 6 parts water to 1 part liquid dye... I am sure this is overkill, but I wanted results <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/wink.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"><br>

There are different types of plastics used by different keyboard manufacturers. Some are harder to dye than others. The melting points are different, so you have to be careful!<br>

For reference, melting point of ABS is 105Â°C, PBT is 221Â°C.<br><br>

Make sure you clean the keys with soap and water..and then a light wipe with rubbing alcohol before attempting to dye...we want EVEN colors!<br><br>

Salt seems to be good for setting the colors in stone. I have also read that adding vinegar to your dye solution can raise the acidity of the dye, allowing it to penetrate the plastic easier. All things worth trying out! I will be experimenting over the coming weeks and will let you all know what I find to be the most effective at getting the job done.<br><br>

Here is the dye I picked up:<br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/PC%20pics/IMG_1477.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br>

And for the first attempt, we will be dying the enters, esc, arrows, and w-a-s-d of a logitech multimedia keyboard that happens to have a Brazillian layout :0<br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/PC%20pics/IMG_1482.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/PC%20pics/IMG_1483.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br>

My original plan was to use a strainer to suspend the keys in the solution for easy access to them in case they got too hot. I abandoned this after the first dip...my keys didn't melt <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/wink.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"><br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/PC%20pics/IMG_1480.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br>

I added a couple of tablespoons of salt and made sure to bring my solution to a boil, which I hear is good to "activate" the dye.<br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/PC%20pics/IMG_1487.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/PC%20pics/IMG_1486.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br>

Once I had reached a rolling boil, I removed the pan from the hat and dropped the keys in...stirring constantly at first so they did not hit the hot metal bottom and melt.<br>

These keys seemed to be of the difficult sort. After their first 15 minute soak, I ended up with salmon-pink keys. Being the determined individual I am...I rinsed the keys while returning the solution to a boil again to repeat the process. After three 15 minute baths....here are the results!<br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/PC%20pics/IMG_1490.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/PC%20pics/IMG_1489.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/PC%20pics/IMG_1491.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br>

So i think I am getting the hang of it <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/wink.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"> Stay tuned for later this week when my Cherry G84-4100 Mechanical Mini arrives...I will be doing a full-mod on it!<br><img alt="" src="http://www.99hk.biz/Cherry/ML/G84_4100/Whie/2.JPG" style="border:0px solid;"><br><img alt="" src="http://www.99hk.biz/Cherry/ML/G84_4100/Whie/3.JPG" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br>

UPDATED shots of original mod board with brown added <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/wink.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"><br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/IMG_1499.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/IMG_1500.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br>

G84 Dye PICS:<br><a href="http://www.overclock.net/computer-peripherals/551389-keyboard-dye-customization-guide-6.html#post6891706" target="_blank">http://www.overclock.net/computer-pe...ml#post6891706</a><br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/PC%20pics/grass1.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><img alt="" src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/variablecheese/shared/IMG_0065.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><span style="font-family:Fixedsys;"><span style="font-size:x-large;"><b><span style="color:#FF0000;">Other OCN'ers DYE job LOGS!</span></b></span></span><br>

Jrice00<br><a href="http://www.overclock.net/computer-peripherals/552640-log-keyboard-dye.html" target="_blank">http://www.overclock.net/computer-pe...board-dye.html</a><br><br>

theCanadian<br><a href="http://www.overclock.net/computer-peripherals/551389-keyboard-dye-customization-guide.html#post6842468" target="_blank">http://www.overclock.net/computer-pe...ml#post6842468</a><br><br>

StretchNuts<br><a href="http://www.overclock.net/computer-peripherals/551389-keyboard-dye-customization-guide-8.html#post6955448" target="_blank">http://www.overclock.net/computer-pe...ml#post6955448</a>