UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Dyeing colourless heatshrink blue to match small vintage electrolytics

Argus25 · 17th Nov 2019, 5:27 am

This thread reminded me of something, aside from the excellent work being done here that I have already remarked on.

Back in the early 1970's my brother worked at a transformer manufacturing company. This was before heat shrink was in general use. They would get an effect exactly like heatshrink, but with no heat. The tubing was effectively already shrunk, then they would dip it in a solvent (I think it was toluene), the sleeve would then swell up to 3 or 4 times in size and go all rubbery and slippery, I remember playing around with it and probably sniffing up more toluene than was recommended.

In any case when it evaporated the tubing tried to shrink back to its original size and it would wrap itself around things, just like heat shrink sleeve.

I don't remember seeing any clear or blue sleeve though, only yellow & white.

The method may be of some use, but further research would be required to see if it could be anywhere near as good as what has been done here with the heat shrink sleeve.

17th Nov 2019, 5:27 am	#15
Argus25 No Longer a Member Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia. Posts: 2,679	Re: Dyeing colourless heatshrink blue to match small vintage electrolytics This thread reminded me of something, aside from the excellent work being done here that I have already remarked on. Back in the early 1970's my brother worked at a transformer manufacturing company. This was before heat shrink was in general use. They would get an effect exactly like heatshrink, but with no heat. The tubing was effectively already shrunk, then they would dip it in a solvent (I think it was toluene), the sleeve would then swell up to 3 or 4 times in size and go all rubbery and slippery, I remember playing around with it and probably sniffing up more toluene than was recommended. In any case when it evaporated the tubing tried to shrink back to its original size and it would wrap itself around things, just like heat shrink sleeve. I don't remember seeing any clear or blue sleeve though, only yellow & white. The method may be of some use, but further research would be required to see if it could be anywhere near as good as what has been done here with the heat shrink sleeve.