Dyeing Materials

[Conor]

Another topic got sidetracked re dyeing materials. I thought I'd bring it here since I have a few questions.

 

What methods and materials work best? I have some snowshoe I'd like to get to blue dun colored. Any tips?

[SilverDoctor]

I use Kool-aid, works great. Rite dye will also work nicely but the colors aren't as bright in my experience. Us containers you will not need as it is a dye and will do a job on plastic. and even some glass. I use mason jars with lids to store the mixed dye. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to each quart to help the dye fix to the material, Soak the stuff you are dying in soapy water to remove dirt and film. Then rinse well. Mix your dye and heat in a microwave for about a minute to heat it up. I suggest dying small pieces first to test your color. Use rubber gloves and tongs and I suggest doing it on a scrap piece of plywood not on the kitchen counter. Dye will take ot most things except for glass.

 

Put the material in the dye and place in the microwave again for about a minute. Remove and rinse, repeat till you get teh color you want. When you get the color you want remove and dry on newspapers, a hair dryer helps speed things up. Material will dry about a shade lighter than they look when wet.

 

Hope this makes sense, have fun.

[bcubed]

Personally, kool aid is pretty wasteful as you're paying for something like 95% flavoring, 5% dye. Rit is also a dye mix, so again hard to be consistent

 

I'd get some Jacquards Acid Dye (shuttleworks just south of Calgary carries it). Comes in a ton of colors, is very inexpensive and one small bottle will last you pretty well a lifetime. You can also be far more consistent when doing future dying, as you know the exact portion of dye being used.

 

I've dyed many hundred polar bear patches, and have had great results using Jacquards. Id expect snowshoe to be similar. I use a large pot (not a good one), and a instant read thermometer. You don't want the water to get too hot as you'll ruin the hide. Id rather dye at 140F for longer then at 160 for longer. I've got most of my recipes down and typically doing the bath between 20-60 minutes, depending on how deep of a color I want. As Doc said, wash them well before hand.

 

The biggest thing is the acid. I'm not shy about using a lot of vinegar as it's not strong enough to damage the fur, and is the only thing that sets these dyes. I put the acid in the bath about halfway through

 

Biggest thing is take notes so you know what worked and didn't in the future