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Posted: 12/23/2022 10:47:45 AM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By OlympicArmsFan: Here are some pouches I dyed OD Green. The chest rig behind it is a Condor brand rig in OD Green. Here is a pic of two dyed pouches and one original pouch. A couple more pics. A few more of the ACU pouches. A bunch of pictures. Some of when I first started and didn’t have the right formula. I will try and find my formula for the pouches. I posted it to Reddit a few weeks ago. Link to the formula that I came up with. Missed this - thanks man! |
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Posted: 12/23/2022 10:56:13 AM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By PrincipsPistol: Just a quick thanks for all you guys experimenting and posting ratios and results. I've come across pics of dyed ucp but never found this thread. Local surplus store has an endless supply of ucp gear for dirt cheap so I've acquired a fair bit of it, and actually it's not terrible for my area above treeline (think lichen splotched granite) or in the winter, but ucp just isn't larp-chic enough, and I hate when the neighbors laugh at me for using outdated camo. Some of the earlier really dark stuff posted here reminds me of multicam black, I may go that route just for the hell of it. Alternately, can ucp be lightened with bleach? More snow oriented? Or does it just look light blue? Anyone try? |
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VA, USA
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Posted: 12/23/2022 1:45:02 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By mickdonaldson: Missed this - thanks man! Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By mickdonaldson: Originally Posted By OlympicArmsFan: Here are some pouches I dyed OD Green. The chest rig behind it is a Condor brand rig in OD Green. Here is a pic of two dyed pouches and one original pouch. A couple more pics. A few more of the ACU pouches. A bunch of pictures. Some of when I first started and didn’t have the right formula. I will try and find my formula for the pouches. I posted it to Reddit a few weeks ago. Link to the formula that I came up with. Missed this - thanks man! You are welcome. I'm thinking my formula could be used for bigger items too, not just magazine pouches and things like that. Maybe a backpack. The dye could also be used more than just one dip in the dye bath, if you have more items that need to be dyed. |
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Posted: 12/23/2022 5:32:30 PM EDT
[#4]
Fuck it, I'm in. It's a good rainy day project, and it's flooding here.
 Attached FileA quick search yielded that Rit makes a "color remover" "Removes color and dye stains"  Attached FileI actually went to a "Michaels" to get it immediately, a first for me. I have no idea what it will do to UCP but I'm game to risk a FLC and shingle to see what happens. I'm fantasizing that it's going to emerge looking like MARPAT snow and make everything in this world seem right. Heating water now |
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VA, USA
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Posted: 12/23/2022 7:03:54 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By PrincipsPistol: Fuck it, I'm in. It's a good rainy day project, and it's flooding here. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/540320/KIMG0265_JPG-2646173.JPG A quick search yielded that Rit makes a "color remover" "Removes color and dye stains" https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/540320/KIMG0266_JPG-2646178.JPG I actually went to a "Michaels" to get it immediately, a first for me. I have no idea what it will do to UCP but I'm game to risk a FLC and shingle to see what happens. I'm fantasizing that it's going to emerge looking like MARPAT snow and make everything in this world seem right. Heating water now Keep us posted, but if your trying to remove the color that is already there, I'm betting that it will do nothing. Its for dye, I think. |
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Posted: 12/24/2022 12:34:42 AM EDT
[Last Edit: PrincipsPistol]
[#6]
Color remover didn't do a whole lot, just a little lighter and brighter maybe. Treated stuff is on left side:
 Attached FileI ended up dyeing that stuff and the some untreated pieces as well. The treated pieces definitely took the dye better, quicker, darker, more consistent. The other pieces had a little range of tone. On the left is the FLC vest and shingle that got the color remover bath and then 10 minutes in black dye. On the right are some pieces of a belt rig, no color removal, 10-20 mins in black dye. Top middle is a unmolested UCP TAP rig for color comparison.  Attached File Attached FileSustainment pouch almost came out ok, I'd like to find a cheap assault pack and try to dial it in to that color, maybe a bit grayer or darker  Attached File Attached FileI'm going to repeat the whole process and see what happens. |
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Posted: 12/24/2022 12:38:32 AM EDT
[Last Edit: PrincipsPistol]
[#7]
Battle belt is monochromatic multicolor now...
 Attached FileI don't hate the darker black.  Attached File |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 1/9/2023 10:35:58 AM EDT
[#8]
Okay, check it. I have a really stupid idea. I dye ABU pants OD and ABU jacket Khaki. I match it with a Khaki kit. I look like a futuristic version of the attached image. I'm really tempted. I don't know how or why this idea came to mind but it's not leaving me. Thoughts?
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Posted: 1/9/2023 10:39:37 AM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SaintJezebel: Okay, check it. I have a really stupid idea. I dye ABU pants OD and ABU jacket Khaki. I match it with a Khaki kit. I look like a futuristic version of the attached image. I'm really tempted. I don't know how or why this idea came to mind but it's not leaving me. Thoughts? https://www.easterncostume.com/files/WWIIUSA001/large/1.jpg |
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Posted: 1/11/2023 10:11:44 AM EDT
[Last Edit: mickdonaldson]
[#10]
If I were going to try dyeing a set of Crye G3's in Multicam Arid - to better match upper mid-west dead leaves and pine needles from Fall through Spring, with a "New Umber" color...
Should I use Regular or DyeMore Rit? Also, what are the various additives for (Salt, Vinegar, etc...)? I'll search the thread, but it's huge. Thanks. 
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Posted: 1/11/2023 11:43:45 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By mickdonaldson: If I were going to try dyeing a set of Crye G3's in Multicam Arid - to better match upper mid-west dead leaves and pine needles from Fall through Spring, with a "New Umber" color... Should I use Regular or DyeMore Rit? Also, what are the various additives for (Salt, Vinegar, etc...)? I'll search the thread, but it's huge. Thanks. https://i.imgur.com/KjtM8hx.jpg The items you plan to dye are 50-50 nylon/cotton. Rule of thumb is to use vinegar with nylon field gear, and salt for cotton. In this case, IDK, as I have little experience in dying uniforms. I have no experience using anything else than standard Rit dye. I have used Taupe Rit dye in the past with good results. No experience with the dye you pictured. As always, the lighter portions of the camo pattern will "take" more of the dye than the darker parts. Suggest you launder the items with woolite (no optical brighteners) and rinse 2x whether the garments are new or used. Keep a thoroughly wetted-down item to hand for comparison, as wet uniform cloth can be tricky when dying as it always looks darker when wet compared to dry. Remember, you can always re-dye to a darker shade, but it's tough, going on impossible, to dye a dark item lighter in color. Good Luck, and please report back with some before and after pix. |
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Posted: 1/11/2023 7:13:50 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By mickdonaldson: If I were going to try dyeing a set of Crye G3's in Multicam Arid - to better match upper mid-west dead leaves and pine needles from Fall through Spring, with a "New Umber" color... Should I use Regular or DyeMore Rit? Also, what are the various additives for (Salt, Vinegar, etc...)? I'll search the thread, but it's huge. Thanks. https://i.imgur.com/KjtM8hx.jpg I have dyed BDUs and combat shirts (Massif contract type). I used regular taupe. The instructions on the site state the salt or vinegar are to enhance the color so I don't know that it is necessary but I went with salt since most of what I dyed that day was cotton. Just a heads up if it ever comes up in the future elastic stuff will shrink up pretty good in the hot dye bath. Oversize if you are at the edge of given size's range. This is a really good thread. I definitely recommend reading through it before you do it. It will give a better feel for when to pull your stuff out. I probably would have left my stuff in too long and killed the contrast. |
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Posted: 1/11/2023 7:30:10 PM EDT
[Last Edit: raf]
[#13]
Reading through this thread from start to finish is worthwhile, because it reveals the "learning experience" which took place. Well worth reading fully.
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Posted: 1/12/2023 12:06:43 AM EDT
[#14]
I've been following this thread off and on and it got me thinking. I bought a bunch of the marpat fleece jackets back when they were cheap. I love these but they are arid camo and i live in a pine forest. The pattern works decent but somerhing darker with a green hue would be better.
Having done a little reading it seems I'd want to use the rit dyemore for synthetics. One other potential complication is i believe these are made of wind pro vs standard polartech. This is as the name would imply wind resistant and seems to have some limited water resistance as well. My wife thinks the dye would take but am unsure how the color would come out or what color dye to use. Idealy it would be light grean on the light parts and dark green or kahki for the dark spots. There is also nylon (i think) reinforcement at the collar and forearms that is fairly dark brown. Are these stuck being brown or could they be made green or kahki? I have a number of these but they're nice jackets and I'd rather not try if the chance of success is low.   
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Posted: 1/12/2023 10:20:19 AM EDT
[Last Edit: raf]
[#15]
I once tried to dye a yellow Outdoor Research fleece jacket. The cotton emblem changed to green, but nothing at all happened to the fleece. I used conventional Rit dye; perhaps other types of dye work better on fleece. Suggest you go to Rit site and take a look around for specific info on dyeing fleece.
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Posted: 1/13/2023 9:19:05 AM EDT
[#16]
Roger that ^, thanks for the advice/info.
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FL, USA
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Posted: 1/13/2023 10:03:38 AM EDT
[#17]
First pic is ACU done in apple green
Second and third pic I did the top in Dark green and threw the pants back on to try it out as well……those are results with Dark green. Both experiments I did half cup of vinegar and half cup of salt mixed in. https://imgur.com/a/9nY5FXK |
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Posted: 1/13/2023 10:16:06 AM EDT
[Last Edit: raf]
[#18]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Vdab890: First pic is ACU done in apple green Second and third pic I did the top in Dark green and threw the pants back on to try it out as well those are results with Dark green. Both experiments I did half cup of vinegar and half cup of salt mixed in. https://imgur.com/a/9nY5FXK It's easy to "submerge" the pattern when dying with too dark a shade, or using too high a concentration of dye. Dyeing nylon field gear is easier than dyeing uniforms because the field gear, when wet, is pretty much what it will look like when dry. Uniforms containing a significant amount of cotton will always darken when wet, thus masking the effects of the dye. Having an undyed and wet example ready to hand for comparison is useful. |
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GA, USA
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Posted: 1/13/2023 10:33:40 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Vdab890: First pic is ACU done in apple green Second and third pic I did the top in Dark green and threw the pants back on to try it out as well……those are results with Dark green. Both experiments I did half cup of vinegar and half cup of salt mixed in. https://imgur.com/a/9nY5FXK The ACU in apple green looks good. Might be a decent Multicam Tropic alternative. |
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Posted: 1/13/2023 10:44:14 AM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Vdab890: First pic is ACU done in apple green Second and third pic I did the top in Dark green and threw the pants back on to try it out as well……those are results with Dark green. Both experiments I did half cup of vinegar and half cup of salt mixed in. https://imgur.com/a/9nY5FXK @Vdab890 I really like how the pants in the first picture turned out. Definitely would work better where I am at than ACU. You preserved the contrast while still drastically improving the color palette. I attempted to go the other direction and repurpose ACU for a Southern winter (brown with some green). I knew I could never really achieve what I thought was ideal but figured taking an extra set and making them more useful was worth the effort. I was able to improve the sand to a dirt color but adding taupe to the grey green of ACU was never going to yield a green that resembled any natural vegetation here. They are definitely more usable than ACU but not the direction I would go with fresh print. I think I might give that a shot, did you go with a full mixture on the apple green run or were there any other adjustments? What you did in the first picture would work well here spring and depending on how much rain we have during the summer, summer as well. |
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Posted: 1/13/2023 10:45:35 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By gtsteve03: The ACU in apple green looks good. Might be a decent Multicam Tropic alternative. It reminds me of AOR2 without the black. |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 1/13/2023 12:05:37 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Vdab890]
[#22]
Went to Joann fabrics and bought one bottle of apple green Rit dye, boiled up about 3 gallons of water, poured water into 5 gallon bucket, then added the whole bottle of Rit dye Followed by a half cup of salt then half cup of white vinegar and stirred for a minute. Dunked the pants in and used a wooden paint stick to agitate every 15mins for about 45 mins making sure to keep completely in solution after agitation.
Took bucket to bathtub and rinsed after in cold water then straight into washer. That was my whole process :) |
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Posted: 1/13/2023 12:10:35 PM EDT
[#23]
Thanks vdab
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Posted: 1/14/2023 10:00:42 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Vdab890: First pic is ACU done in apple green Second and third pic I did the top in Dark green and threw the pants back on to try it out as well……those are results with Dark green. Both experiments I did half cup of vinegar and half cup of salt mixed in. https://imgur.com/a/9nY5FXK That first pair looks great. Thanks for the info, poor man's marpat. |
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Posted: 1/14/2023 12:54:47 PM EDT
[Last Edit: raf]
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JTX23: @Vdab890 I really like how the pants in the first picture turned out. Definitely would work better where I am at than ACU. You preserved the contrast while still drastically improving the color palette. I attempted to go the other direction and repurpose ACU for a Southern winter (brown with some green). I knew I could never really achieve what I thought was ideal but figured taking an extra set and making them more useful was worth the effort. I was able to improve the sand to a dirt color but adding taupe to the grey green of ACU was never going to yield a green that resembled any natural vegetation here. They are definitely more usable than ACU but not the direction I would go with fresh print. I think I might give that a shot, did you go with a full mixture on the apple green run or were there any other adjustments? What you did in the first picture would work well here spring and depending on how much rain we have during the summer, summer as well. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JTX23: Originally Posted By Vdab890: First pic is ACU done in apple green Second and third pic I did the top in Dark green and threw the pants back on to try it out as well those are results with Dark green. Both experiments I did half cup of vinegar and half cup of salt mixed in. https://imgur.com/a/9nY5FXK @Vdab890 I really like how the pants in the first picture turned out. Definitely would work better where I am at than ACU. You preserved the contrast while still drastically improving the color palette. I attempted to go the other direction and repurpose ACU for a Southern winter (brown with some green). I knew I could never really achieve what I thought was ideal but figured taking an extra set and making them more useful was worth the effort. I was able to improve the sand to a dirt color but adding taupe to the grey green of ACU was never going to yield a green that resembled any natural vegetation here. They are definitely more usable than ACU but not the direction I would go with fresh print. I think I might give that a shot, did you go with a full mixture on the apple green run or were there any other adjustments? What you did in the first picture would work well here spring and depending on how much rain we have during the summer, summer as well. Suggestion: when taking pix of dyed items, include an un-dyed item for comparison. Try to use direct sunlight when taking the pix, because that's FAR better than any interior lighting in revealing the result. |
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Posted: 1/14/2023 1:15:12 PM EDT
[Last Edit: raf]
[#26]
I suggest there may come a day when unmolested ABU, UCP, and Desert camo items will fetch a premium price due to their being scarce.
Condition is everything to collectors, so unused items will always fetch the best prices. Used items, not so much. Some of these items, especially unused items in excellent condition, are likely to be worth more and more as time goes on. I guarantee it. I've sold some items for which paid scant $ for MUCH more $ many years later. The ABU and especially the UCP items might serve well "as-is" for rocky and even snowy terrain. Desert camo items speak for themselves as to appropriate terrain but might well serve in other very "light brown" winter vegetation climates. Suggest re-considering dyeing anything except obviously used items, or items with scant possibility of being of interest to "collectors". Suggest considering whether or not such items can be "re-purposed" for different seasons/terrains in your AO. As a collector of military equipment, I can say for a certainty that what is common now will be scarce in the future, with prices rising accordingly. Something to consider. Something else to consider: there's a definite "lifespan" to any nylon gear which is coated with a polyurethane waterproofing film on (usually) the inside of the fabric. After a time (depending on conditions) the PU membrane will deteriorate, flake-off, and begin to stink. It's a significant PITA to remediate this problem, but it can be done. Personally, if buying a high-end pack or similar, I'd pay extra money to have it constructed out of uncoated fabric and rely on applications of DWR and perhaps discardable pack covers to make up the difference. |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 1/18/2023 1:51:02 PM EDT
[#27]
Anyone know what dye or formula for dye would produce a shade in ABU/ACUs akin to the light green found in Multicam/OCP?
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Posted: 1/21/2023 10:24:19 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SaintJezebel: Anyone know what dye or formula for dye would produce a shade in ABU/ACUs akin to the light green found in Multicam/OCP? Follow usual procedures for dying NY/CO cloth on Rit site. Just a guess, mind, and no guarantees. Suggest you obtain a trashed item, cut it up, and experiment. |
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Posted: 2/11/2023 5:47:26 PM EDT
[#29]
So what does everyone think is the best green they have seen or produced themselves?
There was a double mag pouch thread a while back where someone posted 6 parts apple green 1 part dark brown on ACU/UCP that I thought looked really good. There was another post where someone dyed MC 4 parts apple green and 1 part dark green that looked pretty close MCT. I'll try to dig up the pictures and add them to this post. Im about to dye a lot of stuff and would like to see more of what yall have done before I lock in the formula. |
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Posted: 2/13/2023 9:54:00 AM EDT
[Last Edit: raf]
[#30]
If dyeing uniforms, strongly suggest washing them a couple of times with a detergent which lacks optical brighteners to reduce the effects of same if the uniforms were laundered in the past using detergents with optical brighteners. It's likely that the more rinsing the better.
List of Laundry Detergents Without Optical Brighteners |
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VA, USA
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Posted: 2/17/2023 2:52:24 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JTX23: So what does everyone think is the best green they have seen or produced themselves? There was a double mag pouch thread a while back where someone posted 6 parts apple green 1 part dark brown on ACU/UCP that I thought looked really good. There was another post where someone dyed MC 4 parts apple green and 1 part dark green that looked pretty close MCT. I'll try to dig up the pictures and add them to this post. Im about to dye a lot of stuff and would like to see more of what yall have done before I lock in the formula. Here is a formula that I came up with. I had it posted to ARFcom not sure where it went to but I posted it to Reddit as well. OD Green dye formula |
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Posted: 2/18/2023 2:39:32 PM EDT
[#32]
I'm enjoying other folks experimenting with dyeing and posting their formulas and results.
That's how we all learn. |
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Posted: 6/3/2023 4:40:38 AM EDT
[#33]
 Attached FileDyed some ACU gear today. Fill up 5 gallon bucket 3/4 full with boiling water. Use 8oz Apple Green. 1 cup vinegar. Squirt of dish soap. Submerge for 90 minutes. Agitate every 30 mins. Rinse material 3-4 times then throw in dryer. I'm pretty dang happy with it! |
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Posted: 6/3/2023 8:51:19 AM EDT
[Last Edit: raf]
[#34]
For those interested, EMDOM USA offers some "Value Bundles" of their gear in UCP, and some in black. Their gear is top-notch, and if the UCP "Bundle" has items you want/need, it might be a good candidate for dyeing. See Here
For that matter, the BAE/Eclipse items Here are also top-notch and have been discounted already. The UCP and ABU versions of these items (if available) are discounted still further. IMHO, the quality of the BAE/Eclipse items is second to none. In addition, the BAE/Specialty Defense items Here may be of interest, and the UCP/ABU items (if available) are also further discounted. These items are typical GI quality. It would almost certainly be cheaper to dye similar GI UCP/ABU items, but some of the above linked sites offer items considerably different from, and of much higher quality than, typical GI issue items. Disclaimer: No financial interest. |
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ITA
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Posted: 6/3/2023 8:52:34 AM EDT
[#35]
Found another twist on this, rit dye plus stripes made with spray paint and stencils or simple masking tape. Not made by me.
Desert marpat trousers dyed with peacock green  Ucp pouches.  |
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Posted: 6/3/2023 7:57:02 PM EDT
[#36]
 Attached FileGrabbed a blouse and boonie today and dyed them too. I'm pretty happy with how they're coming out. |
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Posted: 6/4/2023 9:36:23 AM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By joeviterbo: Found another twist on this, rit dye plus stripes made with spray paint and stencils or simple masking tape. Not made by me. Desert marpat trousers dyed with peacock green https://images2.imgbox.com/80/f0/u4h8Xiyn_o.jpg Ucp pouches. https://images2.imgbox.com/9b/48/wtjslzX8_o.jpg That looks cool |
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Posted: 6/4/2023 10:07:49 AM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AS556: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/425939/20230603_165326_jpg-2839231.JPG Grabbed a blouse and boonie today and dyed them too. I'm pretty happy with how they're coming out. |
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Posted: 6/4/2023 6:24:03 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By raf: IMHO, pretty good results, AS556! Thanks. Here's some pics in Oregon forests.  
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Posted: 6/4/2023 7:13:49 PM EDT
[#40]
Also, I tested these under night vision last night with IR illum. There was no additional signature vs standard UCP or other common patterns.
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Posted: 6/5/2023 10:12:29 AM EDT
[Last Edit: raf]
[#41]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AS556: Also, I tested these under night vision last night with IR illum. There was no additional signature vs standard UCP or other common patterns. There is an unproven possibility that Dyeing clothes which were previously laundered with "Optical Brightener" detergents might ameliorate the effects of the "Optical Brighteners. Just a hunch on my part, and again, "unproven" at this point. I still suggest washing clothes that might have been mis-laundered (virtually all used items) 2X with detergent with NO Optical Brighteners, and rinsing them very thoroughly (at least 2X). |
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Posted: 6/5/2023 2:23:47 PM EDT
[#42]
Never had an IR issue when rit dying items unless they had a preexisting issue. I have considered getting dye markers to add some contrast to some items I dyed. I am going to have to play with that to see if I can find a brand that works well.
Anyone have experience with that? Did the dye bleed? Did it last? IR issues? |
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AK, USA
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Posted: 6/5/2023 4:13:04 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AS556: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/425939/20230603_012520_jpg-2838543.JPG Dyed some ACU gear today. Fill up 5 gallon bucket 3/4 full with boiling water. Use 8oz Apple Green. 1 cup vinegar. Squirt of dish soap. Submerge for 90 minutes. Agitate every 30 mins. Rinse material 3-4 times then throw in dryer. I'm pretty dang happy with it! That looks great. |
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Posted: 8/28/2023 2:41:52 PM EDT
[Last Edit: raf]
[#44]
Dyed some "Foliage Green" and some "Desert Tan" USGI items today.
Used Rit "Apple Green" on FG items. Result was the GI "Olive Green" that I desired. Used Rit "Dark Green" on DT items. Result was the GI "Olive Green" that I desired. Tomorrow, I'll use some Rit "Taupe" dye on some other DT items, and they will become Coyote Brown. I believe that it might be possible to dye some FG items into a form of "Ranger Green". Note that there are "Grayish" and "Greenish" iterations of RG. I expect doing this "RG" dyeing procedure will take a certain amount of experience and test-dyeing of similar, low-cost dyeing items. 40mm grenade pouches are cheap, and available in bulk. That is all. |
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Posted: 9/2/2023 12:40:06 AM EDT
[#45]
Has anyone used these products to turn 5.11 Khaki pants into a ranger green?
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Posted: 9/2/2023 9:47:47 AM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Shootindave: Has anyone used these products to turn 5.11 Khaki pants into a ranger green? What I would suggest is obtaining an exact description of the cloth used in making your particular pair of pants and buying enough of it in your base color (khaki) to make up a number of test strips and then experiment with blending dyes using the formulas given on Rit dye site. Remember that cotton/NYCO blend cloth darkens when wet (aside from any dye), so keep some wet, undyed fabric on hand while dyeing for a comparison. A thorough rinsing will remove a lot of the dye, so factor that in. Good Luck! |
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Posted: 9/2/2023 4:01:33 PM EDT
[Last Edit: raf]
[#47]
It occurs to me that dyeing some OCP/Multicam items a tinch greener might be useful in greener climes--or maybe a tinch browner in browner climes. Not entirely sure how to do it, but allow me to suggest that USGI Multicam/OCP 40mm grenade pouches are cheap when bought in bulk and make useful test items.
Given the cost/scarcity of many UCP/Multicam items, I've not done much experimentation in conjunction with dyeing these items onto either "greenish" or "browner" tints. We all know about the "Official" Multicam variants. Experimenting with appropriate dyes, on cheap test items, might be useful in replicating such variants. Stay tuned. |
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Posted: 11/1/2023 8:16:39 PM EDT
[#48]
Just skimming through this thread again as I'm trying to get motivated on another project and one thing I can't recall having seen- and wondering if it might help- is keeping the dye mix hot while soaking nylon/synthetics. Where mentioned, most folks appear to be making their mix then dumping it into a bucket or whatever, adding the gear and going from there. For shorter dye times it probably doesn't make a difference, but for some of the items that don't seem to take dye well would it possibly help to keep them on the heat? Maybe soak the items in hot water before putting them in the dye mix?
I was in my local Goodwill checking to see if they had any decent sewing machines (nope, still haven't gotten lucky like some here) and as I was wandering around I saw they had a stainless pot and a couple of aluminum ones like you use on outdoor burners and it occurred to me that it would be good for these sorts of projects. Unfortunately I have no idea what the discoloration and "stuff" in the stainless pot was and I wasn't sure about using aluminum with dye, vinegar, salt, etc. but Walmart sells some thinner stainless pots relatively cheap. Just thinking out loud here.... |
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Posted: 11/2/2023 9:00:22 AM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By sandboxmedic: Just skimming through this thread again as I'm trying to get motivated on another project and one thing I can't recall having seen- and wondering if it might help- is keeping the dye mix hot while soaking nylon/synthetics. Where mentioned, most folks appear to be making their mix then dumping it into a bucket or whatever, adding the gear and going from there. For shorter dye times it probably doesn't make a difference, but for some of the items that don't seem to take dye well would it possibly help to keep them on the heat? Maybe soak the items in hot water before putting them in the dye mix? I was in my local Goodwill checking to see if they had any decent sewing machines (nope, still haven't gotten lucky like some here) and as I was wandering around I saw they had a stainless pot and a couple of aluminum ones like you use on outdoor burners and it occurred to me that it would be good for these sorts of projects. Unfortunately I have no idea what the discoloration and "stuff" in the stainless pot was and I wasn't sure about using aluminum with dye, vinegar, salt, etc. but Walmart sells some thinner stainless pots relatively cheap. Just thinking out loud here.... Pre-wetting nylon gear and allowing it to drain a good bit may help speed up dye absorption a little. I see posts from people leaving their nylon gear items in the dye bath for a long time sometimes. To me, not wanting to stand there and constantly agitate the items, this indicates either too low a concentration of dye, too low a solution temperature or a combination of both. The risk of using a highly concentrated dye solution is that one has to be ready to quickly pull the items when correct level of dyeing is reached, lest the items become over-dyed. |
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Posted: 11/2/2023 10:54:40 AM EDT
[#50]
That was my thinking with avoiding aluminum; while it'd probably work just fine (other than likely staining) I thought it best to avoid aluminum, particularly if you planned to reuse the pot since I imagine the rougher finish will retain some of the dye. I've done some home parkerizing and time and temp both have to be monitored closely to get close to the color you are trying for- it's why I thought of "pre-heating", especially for those items that are not readily taking taking dye.
Next time I'm near one of the restaurant supply places that sells used kitchen equipment I'll look for a stainless pot or probably just end up buying one of the Walmart ones; either way I want it large enough that I can heat it on my outdoor burner and keep the temperature up once the item is added. Hopefully with Thanksgiving coming up I can find a stainless pot on sale. |
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