walnut dye

[roger zavoda]

whats the whole procedure for making dye?from pi
cking up the nut to a finished product :hmm:

 

[Eric/WV]

I throw a bunch of them in a pot of water and let them sit for a couple of days. I then heat the water over a fire, because the dye seems to set better if the water is heated. I then throw my clothes in the dye bath. Leave them in until you get the desired color. You can add vinegar to the dye bath to help preserve it for awhile.

 

[Norskie]

I know we've had several threads on this one. You want to strain the dye through cheesecloth after you boil it. And I use wood alcohol to preserve it. I only make a batch about every 2 years or so, but I make mine concentrated for dyeing leather. I really boil it down, filter it through coffee filters, etc.

 

[renovato]

Has anyone ever tried making the dye using alcohol instead of water? I just got to thinking, it might make for a nice spirit based stain for wood that won't raise the grain.

 

[Norskie]

I did that to extract color from bark to make leather dye. Don't see why it wouldn't work. It be a righteous idea not to boil it, though. :grin:

 

[renovato]

I tend to agree that boiling it might not be a great idea! If I can round up some hulls, I'm going to tinker. I've been experimenting with homemade stains lately. The vinegar stains are great! Maybe spirit based walnut stain will turn out well. Now to try and find the hulls.

 

[roger zavoda]

on this stain thing, some guys refer to "hulls" let start over. first you pick up the nuts. now what do you do first? please go through the whhle thing


roger

 

[BEMRON]

Just tried making my first batch today, put 2 five gallon buckets of hulls in cast iron kettle added about twelve gallons of water and simmered for about one hour, had to keep removing hulls thru out the process (to much in the pot, kept bubbling over the edge) I dipped up a sample and tried it on a piece of wood, looks pretty good. Letting it cool over night and then strain it tomorrow and see what I've got. Ron

 

[Eric/WV]

The nut is encased in a green hull. You can do one of 2 things. you can throw the whole thing in the water, or you can remove the nut and throw the pieces of hull in the water. I don't mess with the nuts, so I use the whole thing.

1. collect walnut hulls
2. throw them into a bucket of water.
3. let sit for a day or so
4. heat the water or not
5. throw your clothes in.

Some people remove the hulls and strain the water before dying their clothes, some don't.

 

[BillinOregon]

BEMRON: Where y'all getting a cast iron kettle that big?

 

[BEMRON]

Bill, it is a old lard rendering kettle, got it from my uncle, he got it at a farm auction. Can usually find them at draft horse auction held annually, lots of tack, horse drawn equipment, etc. sold on consignment. The hard part is finding one without a crack in it, most of them are good for yard ornament only. Ron

 

[Norskie]

You forgot a step with the green hulls. They need to turn dark brown and gooey first. That takes a few days. Or just find the ones that have already turned. Your fingers will get brown as you handle the hulls. It'll wear off. Eventually.

 

[Maynerd62411]

You forgot a step with the green hulls. They need to turn dark brown and gooey first. That takes a few days. Or just find the ones that have already turned. Your fingers will get brown as you handle the hulls. It'll wear off. Eventually.

That's what I was going to ask. My walnuts are at that stage, now. Green is gone, turning black. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to use the nut shells or the hulls. This is what I wanted to know, Thanks. Now, I have a "project" for the boy, tomorrow. :hatsoff:

 

[Capt. Jas.]

In my experience, smashing up the GREEN hulls and using immediately makes the best dye.

 

[Maynerd62411]

Too late for that.

 

[Hiparoo]

the fresh green hulls will give you the best dye..and they'll turn brown and gooey all on their own in the dyevat....and I've found that a cold dyebath works just as well as hot-takes a bit longer, but end result is the same...also using a mordant on you plant-based fabric really helps-use 1 pound of salt, 1 gallon of water, 1 gallon of vinegar, mix all three until salt is dissolved, immerse fabric, wring well, and then into the dyebath...it also helps to use baking soda in the final wash/rinse to neutralize the acids in the stain...

 

[Greenmtnboy]

do you soak your fabric for days like in the tea bath, I boiled my hulls for two hours than boiled my fabric for two hours and only turned my canvas a nice gray

 

[Hiparoo]

the more hulls you use and the longer it soaks, the better....I usually leave in cold dyebath for up to 2 weeks-depending on fabric and color desired...and don't forget the neutralizing bath to kill the acids...are you using a cast iron or other metal dyepot? this will affect the color also-iron will turn the dye black-I use a plastic garbage can for my dyevat...hope this helps,Mitch

 

[hawkeye1755]

Stupid question.When i will dye my deer leggins,
is it the same procedure?Or is their a diffence between leather and cotton or linen?What must i take as a neutralizing bath?
:hatsoff:

 

[Hiparoo]

I've done leather leggins in walnut-no mordant neccesary, and I would NOT use a hot dyebath for leather-use cold dyebath..and the neutralizing bath is for the fabric/leather, not you :haha: -seriously, 2+ cups of baking soda in a washing machine or 5gal bucket with water should do the trick-ammonia will work also, this is to stop the acid/tannin in the dye-I've seen some stuff that was dyed and not neutralized and it rotted in less than a year...