User Panel
Posted: 8/9/2014 4:07:20 PM EDT
[Last Edit: raf]
ETA: This being 2019, I am revising my comments. I no longer advise dyeing "As-New" USGI gear. WHY? Because if one's gear/item is in "As-New" condition, then it is likely worth more to a collector as-is, than it is worth to you as a dyed item. Assuming "As-New" condition, it's value will only increase as time goes by. I strongly suggest re-considering dyeing any "As-New" USGI, or otherwise Top-Tier Mfr item, because they will likely increase in value as they become scarcer. YMMV, but my experiences as a long-time collector of USGI field gear bears out this conclusion. In short, stash away your Excellent condition USGI item, and cash-in some day in the future. If your item is in [/i]less than Excellent condition, then read on. YMMV.
I've been experimenting with dyeing the terrible ACU pattern of issued MOLLE gear, as well as 3-color Desert, with various colors of Rit dye. With surplus and commercial UCP items being everywhere, and usually cheap, it seemed like a good idea. What with the Army's eventual switching-over to another camo pattern, UCP items will probably come down in price compared to today's cost. Besides, companies like London Bridge and Tactical Tailor have occasional sales on UCP items, often at a significant discount. Why not take advantage of the situation? ETA: Jun 2019. I have come to the conclusion that the UCP gear benefits greatly from the contrast between the lighter pixels, and the medium and darker pixels. The camouflage effect of the breaking-up the silhouette of the gear is enhanced by a very-light dyeing of the lighter pixels, which accept the dye more readily than the medium and dark pixels. I posted the following on another thread, and this represents my current thoughts; YMMV. "The straight apple green Rit dye gives a better contrast, but some might find it a bit much, so the 4 to 1 apple green/dark green ratio is an alternative. For brownish terrains, taupe is the only answer. Since the lighter pixels will take the dye more than the darker ones, solution strength (amount of dye) and immersion time control the end result. I have come to think that when dyeing UCP, maintaining the contrast between the lighter pixels and the darker ones is most important. What color one uses (Green vs. Brown) is important only as regards one's AO. What really matters is dyeing the lighter pixels the desired tint, but NOT going overboard. In any event, some contrast between the various pixels is extremely important, lest the contrast be lost, and the "break-up" of the pattern also be lost. IOW, some experimentation is extremely useful, and such should be done on "discardable" items. When dyeing UCP, select the right tint, and go by the maxim that "Less is More". " END ETA First, Rit's site:www.ritdye.com Lots of good info there. Click the "Techniques" button, then "Basics" and "Tips For Success" buttons. Read up. Reading the instructions is seldom time wasted. Remember: One can dye light colors darker, but never dark colors lighter. In dyeing UCP camo, the greatest color absorption will be in the lightest areas, tapering-off as the original camo colors get darker. The darker areas will often take on a color tint of the dye used, but they will also get a bit darker. So, the trick is to dye UCP with fairly light colors so as to maintain some contrast between light and dark areas, while obtaining the overall color desired. I've switched from Rit Dk Green to Apple Green for just this reason. Next, some inexpensive, sacrificial test pouches:http://www.unclesamsretailoutlet.com/MOLLE-II-ACU-Pocket-Set-8465015247624-p/869.htm. If you're going to experiment, why destroy something useful, more costly, or potentially saleable/tradable? Disclaimer: no financial interest. Note: all dyeing was done in a 3-gal enameled stock pot bought at a thrift store. Water was brought to a near boil, and then dyeing commenced. As per Rit, Vinegar was added to the dye solution, since nylon was being dyed (Add salt for cotton blend fabrics). Lessons learned. 1) HOT water. Right off the boil. Speeds the process considerably. 2) What you see is what you get with nylon gear. Pull the items when just a tinch darker than you want them. They will dry and lighten up a little bit. 3) Have something alongside for a color guide. Use something physical to refer to, even if just a picture. Don't depend on memory. If you're trying to match a particular item, have it there for quick reference. 4) The concentration of dye matters. As you dye items, the dye is transferred to the items, and removed from the water. If you're dyeing a lot of items, you'll probably have to add dye occasionally to replenish what is extracted from the solution. And also re-heat the solution. 5) It's usually possible to go darker, but never lighter. If you dye some items, and they are a bit too light, you can do-over. OTOH, removing dye from nylon is very problematic, and don't plan on being able to do so. 6) Be able to manipulate the items while dyeing. Turning them over and over helps the dye to access all points of the item, and makes for a more even dyeing job. Make sure you can pull items out of the dye bath quickly and at will. Tongs, a couple of stainless spatulas, long rubber gloves. Getting the right shade is very much dependent on pulling the item at the right time. 7) Read the info at the RIT site. A lot of the above is stated there, and a lot more. I try to take all my pix outdoors, under natural light, and in the shade, as I have found that that gives the best (although sometimes imperfect) picture. If discrepancies between pic and eyeball are observed, I try to compensate with text comments. I have found that most indoor, artificial light pix are far from representative of the final item, and I don't post such pix. With near boiling water/dye solution, and a decent dye concentration, I have found that most DCU and UCP items are dyed within minutes, given constant agitation. Agitation is the key. When agitated, the item picks up the dye quickly, when the item and the solution are both hot, and dye transference is optimal. With a cool solution, and/or without agitation, results are far less than optimal. Just letting the item sit in a steadily cooling dye solution, without agitation does not allow the item to come in contact with enough of the dye, nor in the most effective manner, since the item and the dye solution are not at the optimal temperature. In addition, agitation serves to expose the entire item to the dye solution, thus preventing portions of the item from not being exposed adequately to the dye solution. The secret to dyeing is HOT dye solution, sufficient concentration of dye, and be prepared to yank the item once the desired shade is reached. Simple as that. Again, even a whole pack just takes minutes to dye green, not an hour. See my post in the EE on LBT ACU pack dyed green. That dye job took about 15 minutes, tops. But that was with HOT dye solution, and constant agitation, using rubber gloves and tongs/spatulas. (Giving myself an exception about mentioning an item for sale outside the EE because it is directly pertinent, and also a great illustration of what a poster needs to know). Finally, some pix of early experiments, with comments. Pic 1) Below is a pack dyed with straight Rit Dk Green; note the undyed ACU item atop the dyed pack. This pic was taken with a different, and much better camera than following pix, and is a very good representation of how the item appears to the eye. Pic taken in the shade. Pic 2) All the items in the pic below were dyed with straight Rit Dark Green dye. The left side of the picture is more properly exposed than the right side, and consequently the ACU items, in real life are similar to the colors on the left side of the pic. 3-Color Desert item came out more-or-less greenish khaki, a bit like coyote tan. Sling shown was originally light tan, and straps at the very top of the pack on the right were originally white. Pic 3) Items in the pic below were initially UCP, and dyed with straight Rit Apple Green dye. In reality, all the items appear darker and much greener than in the pic. Some close-ups of the Apple green items tomorrow. Pic 4) Same items, but from a different perspective. Note the difference between shade and direct light, which makes a big difference to the camera, but not so much to the eye. Again, much darker and greener to the eye. Tomorrow: How to dye UCP items brown[/i]. They said it couldn't be done. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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Looks good RAF! When I finally get my vacation next month I'm going to have to post some pics of the kit I've dyed as well. I have some DCU/ACU stuff that I hit with "Kelley Green" and it came out a bit more..."mint" than I would have preferred. On the other hand, just regular brown dye did an awesome job on my DCU triple-mag USGI shingles and they practically look Coyote now.
And then there's the poor, poor 16-shell USGI shotgun panels in UCP I tried to dye green. I used so much they practically look black, and the water was so hot the glue used in sealing the edges melted. Ah well, live and learn |
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Originally Posted By raf:
I've been experimenting with dyeing the terrible ACU pattern of issued MOLLE gear, as well as 3-color Desert, with various colors of Rit dye. With surplus and commercial UCP items being everywhere, and usually cheap, it seemed like a good idea. What with the Army's eventual switching-over to another camo pattern, UCP items will probably come down in price compared to today's cost. Besides, companies like London Bridge and Tactical Tailor have occasional sales on UCP items, often at a significant discount. Why not take advantage of the situation? First, Rit's site:www.ritdye.com Lots of good info there. Click the "Techniques" button, then "Basics" and "Tips For Success" buttons. Read up. Reading the instructions is seldom time wasted. Remember: One can dye light colors darker, but never dark colors lighter. In dyeing UCP camo, the greatest color absorption will be in the lightest areas, tapering-off as the original camo colors get darker. The darker areas will often take on a color tint of the dye used, but they will also get a bit darker. So, the trick is to dye UCP with fairly light colors so as to obtain some contrast between light and dark areas. I've switched from Rit Dk Green to Apple Green for just this reason. Next, some inexpensive, sacrificial test pouches:http://www.unclesamsretailoutlet.com/MOLLE-II-ACU-Pocket-Set-8465015247624-p/869.htm. If you're going to experiment, why destroy something useful, more costly, or potentially saleable/tradable? Disclaimer: no financial interest. Note: all dyeing was done in a 3-gal enameled stock pot bought at a thrift store. Water was brought to a near boil, and then dyeing commenced. As per Rit, Vinegar was added to the dye solution, since nylon was being dyed (Add salt for cotton blend fabrics). Finally, some pix of early experiments, with comments. Below is a pack dyed with straight Rit Dk Green; note the undyed ACU item atop the dyed pack. This pic was taken with a different, and much better camera than following pix, and is a very good representation of how the item appears to the eye. Pic taken in the shade. http://www.ar15.com/media/viewFile.html?i=66585 All the items in the pic below were dyed with straight Rit Dark Green dye. The left side of the picture is more properly exposed than the right side, and consequently the ACU items, in real life are similar to the colors on the left side of the pic. 3-Color Desert item came out more-or-less greenish khaki, a bit like coyote tan. Sling shown was originally light tan, and straps at the very top of the pack on the right were originally white. http://www.ar15.com/media/viewFile.html?i=36024 Items in the pic below were initially UCP, and dyed with straight Rit Apple Green dye. In reality, all the items appear darker and much greener than in the pic. Some close-ups of the Apple green items tomorrow. http://www.ar15.com/media/viewFile.html?i=53000 Same items, but from a different perspective. Note the difference between shade and direct light, which makes a big difference to the camera, but not so much to the eye. Again, much darker and greener to the eye. http://www.ar15.com/media/viewFile.html?i=53001 Tomorrow: How to dye UCP items brown. They said it couldn't be done. View Quote raf...the first photo looks fantastic. It looks like Foliage Green. Now, time to get a 3 gal pot. They should be available in some .99 cent stores somewhere. |
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NRA Life Member
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That looks good.
FYI-PSA DO NOT DYE on the kitchen stove and use a paint stirring stick to move items in a pan. What happens is the article flips off the stick and the stick springs backwards flinging black dye onto the walls, the carpet, kitchen towels and into the laundry room. It's a real pain to search for the identical color being the house was painted 12 years ago. Good thing my wife is away for the week. PS. I did find a color and it matches almost perfect. You really have to look to see the new paint vs. the old. |
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Originally Posted By HotHolster:
That looks good. FYI-PSA DO NOT DYE on the kitchen stove and use a paint stirring stick to move items in a pan. What happens is the article flips off the stick and the stick springs backwards flinging black dye onto the walls, the carpet, kitchen towels and into the laundry room. It's a real pain to search for the identical color being the house was painted 12 years ago. Good thing my wife is away for the week. PS. I did find a color and it matches almost perfect. You really have to look to see the new paint vs. the old. View Quote Taped-up old newspapers can be your friend. Long rubber/latex gloves are often useful. Some straight bleach may remove some dye stains. I use long (barbecue) stainless steel spatulas and spoons (the ones with holes/slits are preferred) to stir and manipulate the dyeing items. When removing items from the dye bath, two implements are better than one, and have a small tote right next to the dyeing pot so you can drain the item over the dyeing pot, and transfer to the empty tote for transfer to the rinsing station, usually the stainless steel kitchen sink. Rinse thoroughly. It is hard to overdo the rinsing part. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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Originally Posted By raf:
Tomorrow: How to dye UCP items brown. They said it couldn't be done. View Quote This I am looking forward too. Thanks for doing the leg work on this, raf. ~Augee |
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I've got some tan Rit dye sitting on my dresser just waiting for when I've got some free time. I've got an Interceptor carrier that I snagged at a pawn shop in UCP that I've been assembling to my liking. The yoke is the only part that had Kevlar in it but Ive been able to modify a level II panel to fit the split front. It came with the groin and underarm add one too. I'll be testing the dye on the underarm pockets first.
I'm looking forward to your results RAF. |
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I wonder how they would take black RIT dye, might be a little purple looking .
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Take your kids to the range with you EVERY TIME.
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Originally Posted By raf:
Taped-up old newspapers can be your friend. Long rubber/latex gloves are often useful. Some straight bleach may remove some dye stains. I use long (barbecue) stainless steel spatulas and spoons (the ones with holes/slits are preferred) to stir and manipulate the dyeing items. When removing items from the dye bath, two implements are better than one, and have a small tote right next to the dyeing pot so you can drain the item over the dyeing pot, and transfer to the empty tote for transfer to the rinsing station, usually the stainless steel kitchen sink. Rinse thoroughly. It is hard to overdo the rinsing part. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By raf:
Originally Posted By HotHolster:
That looks good. FYI-PSA DO NOT DYE on the kitchen stove and use a paint stirring stick to move items in a pan. What happens is the article flips off the stick and the stick springs backwards flinging black dye onto the walls, the carpet, kitchen towels and into the laundry room. It's a real pain to search for the identical color being the house was painted 12 years ago. Good thing my wife is away for the week. PS. I did find a color and it matches almost perfect. You really have to look to see the new paint vs. the old. Taped-up old newspapers can be your friend. Long rubber/latex gloves are often useful. Some straight bleach may remove some dye stains. I use long (barbecue) stainless steel spatulas and spoons (the ones with holes/slits are preferred) to stir and manipulate the dyeing items. When removing items from the dye bath, two implements are better than one, and have a small tote right next to the dyeing pot so you can drain the item over the dyeing pot, and transfer to the empty tote for transfer to the rinsing station, usually the stainless steel kitchen sink. Rinse thoroughly. It is hard to overdo the rinsing part. Another reason why I have an outdoor propane gas stove which I use to cook / fry fishes which splatters a lot of cooking oil. Thanks for the tips. Need to read and understand more on how to calculate the ratio of putting vinegar. |
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NRA Life Member
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Originally Posted By raf:
Taped-up old newspapers can be your friend. Long rubber/latex gloves are often useful. Some straight bleach may remove some dye stains. I use long (barbecue) stainless steel spatulas and spoons (the ones with holes/slits are preferred) to stir and manipulate the dyeing items. When removing items from the dye bath, two implements are better than one, and have a small tote right next to the dyeing pot so you can drain the item over the dyeing pot, and transfer to the empty tote for transfer to the rinsing station, usually the stainless steel kitchen sink. Rinse thoroughly. It is hard to overdo the rinsing part. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By raf:
Originally Posted By HotHolster:
That looks good. FYI-PSA DO NOT DYE on the kitchen stove and use a paint stirring stick to move items in a pan. What happens is the article flips off the stick and the stick springs backwards flinging black dye onto the walls, the carpet, kitchen towels and into the laundry room. It's a real pain to search for the identical color being the house was painted 12 years ago. Good thing my wife is away for the week. PS. I did find a color and it matches almost perfect. You really have to look to see the new paint vs. the old. Taped-up old newspapers can be your friend. Long rubber/latex gloves are often useful. Some straight bleach may remove some dye stains. I use long (barbecue) stainless steel spatulas and spoons (the ones with holes/slits are preferred) to stir and manipulate the dyeing items. When removing items from the dye bath, two implements are better than one, and have a small tote right next to the dyeing pot so you can drain the item over the dyeing pot, and transfer to the empty tote for transfer to the rinsing station, usually the stainless steel kitchen sink. Rinse thoroughly. It is hard to overdo the rinsing part. Thanks for the info. I didn't take Murphy's Law into consideration when I took on the project. |
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Thanks for the test. I am mulling over dyeing a foliage green pack right now in dark green. It's hard to tell but would you say the FG parts came out like olive?
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Originally Posted By csrevenant:
Thanks for the test. I am mulling over dyeing a foliage green pack right now in dark green. It's hard to tell but would you say the FG parts came out like olive? View Quote More like foliage green, I would say. Maybe a tinch greener, overall, then typical foliage green. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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Originally Posted By battleshipgrey:
I've got some tan Rit dye sitting on my dresser just waiting for when I've got some free time. I've got an Interceptor carrier that I snagged at a pawn shop in UCP that I've been assembling to my liking. The yoke is the only part that had Kevlar in it but Ive been able to modify a level II panel to fit the split front. It came with the groin and underarm add one too. I'll be testing the dye on the underarm pockets first. I'm looking forward to your results RAF. View Quote Hold off on using the tan dye by itself. Comes out quite orange, while using brown comes out reddish. Neither, alone, is useful on nylon UCP gear. Stay tuned. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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Originally Posted By raf:
More like foliage green, I would say. Maybe a tinch greener, overall, then typical foliage green. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By raf:
Originally Posted By csrevenant:
Thanks for the test. I am mulling over dyeing a foliage green pack right now in dark green. It's hard to tell but would you say the FG parts came out like olive? More like foliage green, I would say. Maybe a tinch greener, overall, then typical foliage green. Interesting. I ordered some yellow and tan dye to mix with the green, and I might experiment with it if I get brave. Also, does the dark green dye have a blueish spruce type color? Or is that just my screen? |
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this is a tag for future.
Can you show members your soaking set up and have you tried leather dyes at all? |
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"Bombing Islamic Extremists is never a waste of money.
Go back to money school." -WSTTE bombing the terrorists thread Originally Posted By Mister_H |
"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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Thank you Raf. I found a pack in the back of a closet of unknown orgin. It's a cheap pack in UCP that I have really been trying to find a use for but it sticks out like a sore thumb here in the desert. Getting it browned up might encourage me to actually DO something with it. NC Star pack in UCP is something I never would have bought. It is still a mystery where this thing came from.
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I've got an old red/black Lowe Alpine pack I've been considering dyeing all-black with Rite. The fabric soaks moisture up like a sponge so I know it wouldn't resist the dye. Any advice?
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http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1604816_Gentle_Propositions____BOOK_IS_LIVE_ON_AMAZON___.html
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Originally Posted By RTUtah:
I've got an old red/black Lowe Alpine pack I've been considering dyeing all-black with Rite. The fabric soaks moisture up like a sponge so I know it wouldn't resist the dye. Any advice? View Quote I haven't tried dyeing red material, nor do I have much experience with using black dye alone. I imagine that the worst that could happen is that it would darken the red. I'd go to the Rit site, and use twice the amount of dye they suggest for the weight of your pack. Let it sit for a long time, and stir often. After you've rinsed the thing but good, then let dry. Apply the appropriate waterproofing stuff to the pack, which you can get from McNett or NikWax. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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Originally Posted By csrevenant:
Interesting. I ordered some yellow and tan dye to mix with the green, and I might experiment with it if I get brave. Also, does the dark green dye have a blueish spruce type color? Or is that just my screen? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By csrevenant:
Originally Posted By raf:
Originally Posted By csrevenant:
Thanks for the test. I am mulling over dyeing a foliage green pack right now in dark green. It's hard to tell but would you say the FG parts came out like olive? More like foliage green, I would say. Maybe a tinch greener, overall, then typical foliage green. Interesting. I ordered some yellow and tan dye to mix with the green, and I might experiment with it if I get brave. Also, does the dark green dye have a blueish spruce type color? Or is that just my screen? The color balance on your screen might be a little off. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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raf...are you using liquid or powder Rit? Do either of them make any difference? What is your preferred choice? Thanks.
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NRA Life Member
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Originally Posted By dasboots:
raf...are you using liquid or powder Rit? Do either of them make any difference? What is your preferred choice? Thanks. View Quote I've used both. No difference except that one bottle of liquid dye is the equivalent to two boxes. So, it's cheaper to use the liquid, all other things being equal. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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After reading through the Techniques / Tips For Success, I take our gears use vinegar instead of salt. Rinse to remove all dyes. Hang to dry. No further need for machine wash.
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NRA Life Member
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Fwiw I used rit taupe on acu condor pouches and an issue grenade pouch. The condor pouches barely changed color and the grenade pouch is almost black. I used vinegar, and a whole bottle of taupe in a big stock pot for an hour.
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Originally Posted By scrub74:
Fwiw I used rit taupe on acu condor pouches and an issue grenade pouch. The condor pouches barely changed color and the grenade pouch is almost black. I used vinegar, and a whole bottle of taupe in a big stock pot for an hour. View Quote There can be some differences in how the dye "takes" to the material amongst articles from different gear mfrs I presume this is because the material used by various mfrs differs slightly. The material used by, say, SDS and other Berry-compliant mfrs is probably much more alike compared to foreign-made material. This is not to say that the foreign-made material is necessarily inferior to domestic material, but slightly different in some cases. SDS, Paraclete, and Tac Tailor show some very slight differences in taking the dye . As with reloading, best to segregate items from the different mfrs, and dye items from the same mfr all at the same time. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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Did I miss the part on dyeing coyote/sand to turn closest to foliage green?
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NRA Life Member
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Coming soon: The perfect shade of green for ACU, and Coyote Brown based on 3-color desert--or at least close to it.
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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Originally Posted By Augee:
Such teasers! ~Augee View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Augee:
Originally Posted By raf:
Coming soon: The perfect shade of green for ACU, and Coyote Brown based on 3-color desert. Such teasers! ~Augee Stuff is just rinsed and drying as I type. Need to let it dry out 100% and take pix. This stuff takes time my friend. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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tag
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I'm fluent in three languages: English, sarcasm and profanity.
He looked around, and death was standing behind him, who said, "Follow me. The hour of your departure from this world has come." |
Great writeup and can't wait for Perfection.
Have you tried to remove color and redye items? |
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Has anyone thought to look at this stuff in IR?
Just curious. It would kinda suck if it was brightened/highly visible. |
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"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity" --- Sigmond Freud, General Introduction to Psychoanalysis
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Originally Posted By Former11BRAVO:
Has anyone thought to look at this stuff in IR? Just curious. It would kinda suck if it was brightened/highly visible. View Quote I've read some other overviews of using RIT dye and the conclusion was it didn't change the IR properties of the material. That may be dye color dependent, though. |
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Originally Posted By oversteer:
I've read some other overviews of using RIT dye and the conclusion was it didn't change the IR properties of the material. That may be dye color dependent, though. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By oversteer:
Originally Posted By Former11BRAVO:
Has anyone thought to look at this stuff in IR? Just curious. It would kinda suck if it was brightened/highly visible. I've read some other overviews of using RIT dye and the conclusion was it didn't change the IR properties of the material. That may be dye color dependent, though. I started a thread on the subject in the NV forum on this Site, and the conclusions were as the above poster says. So far, NO observable/posted negative results to using Rit dye on otherwise GTG gear/garments. If the gear/garments have been washed with non-GTG detergents with optical brighteners, then all bets are off. Have yet to see pix of clothes/gear washed with NG detergents, and subsequently dyed. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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Originally Posted By oversteer:
Great writeup and can't wait for Perfection. Have you tried to remove color and redye items? View Quote Forget about color removal. I've tried everything, including 25% bleach/water solution with agitation. It removes a little bit, but nowhere near enough to start from scratch. The best you can hope for is to re-dye after bleaching, and go MUCH darker, and that usually winds up being very nearly black. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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Originally Posted By raf:
There can be some differences in how the dye "takes" to the material amongst articles from different gear mfrs I presume this is because the material used by various mfrs differs slightly. The material used by, say, SDS and other Berry-compliant mfrs is probably much more alike compared to foreign-made material. This is not to say that the foreign-made material is necessarily inferior to domestic material, but slightly different in some cases. SDS, Paraclete, and Tac Tailor show some very slight differences in taking the dye . As with reloading, best to segregate items from the different mfrs, and dye items from the same mfr all at the same time. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By raf:
Originally Posted By scrub74:
Fwiw I used rit taupe on acu condor pouches and an issue grenade pouch. The condor pouches barely changed color and the grenade pouch is almost black. I used vinegar, and a whole bottle of taupe in a big stock pot for an hour. There can be some differences in how the dye "takes" to the material amongst articles from different gear mfrs I presume this is because the material used by various mfrs differs slightly. The material used by, say, SDS and other Berry-compliant mfrs is probably much more alike compared to foreign-made material. This is not to say that the foreign-made material is necessarily inferior to domestic material, but slightly different in some cases. SDS, Paraclete, and Tac Tailor show some very slight differences in taking the dye . As with reloading, best to segregate items from the different mfrs, and dye items from the same mfr all at the same time. I've seen radically different results just dying stuff from a single manufacturer. Surplus desert MOLLE II pouch with RIT dark green. The back half of the pouch came out a light lime green and the front came out a very deep bluish green. It was stirred regularly while dying, no added salt or vinegar. Seemed to me to be a bit of a crap shoot. |
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I've seen radically different results just dying stuff from a single manufacturer. Surplus desert MOLLE II pouch with RIT dark green. The back half of the pouch came out a light lime green and the front came out a very deep bluish green. It was stirred regularly while dying, no added salt or vinegar. Seemed to me to be a bit of a crap shoot. View Quote I did a couple of Coyote double mag pouches awhile back. If I recall I did use vinegar, but the pouches were all done identically. Same amount of agitation, saturation, time in bath, etc. Surprisingly they came out ranging in various shades of dark green. Not complaining, they look much better on my right and mix well with my woodland pouches. So I agree, kinda of a crap shoot. |
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Originally Posted By Iram: I've seen radically different results just dying stuff from a single manufacturer. Surplus desert MOLLE II pouch with RIT dark green. The back half of the pouch came out a light lime green and the front came out a very deep bluish green.
It was stirred regularly while dying, no added salt or vinegar. Seemed to me to be a bit of a crap shoot. View Quote Was it faded on one side from use? Some of my ACU uniforms have faded noticably. |
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Watch this space. In the meantime - be evil.
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Rit Taupe dye is to retain closest to brown. I take it that to convert from coyote/sand/desert to Foliage is to use more Dark Green.
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NRA Life Member
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Really looking forward to the results of UCP and Taupe dye.
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Originally Posted By dasboots:
Rit Taupe dye is to retain closest to brown. I take it that to convert from coyote/sand/desert to Foliage is to use more Dark Green. View Quote I would begin with Rit Dk Green dye, and go from there if dyeing 3-color desert items and if one wants a color close to foliage. It is simpler to use UCP items and Rit Dk Green to get a foliage-like color. though. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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Originally Posted By raf:
Another poster already posted such pix on Pg 1 of this thread. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By raf:
Originally Posted By RifleCal30m1n00b:
Really looking forward to the results of UCP and Taupe dye. Another poster already posted such pix on Pg 1 of this thread. Yeah, I was just wondering if you'd had success. And hoping to see your results. Also, I forgot about the posting on the first page Thanks for the reminder. |
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Originally Posted By RifleCal30m1n00b:
Yeah, I was just wondering if you'd had success. And hoping to see your results. Also, I forgot about the posting on the first page Thanks for the reminder. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By RifleCal30m1n00b:
Originally Posted By raf:
Originally Posted By RifleCal30m1n00b:
Really looking forward to the results of UCP and Taupe dye. Another poster already posted such pix on Pg 1 of this thread. Yeah, I was just wondering if you'd had success. And hoping to see your results. Also, I forgot about the posting on the first page Thanks for the reminder. Looking at the photographs on the first page, I'm wondering if there might be a combination that would: a) get UCP looking a little darker and "brownier" like a proper "coyote" b) remove some of the contrast between the different colors and the pattern less visible ~Augee |
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Originally Posted By Augee:
Looking at the photographs on the first page, I'm wondering if there might be a combination that would: a) get UCP looking a little darker and "brownier" like a proper "coyote" b) remove some of the contrast between the different colors and the pattern less visible ~Augee View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Augee:
Originally Posted By RifleCal30m1n00b:
Originally Posted By raf:
Originally Posted By RifleCal30m1n00b:
Really looking forward to the results of UCP and Taupe dye. Another poster already posted such pix on Pg 1 of this thread. Yeah, I was just wondering if you'd had success. And hoping to see your results. Also, I forgot about the posting on the first page Thanks for the reminder. Looking at the photographs on the first page, I'm wondering if there might be a combination that would: a) get UCP looking a little darker and "brownier" like a proper "coyote" b) remove some of the contrast between the different colors and the pattern less visible ~Augee I doubt it. The darkest areas of UCP will always be dark, but will change a bit from dk foliage to dark brown. Most of the change will occur in the lightest areas if UCP. I think it perfectly feasible to dye UCP so that it is eminently compatible with Coyote brown, but the pattern will always show through unless one dyes the thing chocolate brown, which would be going too far, IMHO. With the exception of Taupe, all the tans and various browns offered by Rit turn out WAY too reddish. So, we are apparently stuck with Taupe as a basis for experimentation--at least for now. Right now, a bagful of UCP grenade pouches is on sale at USRO. Buy a bag and experiment. Post your results here, please. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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Thanks for putting in all this work, raf.
Have you tried to go back over something you've already dyed green with taupe or some other dye to try to make it brown? I'm wondering if you could get it the shade of green you like then kind of do a tie-dye with brown to get a woodland-like camo... (Also just out of curiosity, do you actually use all these pouches or just use them as cheap sacrificial material to experiment on?) |
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