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Author Topic: Black Walnut Dye Questions  (Read 2720 times)

Offline Oldetexian

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Black Walnut Dye Questions
« on: September 27, 2019, 09:51:55 PM »
Just brought home about a half trashcan full of Black Walnuts. Plan on trying my luck at making some dye. Dumped all the nuts into plastic buckets full of water so they can soak for a couple weeks. After that is done I plan on boiling everything for an hour of so.

After all of that I should have some decent dye...at least that's the plan. I do have a couple questions, however.

1. Should I put shirts into mixture while it is boiling?
2. What should I use to help set the dye so it doesn't wash out?

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Offline doggoner

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Re: Black Walnut Dye Questions
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2019, 06:38:38 PM »
Try these.
http://pioneerthinking.com/crafts/natural-dyes#more-254
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Natural-Dyes
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ethnobotany/dyes.shtml

They may get you started on the road to natural dyes. By the by Salt is one of the best mordants (sp:) Good luck. It can get to a "colorful" experience.

doggoner

P.S. sorry for the bad pun. Couldn't resist.
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Offline Uncle Russ

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Re: Black Walnut Dye Questions
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2019, 03:45:26 PM »
Try these.
http://pioneerthinking.com/crafts/natural-dyes#more-254
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Natural-Dyes
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ethnobotany/dyes.shtml

They may get you started on the road to natural dyes. By the by Salt is one of the best mordants (sp:) Good luck. It can get to a "colorful" experience.

doggoner

P.S. sorry for the bad pun. Couldn't resist.

 
 "A very colorful experience" is exactly how my own first  experience turned out with Black Walnut dye
I somehow made a mess out of the whole deal!....something I did not want to happen was a tye-dye effect, and although I had washed that old frock twice, and rinsed it three times, both the left side and the right side at waist level simply refuse to take color.
Sometime later I figured out the places that wouldn't take color was exactly where my dirty hands would have touched, and somewhere along the line I had gotten Beeswax and/or lube on those areas and practically water-proofed those areas.....enough so that even boiling water didn't get it out.
I am certainly no expert in this area but I would strongly suggest that preparation of the garment is likely the real key to success in dying about anything.
Back 25 or 30 years ago, it seems a handful of Rock Salt was thought to be the best for "setting the color".
I have no clue what is the best way to do all this is, but I do believe a "perfectly clean" garment will get you off to a good start.

It's the many things we don't do that totally sets us apart.
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Re: Black Walnut Dye Questions
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2019, 05:15:59 PM »
Uncle Russ is on the money with the rock salt, or.. any uniodized salt, ( at least a cup) you need a mordant to set the color and salt is a traditional mordant, add to the dye while boiling, then rinse in cold water several times then into the dryer to set , good luck and post a pic when your done, we like pics!
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Offline Oldetexian

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Re: Black Walnut Dye Questions
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2019, 10:36:17 AM »
 :hairy As always, appreciate the good feedback. I like the sound of using rock salt as a mordant and will definitely do that. Will also make sure my items to be dyed are as clean as I can get them.

And as fur pics...if I can learn to get them small enough I will post them...
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Offline Uncle Russ

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Re: Black Walnut Dye Questions
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2019, 06:43:25 PM »
:hairy As always, appreciate the good feedback. I like the sound of using rock salt as a mordant and will definitely do that. Will also make sure my items to be dyed are as clean as I can get them.

And as fur pics...if I can learn to get them small enough I will post them...
Ray, as far as pictures......
Most of us learned several years ago that in order to get good pictures on the forum, we had to use a "host".
I had used Photo Bucket for my "host" for many years until they went haywire several years back. Since then I have used Imgur.
They are free, and the best, in my own humble opinion.
Imgur.com

It's a very simple process, plus you can have files pertaining to subjects you most post about.

You can google it, or maybe try the link I just gave you.
I'm on my tablet right now and can't see it, but it's something you may want to think about.
It's the many things we don't do that totally sets us apart.
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Offline Oldetexian

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Re: Black Walnut Dye Questions
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2019, 06:53:31 PM »
Hey Russ. Thanks.Appreciate to suggestion.
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"fiat justitia ruat caelum"
(let justice be done though the heavens fall)

Ray Buchanan