I have an old lightweight drifter which is white. I was wondering if anyone has ever tried dyeing sails. I have two artists in the family and thought it may be fun to have them do some artwork with fabric dye. Any thoughts?
Tommy
Yup paint it, dont dye it.
Especially with Dacron or nylon, DIY dyeing cannot penetrate 'into' the fibers; and, when it rains, you'll be standing ankle deep in 'color' ... and of course the dye doesnt easily come out of the gelcoat if the gel has become porous.
What kind of paint would one use? I too have an old sail that needs some repairs that I was going to pass on doing...... but if I could paint a design on the sail i might undertake the repairs so i could haul it up on occasion. I'm thinking even with one color one could make a pretty striking design.
... and the archive suggested trying "carpet dye".
I did a google and a lot of choices came up. I have a ratty old sail. Might make a fun weekend project to see what happens. But I'd want a few years of actual use data before I tried it on my main.
Nylon accepts "RIT" brand dyes but they fade in the sun after a couple of years. Rinsing the excessive dye from the fabric is essential . Purchase a yard of white nylon from a fabric shop and give it a try and see if you like it.
I doan no, T Frere.. I can see the psychedelic colors on the foredeck and dripping down the sides when ya get hit with that little acid rain stuff coming over from New Orleans ..??
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