Can You Dye a Nylon Sail ?

[cburger]

Can a nylon sail be died to change color or is what you see what you got?

[NeptunesTrident]

Originally Posted by cburger

Can a nylon sail be died to change color or is what you see what you got?

I don't know, but I bet you can magic marker it any color you want.

[sarafina]

You can. You need an acid based dye for nylon, and it will need to be set in HOT water, simmering. I don't know that a sail would stand for that... and you would need an awfully BIG pot to fit even a smallish sail!

Additionally, unless the sail was impeccably clean and spot free, it will not take the dye evenly so you will have areas of light and dark giving a streaky effect. These dyes can also be painted on. You might have more luck with that, adding colour accents or graphics that could be set with an iron maybe.

I get my dyes at Dharma Trading.

[cburger]

Originally Posted by sarafina

You can. You need an acid based dye for nylon, and it will need to be set in HOT water, simmering. I don't know that a sail would stand for that... and you would need an awfully BIG pot to fit even a smallish sail!

Additionally, unless the sail was impeccably clean and spot free, it will not take the dye evenly so you will have areas of light and dark giving a streaky effect. These dyes can also be painted on. You might have more luck with that, adding colour accents or graphics that could be set with an iron maybe.

I get my dyes at Dharma Trading.

I have a horribly colored spinnaker, very light ripstop, unfortunately the process sounds like it would destroy the sail.

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by cburger

I have a horribly colored spinnaker, very light ripstop, unfortunately the process sounds like it would destroy the sail.

I'm afraid that the simplest, most practical solution is :

Sell spinnaker.
Buy another one in the colour you want.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by cburger

I have a horribly colored spinnaker, very light ripstop, unfortunately the process sounds like it would destroy the sail.

Post a pic? Knowing what color your starting with might produce more creative suggestions.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by sarafina

You can. You need an acid based dye for nylon, and it will need to be set in HOT water, simmering. I don't know that a sail would stand for that... and you would need an awfully BIG pot to fit even a smallish sail!

Additionally, unless the sail was impeccably clean and spot free, it will not take the dye evenly so you will have areas of light and dark giving a streaky effect. These dyes can also be painted on. You might have more luck with that, adding colour accents or graphics that could be set with an iron maybe.

I get my dyes at Dharma Trading.

This is sound advice... or actually a severe admonition. I suspect that "simmering" a kite would drastically change its shape due to shrinkage.

An experiment that you might do: Go by any sailmaker's loft. Look in his scrap barrel and get a scrap of 3/4 ounce spinnaker cloth. "Simmer" it for a while, and then have a good look and feel at it, and check to see if its dimensions have changed (as I believe they will). Consider what such a change would do to your sail.

Life is hard when one buys second hand stuff from tasteless clods!

Cheers,

Jim

[anjou]

All the Nylon family contain molecular cells which are closed and to enable permanent, fade resistant after production dying would require the use of eith acids or alkalydes, and the way they work is to open the molecular assembly which of course starts the destruction of the material

[barnakiel]

Yes, the issue is how long the dye will stay on the sail.

But it seems like rust marks will for ever.

b.