dyeing spinnaker

[patrscoe]

I purchased a second hand A-spinnaker to use as a spare and to be used in heavier winds, as it is heavier than my newer A-spinnaker, used for very light winds.
It is white and green, and I would like to dye the spinnaker one solid color. I have read up on this and some say you can with RIT (for synthetic material) and some say you cannot. I do understand you cannot dye Darcon but people dye nylon with RIT.

Has anyone have experience with this with good results? I certainly would hate to destroy a good second hand sail.
Thanks!

 

[Christian Williams]

Although I am not afraid of dyeing, and fear nothing in this world or the next:

I would worry that the current white and green would, even if successfully dyed, make an undesirable contrast in their new rendering And that the dye might come off, no matter testimony to contrary. But of course I'd probably still try it, on a scrap of similar material, because it's a cool idea.

Then I would probably stop and wonder how, a spinnaker being pretty big, I would get a bucket large enough to contain a large quantity of such a dye, and how I would go about not dyeing myself.

I put on too much ManTan in 1963, and dyed my face orange before an important date. The memory lingers. I was orange for a week, which was hard to hide. Stopped traffic, it did. Lingering psycho scars. So factor that into value of my counsel.

 

[patrscoe]

I hear you Christian. Many variables. Even testing a small piece may not reflect a 1000 sf sail.
It makes sense that it would work on paper as many people dye nylon from jackets to covers but I don't know enough about fabric to say for sure.
... what's that saying, 'man makes a plan, God laughs'.

 

[goldenstate]

I hear you Christian. Many variables. Even testing a small piece may not reflect a 1000 sf sail.
It makes sense that it would work on paper as many people dye nylon from jackets to covers but I don't know enough about fabric to say for sure.
... what's that saying, 'man makes a plan, God laughs'.

I would buy or borrow a plastic garbage can for the process and make peace with the potential for a “Grateful Dead at the Garden” tie-dye type outcome.

Actually, I would probably keep it as is and remember how much money I saved buying used every time it billows up.