walnut dye

[fort fireman]

I'm not sure if this is where this should go or the craftsman forum but here it goes. I recently got a 5 gallon bucket full of black walnuts still in the green hulls. Would someone describe the ins and outs of dyeing with them and also some of the pitflls. Thanks in advanced and if this needs to be moved have at it. Andy.

 

[Billnpatti]

I just googled "Black Walnut Dye" and came up with several recipes for making dye from walnuts. Give it a try as there are several different recipes and you can end up with several different shades. Pick the one you like and go for it.

 

[ohio ramrod]

The trouble I had with home made walnut dyes was inconsistancy. Maybe I didn't get it filtered properly, but I had dark spots all through the cloth. On wood I could rub out the dark spots but for cloth I gave up using it.

 

[gbsclohn]

I took a 5 gallon bucket of walnuts in the hulls and put it in an old pillowcase and tied off the top and left a long tag end.
I took a old cast iron washpot and boiled water in it.
I put the bag full of hulls into a brand new trash can and left the tag end of the rope hanging outside.
I filled the trash can 3/4 full of boiling water and put the lid on it and let it steep for several weeks.
I pulled the bag out and the liquid was clean and ready to dye with.
Hope this helps.
Greg Lohn

 

[necchi]

I'm not sure if this is where this should go or the craftsman forum but here it goes. I recently got a 5 gallon bucket full of black walnuts still in the green hulls. Would someone describe the ins and outs of dyeing with them and also some of the pitflls. Thanks in advanced and if this needs to be moved have at it. Andy.

The color is actually in the hull. It doesn't matter if it's green or dried for a year and pulverized, or sloppy wet/moldy,, with or with-out the shell and/or nut, the color is in the hull.
It's a natural water based stain. The consentration of the color is directly related to the amount of hull vrs water.
If you got a 5 gal bucket of green walnut, you got the fixins to make a good quart of usefull stain.
There are several ways to do it, like the other gent said "google",,you'll find as many way's as there are patch and lube!
You fill that bucket with water and let it soak for a day. then toss it all in a big stock pot and bring it to a boil,poke and stir,mash it some,add water if needed. Let that mess set over night. The next day I re-heat the mash and strain it to another pot through an old t-shirt. That usually takes another night.
Now I'm on the 3rd day, all the big chunks of hull, shell and nut have been removed, I bring it to a boil again, the longer you boil off the water this time,,the higher the concentrate of color. It's up to you,, you can add water later. Strain it again in to small jars.

Down side;;; the untreated mixture of concentrate WILL pick up natural arobic molds very quickly!! The mold does not affect the color,,it's just icky to work with. the best way to avoid the mold is to refrigerate,,or preserve by canning when it's still hot from the 2nd boil and straining..
You WILL end up with a lovely walnut hue to your fingers for a few day's,, it'll fade.
I've used my homemade walnut stain on leathers and wood and clothing items..they alway's seem to get a comment,,"Where'd you get that color?"

Brain tan buckskin knife sheath,,$20
Brain tan buckskin Walnut stain knife sheath,,$40 :wink:

 

[dyemaker]

It is colorfast and may not even need mordants depending on what you dye.

I was reading about a traditional Japanese dye too. You mash unripe persimmon fruits and ferment the juice and then age it a couple years. There were insructions online. The colors darken with age using persimmon dye. That way you would be sure your color never fades. It is high in tannins and coats the materials with a water resistant film which might make it useful as an overdye. I forgot what the persimmon dye was called. Kakishibu?? Anyway, I thought it might be of use for flytying materials.

Of course natural genetic rooster and hen capes are always best but they are hard to find sometimes and expensive too. Walnut husk dye with maybe a tidbit of some type of (Maroon) natural dye combined might just make a nice "Coachman brown" color for Coachman fly patterns. Maybe even an overdye of persimmon dye to maybe make it water resistant. I don't like the idea of acid dyes at all, especially on feathers for obvious reasons. I should experiment with this idea instead of talking about it.
:hmm: