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Asymmetrical Color

2K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  hellosailor 
#1 ·
Has anyone tried coloring/dyeing light spinnaker fabric? Is it even possible to spruce up the color of a sail?
 
#2 · (Edited)
IMPOSSIBLE !!!!! Nylon fibers, including the nylon used for spinnakers, is 'solution dyed' ... meaning that the dye is IN the chemical mix before the fibers are formed. If you attempt to dye nylon fabric, it will only 'fall off' or quickly 'wash off' and look worse than before when you started.
There are processes that can dye nylon after the formation of the fiber, but these are not suitable for a "DIY in a tub" type of dyeing. Ditto for most common dacron polyesters.

Painting nylon (god forbid) is even worse than attempted dyeing and has the potential to break the nylon fibers as well as to soon detach and 'fall off' the fibers. ;-)

What causes the rapid fade-out of nylon fabrics is UV light within sunlight. So if you want to keep good color hue in your spinnaker only expose it to sunlight for as brief periods as possible, otherwise the fabric will fade and rapidly weaken.
 
#4 ·
Logos, sail number, draft stripes are usually by laser cut pre-adhesive backed "Insignia Cloth".

For artwork, I usually cut and slash and seam-in the artwork ... so it has the same 'translucency' from either side of the spinnaker that is viewed. Appliqué for details.
 
#5 ·
That's what I thought. Have never had much luck dyeing anything, even cotton. Researching on the internet, there are no links to any successful sail dyeing attempts, nor are there any companies that do sail dyeing. The sail will just have to stay light blue.
 
#7 ·
You can also PAINT sailcloth. If it is clean and dry and you get a paint with good adhesion, applied lightly.

Somewhere I saw an article about that, with photos of the great results. Could easily be five or more years ago but it was being done. A design, or a logo, but not wholesale solid panels on a sail.

smurph, maybe you could get some nice elderly oriental ladies H1-B visas to embroider red and gold dragons on that sail? (G)
 
#8 ·
I like the embroidery idea:) but am sure the sail would suffer irreparable damage if I tried paint. They used to have paint to restore old plastic interior car panels which is probably similar. That stuff NEVER worked, was blotchy and made an old car worse than it was to begin with. Spinnaker cloth is so thin paint would probably double its weight. I suppose could sew in some designs with colored sailcloth but that is so low on the priority list as to be not on the list. The sail is a nice "Flasher," a British asymmetrical and works nicely so I don't want to ruin it.The official site of UK Sailmakers Lofts Worldwide - Cruising Spinnaker It must be the only one ever made in Boring Baby Blue:)
 
#9 ·
Actually I've used the vinyl interior paint, in a spray can from Duplicolor, and it held up very well for 15+ years. Don't know which product you used. And just had a steering wheel repaired, the original turned out to be vinyl "painted" and brake fluid attacked it. (Don't ask.) The interior guy resprayed it, and it looks like new.

"Puffy Paint" would adhere well. So would Glitter Glue. Lots of little mirrored spangles, like a back-country bus in India? (VBG)
 
#10 ·
Dye sublimation printing will work extremely well on polyester. You cant scratch or bleach this out so be sure you get your design right. There are lots of places that can do this for you or printers and ink are available online. Apply with a heat press. Wouldnt want to do a spinnaker like this but fine for insignias and small stuff depending on sail material. Can be used on natural fibers as well but tends to bleed when applied to cotton
 
#13 ·
Don't recall the name, but yes, there is a spray to recolor interior carpets & upholstery as well. For the matter...I suppose red wine, pomegranate juice, and a few other things are infamous at dying anything. Forever. Despite whatever Mssrs. Proctor & Gamble might have to say to the contrary.(G)
 
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