# My attempt at gray Elbow Pads.... (sigh) **URL:** \ **Category:** Uniforms\ **Created:** [January 7, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022 "2011-01-07T21:29:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Captain\_SAMerica](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Captain\_SAMerica](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Captain_SAMerica)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/1 "2011-01-07T21:29:39Z")
OK, I don’t really care about how these came out at all. What did I do wrong, or are these ok? These are the Canon Sports Pro series knee pads. Here is the before picture… ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/0/0/00ce38f93068c682bec9acf17790ea7abbe558f0.jpeg) Getting ready to dye. I used 1 packet of BLACK fabric dye & 1/4 cup of salt… ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/d/b/db839f75e109f6b63ac3ada955a23e726905ba58.jpeg) I was told to use REALLY hot water to get the color to be darker, not sure if my faucet was hot enough to I BOILED water… ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/9/6/967061ee27fa48d9230f72c599784c01f20b316c.jpeg) I stirred it constantly for 15 minutes with the pads submerged, then periodically after that. I left the pads in there for 2.5 hours! ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/4/c/4c1379bb73d27af895425cedaeb37dc4b14e6618.jpeg) Ending result? Other peoples pads in the elbow pads thread looked darker then this. This looks really light gray and maybe even a light blue? Hmmmm… Any advice, what went wrong? ---
**Author:** ![BlkMesaHero](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@BlkMesaHero](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/BlkMesaHero)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/2 "2011-01-07T21:38:22Z")
Did you put the belt in to the dye bath too? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_SAMerica](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Captain\_SAMerica](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Captain_SAMerica)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/3 "2011-01-07T21:44:24Z")
Yes, I did. It was just an extra belt I had, and I figured it would look better gray then white. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_SAMerica](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Captain\_SAMerica](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Captain_SAMerica)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/4 "2011-01-07T21:57:13Z")
While it was in the dye bath it looked nice! A real nice dark gray. Afterwards when I rinsed, it seemed like all the gray rinsed right off. And the arm bands are now tan. ??? ---
**Author:** ![Gravedigger138](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/ac8455/32.png) [@Gravedigger138](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Gravedigger138)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/5 "2011-01-07T22:39:50Z")
while you had them in the dye did you ever squeeze them to get all the air out? I did that the 2nd time and it seemed to help with absorbing also fabric paint works wonders especially on the arm band ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_SAMerica](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Captain\_SAMerica](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Captain_SAMerica)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/6 "2011-01-07T22:44:08Z")
Yes I did sqeeze them, a lot. I used black fabric paint and the arm bands look tan. I don’t get it. It’s like the dye just didn’t stick. This happen to anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_SAMerica](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Captain\_SAMerica](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Captain_SAMerica)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/7 "2011-01-08T03:22:39Z")
Get this… So I go to the store to look for a new dye to try. I find this thing called “iDye”. It says it’s a no mess dye, just drop the packet in your washer and that’s it. I tell you this, it sounds like too good to be true B.S. But what the hell, I’ll try anything at this point. Here is what the packet looks like… Here is the before shot again, this is after 2.5 hours in fabric dye… NOW in just 20 minutes in the washer with this iDye, check this out… ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Sleuth](https://forum.gbfans.com/user_avatar/forum.gbfans.com/super_sleuth/32/5853_2.png) [@Super\_Sleuth](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Super_Sleuth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 3:39am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/8 "2011-01-08T03:39:49Z")
I just dyed my pads today too and they came out looking like yours, except I used two packages of the pearl grey rit dye. ---
**Author:** ![Wallabe](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Wallabe](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Wallabe)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/9 "2011-01-08T04:42:57Z")
Black RIT is the way to go. An hour in the stuff Captain used produced the same results. 5 minutes in a high concentration of black RIT came out nearly flawless. Though I will admit the iDye came out very well too. ---
**Author:** ![nick-a-tron](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/fbc32d/32.png) [@nick-a-tron](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/nick-a-tron)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/10 "2011-01-11T00:35:24Z")
Don’t dye them, spraypaint them (which is how the pads in GB2 were colored). Here is how my pads came out using paint… ---
**Author:** ![Vincenzo330](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/8c91f0/32.png) [@Vincenzo330](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Vincenzo330)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/11 "2011-01-11T01:06:03Z")
I used grey primer on a few pairs and they came out fine as well. ---
**Author:** ![BlkMesaHero](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@BlkMesaHero](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/BlkMesaHero)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/12 "2011-01-11T01:09:40Z")
> [@Captain SAMerica](#): > > Yes, I did. It was just an extra belt I had, and I figured it would look better gray then white. [/quote] If that belt is made of Nylon, and it looks like it is, you won’t be able to dye it. Nylon can only be colored in the manufacturing process. ---
**Author:** ![parksdesign](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@parksdesign](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/parksdesign)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/13 "2011-01-11T02:13:38Z")
I used a slate gray sharpie and black rit dye and I’m happy with them. ---
**Author:** ![cowbybill](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@cowbybill](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/cowbybill)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/14 "2011-01-11T02:19:35Z")
There is a spray on fabric dye called “simply Spray” I got it at Joanne Fabrics the stuff works great I have them posted on my profile: [http://www.gbfans.com/control-panel/props/](http://www.gbfans.com/control-panel/props/) hope this helps ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_SAMerica](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Captain\_SAMerica](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Captain_SAMerica)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/15 "2011-01-11T18:53:20Z")
Thanks so much for all your input guys! Before reading many of the new comments, I had already worked on it a little more this past weekend. Simple Spray and spray paint sound like good ideas! I think I should have done it that way, but it might be too late now to use those comparing to where I am in the process… Here is how they came out after that “IDye” attempt (picture in above post went dead) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/a/9/a9a7e9913b463f569d0b0398589882283c812ee9.jpeg) Then when it dried I got it ready for cutting it down… ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/1/f/1f020364d8f8f097172db8bb32050ccd300e8d94.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/6/b/6b4eb0381b0c2a87827917f56e46fd03c8511dee.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/8/a/8a85eeff73578d856bf2990ffa0eef277360ac3e.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/e/9/e96d84172f3a15ad35ba936c49c515bd39c687cf.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/0/5/0556a1facce8dbf16ae4c426d83201efcfca49b7.jpeg) I found an old thin black shirt, and cut it 2.5 inches X 4.5 inches… ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/6/4/648a57488ec13a8833cc276fe953f14bab8aa440.jpeg) Then came sewing time, I HAVE SEWN BEFORE EVER!!! I went to YouTube and took a quick lesson online on how to sew lol! ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/9/8/984761514bc69fc02502bd9f7d01e6a8fbb4effa.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/6/0/6046c973109e26f5164d984a162a98151baa5399.jpeg) And here is the finished product…(Anything else I need to do from here?) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/6/5/651700610185affeda1a7f2f1fbb8e616ee3a3b1.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Carpeteria](https://forum.gbfans.com/user_avatar/forum.gbfans.com/carpeteria/32/4011_2.png) [@Carpeteria](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Carpeteria)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/16 "2011-01-12T04:22:12Z")
Looks good to me. They look exactly like mine. And mine look awesome. ---
**Author:** ![cowbybill](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@cowbybill](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/cowbybill)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 4:26am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/17 "2011-01-12T04:26:26Z")
I actually went the rit dye route first didn’t like them then used that simply spray stuff. How’s the rest of your uniform coming along? ---
**Author:** ![Cyland\_Props](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@Cyland\_Props](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Cyland_Props)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 8:47am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/my-attempt-at-gray-elbow-pads-sigh/30022/18 "2011-01-12T08:47:13Z")
I dyed my first pair then painted the bubble grey My second pair were just painted.