The experiment: Khaki suit to GB2 Charcoal UPDATE!

Equipment Uniforms
1

Well this has been very interesting. If you saw my first thread I got very mixed results with a** 65% Poly** blend Rothco suit, it didn’t take a mass amount of dye and stayed a very smoke gray (which I honestly kinda like).

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With a big thanks mburkit I received a second Rothco suit which also happened to be one with a 65% poly blend.

So I started the experiment again and got drastically different results.

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Ha and here is the final result

No flash:

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With:

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and compared to the first results:

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Some say it could be a little darker others disagree. I think darker probably wouldn’t be bad and maybe a little more blue. But fear not I have another suit coming to try one more time (for now).

If you like this color here is exactly what I did

You’ll need a large sink (I say its about 22") for how I did it but you can probably use something else

Step one: Sink 3/4 full of near boiling water two packets of color remover for 30 mins

remove and rise

Let dry

Step two: Sink filled the same way

2oz Denim dye

2oz navy

4oz black

Soak and stir for about 45 mins

Rinse quickly, squeeze out excess and dry

Step three: Sink half full (I would probably now leave this step out and just go to step 4 but your call)

2oz navy

1/2 oz black

1/2oz denim

soak and stir 15 mins dry

**

UPDATE! SEE BELOW**

step 4:

This last bath was:Sink 3/4 full

4oz Navy

1/2 oz denim

Soak for 30 mins and squeeze excess then dry

Done!

Thanks again to mburkit

I shall return with the second experiment soon

EDIT: This is a good color comparison (new on on right)

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2

The suits are looking great Kev. The magic formula will be found soon. Keep up the good work.

3

Second one looks great! Keep up the good work.

p.s. I kinda like the first one too.

4

Thanks!

Yeah and I do too, its just kind of different.

5

Denim Blue working good for you too. Looks even more close to mine now. Good job.

6

There really isn’t any color difference between ours at all. Unfortunately we are both still too far on the gray side and both maybe a shade to light in certain settings.

I meant to ask what was the blend for yours? Was it 65% poly?

A big key in mine is that they both were (which will be good when I get to test on a Tru spec).

7

Ok last updated on this current 65% rothco

I had some dye left over and figured why the hell not, I was pretty satisfied for the most part and didn’t think it could take more dye. But I didn’t have enough dye to do another suit so I dunked it one more time.

So I never post this so here is a reference shot of what I am going for

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Here is this suits FINAL result I will not dunk it again there will be no point

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This last bath was:Sink 3/4 full

4oz Navy

1/2 oz denim

Soak for 30 mins and squeeze excess then dry

I still think there is in general to much gray which can be seen in some light and I know I can squeeze the process down to be less separate dunks; but I’m very happy with it. So one more suit to go! (for now)

Opinions?

8

Looks pretty good. Spot on to those reference pictures, to other spots on the movie maybe not. But it’s impossible to make one that fulfills it all,.

9

I agree the fabric, dye, and movie lights/film really play with the color they choose. Gotta find the happy medium!

10

Just for clarification (I’ve never dyed anything before)…

What does “rise” mean?

When rinsing and drying, are you using a washing machine for these? Is it possible to do so?

11

I meant rinse…just a typo

Do not rinse in a washer, you could probably dry in a dryer but be prepared to get excess ink all inside the dryer. I did the ole fashion hang dry and hang it in like a shower or outside over something that dye can rinse off of.

12

Thanks a lot man… I’m thinking I might try this this weekend.

13

No problem I look forward to seeing your results

14

Is there a way this can be applied to a khaki TruSpec flight suit? I’m kind of in a bind for this weekend due to the fact my black suit I was going to dye will not arrive on time.

15

Alk, I’d say it probably it could be because Spooky created this method using a 65% poly rothco, Tru Specs are also 65% poly too I believe.

16

Yeah, this should work in theory.

17

Ah Very good. I’ll be sure to post my results (failures :smiley: )

18

There is a very distinct difference between the way the Rothco and Tru-spec suits fibers are woven, though. Tru-specs, after a single wash, absorb dye far differently than Rothcos after repeated washings. They may both be 65% polyester/cotton blends, but Rothcos are more on the polyester side, while, Tru-specs are a more cottony feel. Generally, they absorb better, and less splotchy. So, keep that in mind.

19

Forgive my dye noobness, but what color should the suit be after the color removal step? Its still looks awfully khaki to me. Is this step meant to remove color or just to make the fibers more susceptible to the dye bath?

20

After you did the color remover, did you run the suit underwater to wash out the excess? The water probably didn’t look clear. That means that some of the khaki was removed. Its not going to take it all away, but it will remove some of it.