[help] S.S. Maryland Dye

[matt c]

Hi guys,

I'm interested in trying the maryland dye in the stick tech section of IL this month but the instructions were pretty vague. I just had a few questions. What does "mask off the area you want to be black" mean? I assumed it meant cover the area you want black with tape but wouldn't you want everything exept for what you want black covered? and for the paintbrush dye meathod do you just dip a paintbrush in dye and keep painting it? also what does it mean when it says pour the red over the head again and again? do you get 2 buckets and pour over one so you catch the dye?

thanks

[matt c]

Please, I really need help on this.

[HdGLaxWarrior]

this is in IL? check my most recent thread about methods of applying dye. i've know about this dye for about 2 years and i've always wanted to try it. i really need to get the new issue of IL now.

[warriorlaxboy1]

I don't get Inside Lacrosse magazine, so I don't know exactly what you're talking about...but when they say "mask off the area you want black," they mean put electrical tape everywhere you don't want there to be black. This is because the black is the last color you dye, and it would make no sense otherwise.
There is no such thing as "paintbrush dying" because you need to soak the head in the dye, while it is in very hot water.
Because the head needs to soak in the dye, pouring it over the head wouldn't really do anything. It might give a very light tint of the color. I would recommend just dipping the head in the dye very quickly if that's what you are trying to do.

[HdGLaxWarrior]

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/854/md21zc4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

that's the dye.

i just picked up the april issue of IL and this is what it says:

This is Stylin' Strings third try at a stick dedicated to the state of Maryland and what it represents to the game of lacrosse. Van, SS's stick doctor, started with his own game stick, and the second was for an old-school laxer whose wife wouldn't let him hang a Maryland flag in the house.

Finally, Stylin' Strings team with IL in March to present the latest version to Maryland Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger at halftime of the Konica Mintola Face-Off Classic in Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium.

then it goes into the dying process:

Materials:
white, unstrung head
RIT dye (yellow, red, black)
paintbrush
hot glue gun & glue

1. Start with taping off the areas of the stick that will remain white. These areas are the hardest to maintain due to the intricate flag pattern.

2. Dye the top left and bottom right quadrants yellow, using a paintbrush dye method to keep color out of taped areas. Once the yellow dries, mask over the checkers that will be dyed black in the final stage.

3. Now the red dye can be applied to the upper right and bottom left areas of the head by repeatedly pouring the dye over the head to get the rich red color. Now, cover the red in hot glue to preserve its richness when applying the black dye to the masked checkered areas. Pull the glue and tape off and inspect the head for imperfections.



couldn't you just cover the areas you want to stay white in tape, dye it yellow and then tape that up, and the dye it red and tape it and then dye the rest black?

[matt c]

Thanks Guys. I think I'm going to do what you said hdglax. I have one problem though, whenever I use electrical tape it bleeds through even though I use a hair dryer on high for about 30 seconds for each section. is there any way to get it to stick more?

[HdGLaxWarrior]

Thanks Guys. I think I'm going to do what you said hdglax. I have one problem though, whenever I use electrical tape it bleeds through even though I use a hair dryer on high for about 30 seconds for each section. is there any way to get it to stick more?

in the bottom of the article it says this (i didn't post it because i just thought it was a disclaimer of some sort):

This is a very complex dye job in which attaining perfect masked areas of color separation is almost impossible. We used a Dremel tool and fine-grit sand paper to erase color in areas that bled. Making sure the tape is tightly pressed onto the head and/or covering them with glue is the only way to prevent most of the bleeding.

[matt c]

ok thanks.