walnuts on to boil

[cowboy316]

well pards wish me luck got my first batch of walnut dye on the stove just hope im doing things right  i put 6 real black one in a panty hose sprayed them down tih rubbing acholo and now the 15 minutes of boiling then 8 hours or simmering for 3 day
if im not doing something right chime in quick LOL
Cowboy316

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Sounds good to me. Just remember to keep adding water.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

316 if your only using 6 walnuts, that's not enough, I never counted mine, but I FILLED the sock up pretty good, and don't use any alcohol until you're ready to store it, then just use a half a cup to a qt., like Marshal Will said don't let it cook dry, keep a lid on it and that will help keep it from evaporating, let it cool over night and then start the cooking over again, I like to make about 2 1/2 gal. when I do this, so put a bunch more nuts in there and you should be OK.


                Regards

            tEN wOLVES 

[cowboy316]

ok just added 6 more and im only using a 6 quart pot so im hoping that will be plenty if not ican alway add more to the next batch LOL
Cowboy316

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

  316 do the best you can, my pot is a 22 qt., so I know now where you're coming from, you could do several cookings, and just add to your supply, that's what I did before I got a bigger pot.

                tEN wOLVES 

[cowboy316]

well who would have thunk that boiling walnuts would smell so good LOL
Cowboy316

[RollingThunder]

Don't let them go bad pard, or they won't smell so good anymore. LOL.

But I agree. They smell good and earthy on the boil.

[cowboy316]

i only used 12 and put the rest in the freezer for later use LOL
Cowboy316

[ChuckBurrows]

I fill my 8 quart pot up 1/2-3/4 full of walnuts - add water to fill the rest of the way. Using a tight lid bring to a boil and let steep for 6 hours. Turn off the heat and let set over night. Next day repeat, but I DO NOT add water as long as it has a good tight lid and the water level drops no more than an inch so. Adding water justs dilutes and thins the dye.
Then when using the green hulls and not just the dried ground up ones, after the water cools I mush them up and remove any large solids. I then steep the mix for another six hours or so. Let cool remove as many solids as possible and then pour off through a screen flter first and then a cloth one (cheap white kitchen towels or cheese cloth). With dried hulls I cook them one more time ebfore filtering off.
The mix should then be like thin syrup and not watery at all - if not reduce by bringing to a low boil and loosen the lid.
Done this way I've never had to soak my leather more than an hour, two at the very most, to get a rich medium brown as seen in the pieces I've posted and noted for when using Walnut Dye - IMO the long soak times I've read about here are from using a too diluted or not intense enough mix. Save the hulls and re-use several times.

For a real dark brown to almost black I prefer straight Logwood Dye - much easier to use and control and it's available on line at several places.

Here's some other natural brown dye alternatives - the ounces are by volume - get youself a set of measuring cups and the measurements are marked on the side (i.e. 16 ounces = 1 pint liquid):
Foundation Brown
Extract of fustic.... 5 ounces
Extract of hypernic. . 1 ounce
Extract of logwood... 1/2 ounce
Water.............. 2 gallons
Boil all these ingredients for 15 minutes, and then dilute with water to make 10 gallons of dye liquor. Use the dye liquor at a temperature of 110° F
Mordant - see below for how to mordant
Dissolve 3 ounces of white tartar (cream of tartar) and 4 ounces of alum in 10 gallons of water.

Bismarck Brown
Extract of fustic.....     4 ounces
Extract of hypernic. .     1 ounce
Extract of logwood.. .       1/2 ounce
Water..............     2 gallons

Preparation
Boil all together for 15 minutes.

Method of Dyeing
First mordant the skins with a mordanting fluid made by dissolving 3 ounces tartar and 1/2 ounce borax in 10 gallons of water. Then put the skins into the above foundation bath at a temperature of 100° F. Take them out, and then add 1 ounce of Bismarck brown, dissolved in 4 ounces of boiling water. Put the skins in again until colored deep enough, then lift out, drip and dry.

In both of the above I've found like warm - room temperature (70-80° F) works as well for the actual dying. Fustic, hypernic, and logwood are all available from on line sources.......any questions ask away....

[Marshal Will Wingam]

There ya go. Right from the expert. Thanks for chiming in, Chuck.

I use one of those turkey deep friers that stand on the patio and spew oil all over the concrete. I've never cooked a turkey in it but it makes a good batch of dye. You bet! I'll have to cook a turkey in it one of these days to clean out all the walnut stains. It'll be all dark meat like a quail.