Kirils 1 #1 April 4, 2003 Here is a nifty article I pulled off the Chute Shack web site: How to Dye Your Parachute: WEAR GLOVES unless you want your hands dyed, and clean up any spills immediately! In a large metal pan or bowl (4 quart, that you will never use for cooking again) place 1/2 gallon of water and 1/2 bottle of RIT brand LIQUID clothing dye. Make sure to shake the bottle vigorously as the pigment will have settled on the bottom while it has been on the shelf. With the pan on the stove, slowly warm the dye/water solution to a temperature that is near boiling. You will start to see "wisps" of steam coming off the top before the water boils. You want this solution VERY hot, but not boiling. Turn off the stove and SLOWLY immerse the parachute into the dye solution. Use a paint stirring stick (or other implement that you do not mind being dyed) do stir the parachute in the solution. Slowly turn the parachute over, and generally try to expose all of the 'chute that you can to the solution. Stir for about 10 minutes. BE AWARE that this solution is HOT and will be quite uncomfortable if you get it on bare skin. Wearing platex type kitchen gloves is wise. Make sure that ALL of the 'chute is under the liquid. If it is not, add some hot water to the pad. DO NOT leave the shroud lines hanging out of the pan, they will allow the dye solution to wick out. Make sure you have CLEANED UP any spills, the dye is pretty permanent. Allow the 'chute to sit in the pan for 3 to 4 hrs while the solution cools. While wearing gloves, slowly lift the 'chute out of the pan and let any excess solution run off of it. Squeeze as much excess solution from the 'chute as you lift it out. Be careful not to drip.. Rinse the 'chute in COLD water for just a minute (30 to 60 seconds). Don't wash out all of the color. Squeeze out all of the excess water. Hang the 'chute somewhere to dry with something (like a coffee can) under it to catch any liquid that will drip out of it. That's it. Your 'chute should have a nice, permanent color to it. The RED works really well, I imagine the dark colors like black would also. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clownburner 0 #2 April 4, 2003 I suppose that means you could tie-dye it too. I'm not going to be the first to try that, though. I would think the coating they use for ZP would not react well with dye... But what do I know? I would not recommend trying this with your reserve until _after_ you've jumped a dyed main... 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 4 #3 April 5, 2003 I thought only whuffos used the phrase "shroud lines" -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlindBrick 0 #4 April 5, 2003 Quote I would not recommend trying this with your reserve until _after_ you've jumped a dyed main... I wouldn't recommend it at all unless your a /master/ rigger. If you wnet in with a self-died reserve both your rigger and pilot could lose their tickets. -Jackmc"If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clownburner 0 #5 April 5, 2003 True; however I was being a little sarcastic anyway: I don't think I'd try this at all. Fashion's just not that important to me I guess! 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cheneyneel 0 #6 April 5, 2003 I think that it is crazy. There is no way I would die my parachute no matter how ugly it is.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 0 #7 April 5, 2003 What's the URL to where the article resides?My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nightjumps 1 #8 April 5, 2003 There's no way I'd play this game.. ...Bigun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 0 #9 April 5, 2003 no one's playing. Just wondering. It's probably refering to a white round any way....My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZigZag 0 #10 April 5, 2003 Some food for thought. It sounds to me that the article was referring to round canopies;(shroud lines). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
markbaur 0 #11 April 5, 2003 Quote What's the URL to where the article resides? http://www.aeroconsystems.com/chutes/p60in.htmNice troll. These are model rocket recovery parachutes. I can imagine trying to dye a skydiving parachute in a 4-quart bowl, and catching the drips in a coffee can.Mark Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kevin922 0 #12 April 5, 2003 Quote Quote What's the URL to where the article resides? http://www.aeroconsystems.com/chutes/p60in.htm Nice troll. These are model rocket recovery parachutes. I can imagine trying to dye a skydiving parachute in a 4-quart bowl, and catching the drips in a coffee can.Mark Nice catch! Why would anyone say crap like that? "I pulled it off the chute shack" C'mon, april fools is over with.. some people may actually end up trying this crap and screwing their investments in their gear. Kevin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brokeneagle 0 #13 April 5, 2003 Quotenice troll but a better catch- measurements of liquids versus area to cover made no sense-- great job, Mark! Brokeneagle. I'm really very gentle, no matter what my kung-fu teacher says... he is giving me a reputation I do not deserve! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bch7773 0 #14 April 6, 2003 Quote Why would anyone say crap like that? "I pulled it off the chute shack" C'mon, april fools is over with.. some people may actually end up trying this crap and screwing their investments in their gear. I agree... I'm glad somebody caught this troll... I mean, why would he want to f*ck up some fellow skydiver's gear? MB 3528, RB 1182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig 0 #15 April 6, 2003 Quote Quote Why would anyone say crap like that? "I pulled it off the chute shack" C'mon, april fools is over with.. some people may actually end up trying this crap and screwing their investments in their gear. I agree... I'm glad somebody caught this troll... I mean, why would he want to f*ck up some fellow skydiver's gear? Oh well, that would be there fault. If they aren't smart enough to figure out that this might not be a good idea and do a little research to see if it is safe to do in the first place then I would have no sympathy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kirils 1 #16 April 7, 2003 I just tried it on an old pilot chute. It worked ok, but the color is blotchy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eames 0 #17 April 7, 2003 QuoteWould this be a minor or major alteration? Maybe you asked this for the sake of humor, but.... There are no degrees of alteration... an alteration is an alteration. Are you thinking of a minor or major repair? Jason Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ozzie 0 #18 April 8, 2003 Maybe instead of "How to Dye Your Parachute" the article was supposed to say "How to DIE with Your Parachute!!!! OzMotion = Emotion Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZigZag 0 #19 April 8, 2003 Thanks for correcting me. I move to strike the question. I will not edit it out of the post in order to maintain a reference for your post. Yes, my post started out somewhat satirical, but was also intended to raise a red flag for readers that may have taken the idea of dyeing their reserves a bit more serious. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
