Dye lab.

31st October

I was introduced into the dye lab and was shown how to dye my own fabrics, i was also introduced to the health and safety in the print room. I was told what i can do and can not do with dyes. The two main requirements to ensure i handle the chemicals and dyes safely, to show good workshop practice and keep good standards of personal hygiene in the lab. The recipe i tried in my first time in the lab was for a acid levelling dyes. What i did was weighed my fabric which came to 14.9g and then i placed to felt into warm water and 2% matexil WA-HS. I then weighed the dye out i did this by calculating the percentage of the weight of the felt to the dye. I then set the dye bath at 50c and added glauber salt and and sulphuric acid. I placed the felt into the bath and begin the raise the temperature to boil over 45 minutes. I Left it close to boil for 30-90 minutes until the felt went to a shade of the colour i liked. I then put the felt into the dryer and as it was drying i cleaned up my working space. As a experiment i placed a felt ball into the dye bath and turned it for a few seconds and left it on its side for around 5 minutes, the results when i cut up the felt ball was amazing i think it was so successful and now i am starting to think this is how i would like to take my project for sleuths, spies and lies project. I am thinking about using both the felt balls and mental mesh together. As the colour is not completely filling the felt ball this represents the library not being finished however the building still looks beautiful.