Boiling "Punky Muppet" fur

[Slackbot]

I E-mailed Mendel's, and they said that, being acrylic, it didn't take dye. However, the rep who answered was surprised to hear that you can get a neat texture by boiling the fur, so maybe that person doesn't know all there is to know. (I sent her a before-and-after photo to show what happens to the texture.)

 

[JacobsBest]

I just got my swatches from Mendel's and so far I am digging the "Olive" punky muppet which, if one boiled, would look decidedly "grouch-ish"

 

[Slackbot]

I've done some experimenting with a swatch of white Punky Muppet fur, and it actually will take Rit dye. Only grudgingly, and it'll clearly require several rounds to get a decent depth of color, but it is possible. Heh, cool.

 

[BuckyBits]

I'm guessing dyeing the fur would be like dyeing polar fleece. You'd want to try a disperse dye. As I understand it, the rit will rub off. http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/how_to_dye_acrylic.shtml

Any photos of the boiled fur? Here or on Puppets and Stuff?
Never mind found the other articles here on boiling fur. I need to try this. Thanks.

 

[Slackbot]

I just used plain Rit dye, same as I use on Antron fleece, and it worked. So, I'll forego the chemistry lab. As for it rubbing off, that happens if you don't rinse the material you've dyed really well. I dyed some foam, and it left "shadows" until I worked all the excess dye out.

My Janken Fraggle puppet has boiled fur. When it started out it was very smooth; now it looks woolly.

BTW, I found that I can also dye ostrich feathers with Rit dye. However, they look thin and pitiful afterward because the barbules stick to the barbs, eliminating the fluffiness. I rub them between a pair of towels to fluff 'em back up.

 

[scandell]

Geesh. Those prices are at least 25% higher than what i pay in the fabric district in Downtown LA... maybe I should start a puppet fur business...and I can just be the middle man...