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Tanker Jacket project

YoungMedic

Well-Known Member
A while back I started pining for a new jacket to wear while at work. Initially I was going to just buy a blue Dickies Eisenhower jacket and sew a couple patches on it and call it a day, but then I became more fond of the collar style on the tanker jacket. I found the early Navy Deck jackets to be the same type construction in the correct navy blue color, but all the jackets I found were well out of what I want to spend on a work jacket that will be subject to everything you can imagine, and on top of that only worn a handful of months of the year here in FL.

Pike-Brothers-DeckZip221.jpg



So I got it in my head I could just dye a tanker jacket. I got a deal on a What Price Glory Tanker and took it to the dye shop AKA my kitchen. I forgot to take the before picture but everyone is pretty familiar with a stock tanker color.

US_Tanker_Jacket.jpg


Here is the after, you might not tell too easily but the knits actually took on a dark green/blue color. I'm going to find a way to re-dye these to get them a little darker.



Overall I am pretty satisfied with the project so far, the one thing I can say about the WPG jacket is it runs BIG, its tagged a medium but it fits like a large, I can usually wear a 38-42 jacket.

I'm currently hunting a heat transfer Stars and Stripes for the sleeve and I will sew on a medical patch to the other sleeve. I have considered painting my name on the chest or something of the sort, maybe a stenciled label, I haven't really decided yet.
 

dmar836

Well-Known Member
Looks cool. Blood won't show as easily!
One could also add the "D" pockets and have both inner and outer pockets.
Dave
 

YoungMedic

Well-Known Member
I used RIT dyes. I filled a medium trashcan with about 4 gallons of hot tap water, then heated two gallons to about 170 degrees on the stove and added it in, this kept the water very hot for about 30 minutes of the dying process. Added the dye then submerged the jacket with a large mixing stick and kept it moving and submerged so the color would take evenly.
 

ButteMT61

Well-Known Member
Very nice! I admire you guys that take on this sort of thing. And it saves waiting in line for someone else to do it ;)
 

a2jacketpatches

Active Member
YoungMedic said:
I used RIT dyes. I filled a medium trashcan with about 4 gallons of hot tap water, then heated two gallons to about 170 degrees on the stove and added it in, this kept the water very hot for about 30 minutes of the dying process. Added the dye then submerged the jacket with a large mixing stick and kept it moving and submerged so the color would take evenly.

You might get some soda ash and let it soak in that solution for a while, RIT tends to fade quickly leaving a very faded look but the saoda ash will burn the color into the fibers making it much more stable.
 

jack31916

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the explanation Medic.

I'll have to check if RIT dye is available in The Netherlands.

Regards
 

YoungMedic

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the tip Sean,

No problem guys, I'll keep posting as I get time to progress. I'm actually thinking about painting the flag on the sleeve now. Ive had limited experience but I think I can do some simple pattern with some tracing paper and paint pens. I think it might be just the look I'm going for.
 

YoungMedic

Well-Known Member
I had a little time this weekend so I broke out the old tracing paper and paint pens again. I found that the shell would absorb a good amount of acrylic paint, but once it dried the new acrylic laid on top of the dried paint that the fabric took. So you can see the top lines are a bit brighter than the rest. Ill post a finished picture when I can sit down and line it all out again

 

unclegrumpy

Well-Known Member
jack31916 said:
I'll have to check if RIT dye is available in The Netherlands.
Don't get worried about finding Rit dye...I bet there is something just as good or better in stores the Netherlands.

Rit dye is a brand that has been long sold in the US in fabric stores, craft stores, and super markets. It is an old standby, and easy to find and very inexpensive. There are commercial brands of dye that are probably better, but they can be harder to find, are more expensive, come in bigger quantities, and sometimes are more difficult to use....some of the best come from Germany.

Part of what you are missing in the conversation because you are not from the US, is the use of Rit Dye means this was a reasonably easy to do at home project, and the results were amazingly good given the inexpensive and easily available "Super Market" dye used.

I think the more interesting thing to take note of, is how well the dye took to all parts of this jacket. Sometimes this is not the case, because different fabrics often take the dye differently.
 
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