recreating a red wash

[Jerome B]

Anyone have any pointers on making a red wash? I am recreating the staining sequence that they would have used in the 19th century.

I was thinking that later this afternoon I am going to try some japan color venetian red at a couple of different concentrations mixed in Watco, to see if I get a color that matches the original.

Just occurred to me. How do you measure this stuff so that you can recreate your colors?

Jerome

[Mike Davis]

When I mixed colors at a screen printing lab we used a triple beam scale to weigh each pigment. Then we would multiply the quantities for larger production batches.

An electronic postal scale should be good enough for the size of batch you are making.

[Jerome B]

Originally Posted by Mike Davis

When I mixed colors at a screen printing lab we used a triple beam scale to weigh each pigment. Then we would multiply the quantities for larger production batches.

An electronic postal scale should be good enough for the size of batch you are making.

I don't have electronic scales. So I tried 1tsp japan color to 1/2 cup of watco.

yuck. time to try another color.

j

[Dragon]

Suggestion? Research and see what the old-timers did for the "red wash" and see what's available today to replicate it. Lots of plants and minerals can be crushed for their dyes and used in today's applications. Poke berries make a great purplish color and beet juice is a good red though somewhat subdued if you're going for a bright color.

[Outa Square]

check this out if you haven't already.

http://montpelierrestoration.wordpre...olor-matching/

[Jerome B]

Originally Posted by Outa Square

check this out if you haven't already.

http://montpelierrestoration.wordpre...olor-matching/

Thanks for the suggestion their color mixes look real promising.

I like the internet. But I am not good at doing research on the thing. I keep getting distracted. Thanks for sending me in the right direction.

J

[Jeff Mills]

All you need to do is fill a 5 gallon bucket with hickory chunks, fill the bucket with water and let sit for a week or so. The water will turn blood red and it does dye clothes.

I came on this by sure accident, I have a real BBQ and like to smoke meat over hickory. I cut a bunch of hickory chunks to filled a 5 gallon bucket for the smoker. Smoking works best if wood is wet, so I filled the bucket with water and put a lid on it. The next week when I went to fire up the smoker, I opened the bucket to grab some hickory chips and there it was blood red water, I got a couple of spots on my shirt and it did not wash out.

[PChristy]

Jerome - Look at this and see if the red is what you are needing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrXa8...eature=related

look toward the end he uses Stamp pad ink diluted with DNA