Dying Mule Tape

**Bigtimber** · 03-16-2017, 06:42

I did 50 feet of mule tape in minwax ebony. Poured quart of stain into little larger container....put in the tape....let it soak 15 minutes or so. Went in the yard and tied one end to a tree limb and with gloves kinda just let it "feed" out of bucket pinching the tape with rubber gloves to squeeze out any excess as I went. Got the end and tied it off like a clothes line to another tree limb. Went up and down e line with some paper towels to get a little more excess off....but not all of it...just a few good passes. Now just letting it dry in the elements. I tell you it made it turn dark black instantly ( I mean perfect) and seems to be holding up great so far. Im hoping this scent will disappear in about a week or so. Only one day into it and the stain won't come off on my hands at all....if the scent will go away within a week or so this is a real good solution. Thanks for the tip KAL.

**BigE94** · 03-16-2017, 07:45

Interesting using the wood stain. I would not have thought that would have worked. I can tell you that I didn't have any luck using the black Rit dye. Only produced a light gray color.

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**curlymaple42** · 03-16-2017, 08:13

I wonder, instead of minwax which I hate for furniture to begin with, if using a dye stain with alcohol as a carrier would work? If someone sends me a foot of it I'll test it. Just pm me. This is the stuff I'm referring to. Once the alcohol flashes off it shouldn't stink.

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**Bigtimber** · 03-16-2017, 09:17

PM sent CurlyMaple

**slugbait** · 03-16-2017, 09:58

I poked my pile of mule tape with a stick and it didn't move- I guess it's dead. Time to get to dyeing it.

**kalyng86** · 03-17-2017, 13:11

Nice I would think the stink will go away I use this stuff for all my European head mounts and even gun stocks and it seems to not stink after a week or so just takes a little time

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**Bigtimber** · 03-17-2017, 15:48

Originally Posted by kalyng86

Nice I would think the stink will go away I use this stuff for all my European head mounts and even gun stocks and it seems to not stink after a week or so just takes a little time

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The scent is fading....but its still there...gonna let it lay out some more....might take awhile longer than wood with the pores of the fabric.....I dunno....but it does color it beautifully

**KYHiker** · 03-17-2017, 23:43

I would have thought something with a mineral spirit base (or naptha?) would damage the synthetic and cause it to be less flexible or possibly brittle? Of course if it did weaken the tape by even half it wouldn't matter, it would still hold a person in a hammock without a problem.