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Natural Dyes > Mordants and Assists

Mordants and Assists

Tin

Tin mordant

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“Personally, I prefer the colours with Tin mordant to those with Alum.  They are brighter, vibrant and rich.  Also we are not so over exposed to tin, as we are to alum, and it is one of those trace minerals the body needs and which most people benefit by taking in a multi-mineral supplement.  My grandmother drank grapefruit juice from tinned-cans every day for her tin, and lived to be nearly 90, with no arthritis, heart disease or diabetes, or mental degeneration.  I also know of no environmental issues about tin, no watersheds overburdened with it”   -Cheryl

Use at ½ ounce per pound of fabric (3%).  Save the mordant bath and reuse by adding ¾ of the amount next time, (assume ¼ of what was added originally is still there).  Some dyers like to add Cream of Tartar to the morant bath (10 %) to buffer the Tin, which can be somewhat acid, and to soften wool fabric.  (When re-using Tin mordant bath, do not keep adding Cream of Tartar, as it isn’t absorbed into the fabric.)

1 oz

$3

4 oz

$8

1 Lb = Wholesale

$25

The tin with yellows.

"Tin salt gives the best, brightest yellows!” says Cheryl.  Evidence is these various bright yellows using (from upper left):  Osage Orange

Fusticwood and Quescitron.  Fabrics are wool, silk satin, Eri “Peace” silk and “windowpane” Khadi cotton.

And one only need use a tiny bit:  ½ ounce tin salt to a pound of fabric is the maximum needed!  Use less for pale colours, and be sure to save and reuse the mordant bath by adding just ¾ the amount, next time.” – Cheryl Kolander, Master Natural dyer, Aurora Silk  (PS in metric, that’s 5% max.)

 

ADVANCED NATURAL DYE KIT – 12 colours with Cochineal includes a comparison of the various mordants, especially Tin vs. Alum, where Tin gives bright Scarlet, while Alum gives rich Magentas.