Ask LaBricoleuse: Dye vat sourcing

[labricoleuse]

girlon_theverge asks:

The shop I manage desperately needs a dye vat. The heating range and stock pot that has been in use is dead. What is the company you got your dye vats from (I tried a web search but couldn't come up with anything). I would be very greatful if you could point me in the right direction.

Since this is the third time i've been asked about sources for dye vats, i thought i'd make a post about it.

It's crazy how many costume shops out there on all levels of production have substandard dye facilities, with dyers making do using hot-plates, soup tureens, domestic stoves, stock pots, and the like. First off, girlon_theverge, i applaud you for making the move toward getting your shop a dedicated dye vat! It's a fair-sized investment, but it'll make your life way easier.

I wasn't around when ours were purchased and installed (and none of the previous shops i've worked in have bought new vats while i was there) so unfortunately i can't give you any first-hand vendor endorsement or caveat. However, i can give you some general thoughts on dye vat purchasing and installation and point you toward some sources.

Most dye vats in costume shop dye facilities are actually repurposed food service equipment--soup kettles, candy factory vats, etc. They come in a range of sizes for a range of different setups: gas heat, electric heat, steam jacketed, mounted on agitators, you name it.

Manufacturers of kettles include:

* Groen (this is what ours are)
* Hubert
* Hamilton
* Dover
* Vulcan
* Lee

Consider your space and your needs. You will need a nearby water spigot and drainage trough. Our vats have faucets mounted to swing out over the vat chambers and drainage pipes that expel spent dyebaths into a floor trough. If you have a sink in the same room, you could get a detachable hose for the faucet and run it over into the vat. The drainage shunt could be rigged to a longer pipe configuration too, if you needed to be able to drain it into a trough that was several feet away from the vat. You will need ventilation as well--we have suction hoods over the vats that remove vapors from the area when in use, and large nearby windows that open. Also, our vats have their own special breaker boxes, so you'll need to check with your building superintendent about wiring and such.

We have a smaller and larger vat (20 gallon and 60 gallon), but Groen makes them in 40 gallon and 80 gallon as well. If i were kitting out a new shop and could only get one vat, i'd get a 60 gal, provided it would fit in my space. The 20 gallon is convenient for smaller jobs but i could make do with a large stewpot on a range if i had to. I would always choose a steam-jacketed vat over an element-heated vat, because it allows the dyebath to heat up at a uniform rate, instead of being warmer near the element at the bottom and cooler near the surface.

Don't forget about the accessories you will need to go along with the vat. You will probably want to get a large wood paddle or two for stirring dyebaths, stainless strainers, some pairs of thermaprene gloves and splash-proof goggles, and scrubbies- or sponges-on-a-stick for cleaning the walls of the vat chamber. If you plan to use the vat for color removal or other toxic processes, you'll want a fit-tested half-face respirator with OV/AG (organic vapor/acid gas) cartridges, too.

Hope this helps, at least as a starting point for figuring out what works in your space and fits your needs!

Comments

Dye Vat Purchase

[(Anonymous)]

Helpful beyond words! Thanks for the knowledge! I am on the team to outfit a new theater arts high school, and I was totally stumped on purchasing a dye vat. It's true... everyone has one but has no idea how they ended up with it! Excellent starting point for my research.

Re: Dye Vat Purchase

[labricoleuse.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

If you are outfitting a new space, you might also enjoy reading my other related post in this area, Dye vat hoods and other ventilation (http://labricoleuse.livejournal.com/76739.html), on brand names and sourcing/installation of those!