Blending Seals Fur

[sabalos]

Been blending some seals fur to try and match a synthetic mix i got years ago from Peter Mackenzie Philps. I use it for my Damsel nymphs to great effect.
I think i have matched the colour pretty well but just thought how am i going to match it again in years to come? our scales are not sensitive enough for a pinch of orange etc.
any suggestions? maybe i should of mixed enough to register on kitchen digital scales!

thanks , dave

ps. do many people bother to blend dubbings? seem to work much better than plain solid colours out of the packet

[wobbly face]

A pinch of this, a pinch of that does for me, usually get the colour a reasonable match. Damsels darken as they get older and they also go from olive green through to dark brown.

[darwin]

Save a sample of each or get a grain scale and take notes. Put notes in safe.

[ACW]

Originally Posted by darwin

Save a sample of each or get a grain scale and take notes. Put notes in safe.

Save the samples ,i have some wee bags of blends tucked away and some bulk bigger bags of mainly shrimpy colours !
The main constituent colours will vary from dyer to dyer .

[sabalos]

thanks for advice, Darwin, the grain scales look handy and not expensive. my mrs. would think i have started to deal drugs....
i will make sure i save samples.
many thanks, dave

[roll cast]

what about getting something so you can measure it out by volume roughly, an egg cup with marks on the side of it?

[jindra]

That is a serious possibility, I got my scales in a regular growshop.
On a more serious note: the importance of a diary and reference samples cannot be stressed enough. If you are lucky and blend a color which turns a killer in August or so chances are you will want to replicate it. Memory alone will not serve.

Originally Posted by sabalos

thanks for advice, Darwin, the grain scales look handy and not expensive. my mrs. would think i have started to deal drugs....
i will make sure i save samples.
many thanks, dave

[Welshlynx]

I blend my mixes alot, as you said it allows you to come up with deadly colours that only you have. Does anyone use a coffee grinder to mix their dubbings? If anyone does could you point me in the direction of a tried and tested product? Sorry to go slightly off track.

[dabhoy]

Originally Posted by Welshlynx

I blend my mixes alot, as you said it allows you to come up with deadly colours that only you have. Does anyone use a coffee grinder to mix their dubbings? If anyone does could you point me in the direction of a tried and tested product? Sorry to go slightly off track.

I picked up a cheap one of ebay as a drop of dubbing is hardly going to work it hard.

[gadusmorhua]

I bought a cannabis grinder for a couple of quid from a head shop near me, and it does a not bad job of blending fur. No doubt they are available on line also. Sabalos, if your mrs finds grinder, scales and self seal bags she will definitely put two and two together!