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Moderated by Deepika, Sharon1952
Posted on: 10/17/18 9:04 PM ET
I have a fabric scrap that I would like to use for a tailors ham/pressing equipment. I have did some tests using both bleach and a burn test.
The bleach test left a woven “skeleton” in the solution, and the fabric was not opaque as it originally was.

The colour of the bleach turned into a red practically immediately after placing in the bleach. It then turned brown.

I did a burn test of the “skeleton” after washing out the bleach and drying it. I could not identify what the odour smelt like even though it did have a subtle pleasant smell. It gave an orange flame and black smoke. It burnt through the swatch quite rapidly

I also did a burn test of the original fabric. It gave an orange flame and white smoke. The ash maintains shape of swatch. The burning area does not fall/drip away from the original swatch as it is burning. Once it starts to burn, sizzles in the same spot

-- Edited on 10/18/18 at 3:06 AM --
The bleach test left a woven “skeleton” in the solution, and the fabric was not opaque as it originally was.
The colour of the bleach turned into a red practically immediately after placing in the bleach. It then turned brown.
I did a burn test of the “skeleton” after washing out the bleach and drying it. I could not identify what the odour smelt like even though it did have a subtle pleasant smell. It gave an orange flame and black smoke. It burnt through the swatch quite rapidly
I also did a burn test of the original fabric. It gave an orange flame and white smoke. The ash maintains shape of swatch. The burning area does not fall/drip away from the original swatch as it is burning. Once it starts to burn, sizzles in the same spot
-- Edited on 10/18/18 at 3:06 AM --
Posted on: 10/17/18 9:17 PM ET
In reply to weather
Could you please clarify a couple of statements?
The colour of the bleach turned into a red practically immediately after placing in the bleach. It then turned red.
and
Once it starts to burn, sizzles in the same spot
My first thought, given that much of it dissolved in the bleach (I assume chlorine bleach) is that you're dealing with a protein fiber, perhaps wool, maybe silk, blended with a cellulosic fiber like linen or cotton, or synthetic of some sort.
More importantly, if you turn your iron up to "scorch", and leave it directly on the fabric for several seconds, does it melt or scorch badly?
The colour of the bleach turned into a red practically immediately after placing in the bleach. It then turned red.
and
Once it starts to burn, sizzles in the same spot
My first thought, given that much of it dissolved in the bleach (I assume chlorine bleach) is that you're dealing with a protein fiber, perhaps wool, maybe silk, blended with a cellulosic fiber like linen or cotton, or synthetic of some sort.
More importantly, if you turn your iron up to "scorch", and leave it directly on the fabric for several seconds, does it melt or scorch badly?
Posted on: 10/18/18 3:13 AM ET
In reply to kayl
Thanks for picking up on that mistake. That has been corrected.
About it sizzzling,once the flame burnt the fabric, before the heat of the flame cooled down it would remain in the same spot and bubble away making a sizzling sound.
I did do an iron test also. It didn’t scorch or melt like I have had synthetic fibres distort in the past from an accidental burn. That was for both an original sample and after bleach.
I hope the photos are showing up.
About it sizzzling,once the flame burnt the fabric, before the heat of the flame cooled down it would remain in the same spot and bubble away making a sizzling sound.
I did do an iron test also. It didn’t scorch or melt like I have had synthetic fibres distort in the past from an accidental burn. That was for both an original sample and after bleach.
I hope the photos are showing up.
Posted on: 10/18/18 11:57 PM ET
No clues...
Posted on: 10/19/18 0:40 AM ET
Never got the photos to load, and blends make burn testing difficult. I am going to guess wool with a small amount of acrylic, but it is just a guess based on your description.
Posted on: 10/19/18 6:23 AM ET
Dang, i’ll try find a photo sharing alternative.
Posted on: 10/20/18 3:18 AM ET
In reply to kayl
Could a wool blend work still or does it have to be 100% wool.
Posted on: 10/20/18 12:33 PM ET
In reply to weather
Could it work? Sure. But acrylic, if that is indeed in the mix, sags with too much heat over time. Because making a ham is a major effort, I think I would go with wool or unpreshrunk linen, because you can be sure how they will behave over time.
-- Edited on 10/20/18 at 6:30 PM --
-- Edited on 10/20/18 at 6:30 PM --
Posted on: 10/20/18 6:26 PM ET
In reply to weather
I do know that bleach will dissolve rayon. Whether it will dissolve other fibers, I really don't know. I googled burn tests for fabrics and there are quite a number of them. Here's a link to one from Fabric Mart burn test
If the fabric is made up of one fiber, then it's pretty easy to determine what it is. The problem is that a lot of fabrics are made up of more than one fiber. The best you can do is make an educated guess. My ham is wool on one side, and cotton on the other. You really have to be careful of using something with will melt, like polyester. The ability to handle heat and steam are both important factors in covering a ham.
-- Edited on 10/20/18 at 6:27 PM --
------
If the fabric is made up of one fiber, then it's pretty easy to determine what it is. The problem is that a lot of fabrics are made up of more than one fiber. The best you can do is make an educated guess. My ham is wool on one side, and cotton on the other. You really have to be careful of using something with will melt, like polyester. The ability to handle heat and steam are both important factors in covering a ham.
-- Edited on 10/20/18 at 6:27 PM --
------
www.nancyksews.blogspot.com
Posted on: 10/21/18 4:18 AM ET
In reply to Nancy K
That what I was also thinking. As I mentioned, I did an “iron test” also, leaving the iron purposely on the swatch until either a smell or a scorch could be detected. Neither of that happened. I think I may just forge ahead with the ham.
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