After using a store bought powder that would remove the dye, I was not happy with the results. I sought out a better method.
I sprayed the bag with a 5:1 water to bleach mixture to remove the color. This was performed outside in a well ventilated area.
The bag was dunk -died for 1 hour. An hour of dunking is surprisingly tiring.
The bag must be rinsed until it runs clear.
I purchased 6ft of cord and 2 parachute buckles. I leaned how to sow and how to properly attach the buckles.
The cardboard backing of the saddle bag was warped and after dyeing, the cardboard was ruined. So I improved the rigidity of the bad by cutting pieces of hardboard to size.
The piece shown above was sanded, stained, and treating with a protective coating of polyurethane.
Shown above is the finished product that really ties the bike together.
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Bicycle Saddle Bag
To complete my military bike theme, the bicycle needed saddlebags. The ones I purchased at a garage sale were gray and sunfaded. The top flaps were tan and the rest was gray. I had researched ways to remove color from fabric and used diluted bleach. I taught myself how to sew so I could attach the straps and the parachute buckles. The hardboard inserts were cut using a second hand scroll saw I purchased. The wooden piece was sanded, stained, and conected using brass screws to finish to displays my attention to detail and professionalism.
