How do you dye your natural fletching?

[fish n chicks]

I have about 6 wing's worth of turkey feathers, and was hoping to learn how to dye some for the cock feather. No sense in buying a set of cock feathers when I have plenty... IF I can learn how to color em up.

You guys got any ideas?

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

You could just run a felt marker along th top of the cock feather in brown or black. Its enought to see cock feather !

[Pat B]

I believe you can use Rit dye and alcohol but I've never done it. Do a test and see. I never distinguish a cock feather anymore. I will either index the nock or shoot the arrow however it ends up on the string.

[DVSHUNTER]

use rit dye and vineger. It works ok, but also removes the natural oils that waterproof the feather. My two cents... It aint worth it.

[Mark C.]

This is the method I have used for years. I have had good success everytime.

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000020

[walkabout]

i use rit dye and vinegar, works really well. theres a tutorial in the how to section on here i got the method from. as far as removing the oils, its not difficult to spray em with some camp dry if youre gonna take em hunting.lol

[DVSHUNTER]

Camp dry on my NATURAL feathers?! Lol no way. How about using a goose feather for a different look?

[walkabout]

haha i have read tons of stuff about waterproofing feathers, and have to say that until im hunting in the rain and my fletching"fails" because of the rain, im not quite sure about the whole idea. you could always rub some lanolin back into them though, unscented baby lotion might be the most pure, easily attainable source.

[walkabout]

any wing feather should work just fine really, as long as its the right size.

[Trux Turning]

Kool aid works well and comes in a lot of color choices (green,red and orange look pretty cool)- I mix it using miminal water and soak the feathers in the mixture over night in a zip lock bag-then air dry. I've heard some folks use vineger to set the color but I haven't had any lose their color after getting wet.

[George Tsoukalas]

I don't dye natural fathers.  jawge

[jess stuart]

I like Trux's method if they get really wet they would be good to eat. Kool Aid flavor, might be a good survival food LOL.

[Trux Turning]

Never thought of that Jess- Maybe I'll have to try that out on my up coming hunt.

[4est trekker]

I used to use a different colored cock feather, even dyed some myself.  However, I'm with Pat on this one...I now use an indexing nock and love it.  I like the simplicity of three identical feathers, plus I don't have to look at my arrow to correctly align it on the string.  This is great for follow-up shots on game or when you're caught sleeping on your stool in your blind and a gobbler decides to buzz your tower!  

Alternately, you could tie in an indexer in front of or behind the feathers, assuming you wrap them.  I've used tiny hackle feathers from my fly tying rig.

[fish n chicks]

Thanks everybody! I think after all is said and done, I'm most likely going to go with them all one color and an indexer. I like the look of an off color cock feather, and sometimes they make it easier to find once flung, but an indexer should work out pretty good.

Thanks again ya'll! If I do choose to go with a colored feather i'm going to try the rit dye method.