Walnut stain question (pics added)

[jared s]

Hey there all. With early sunsets and winding down hunting seasons, I'm looking to start my winter arrow building frenzy. For the first time I'm attempting some primative arrows. My shafts are ready and turkey feathers stripped. I seem to remember back quite awhile ago someone posting about homemade walnut stain but I cant find the thread. I have some husks I picked up this fall in a tupperware that are nicely come apart and wet. I seem to remember someone saying that you could extract and thin this "juice" with some kind of solvent but I dont remember what. Anyone able to help or correct me? If it works out I'll post some pictures (need to try out that Christmas camera anyway)
Thanks in advance for any help

Jared

[2 dogs]

just put them in a gallon of water and boil them then strain them thru cheese cloth.

[Mark C.]

I have had the most luck with just grabbing a black husk and applying it directly on the arrow shaft. (Wear gloves or use a sandwich bag) Then wipe the shaft with a old cloth.

I tried boiling and straining walnuts, but the stain was dull and smelled terrible after storing it a short while. Maybe keeping it in the fridge would have helped.  

I just take the walnuts I collect each fall and leave them in a bucket. Lightly cover them and keep them cool and in the dark. Let them rot and get moldy. Stir them around every now and then. Add next years harvest of walnuts right in with them. They don't smell any stronger than a over ripe banana.

Hope this helps a little.
Mark

[jared s]

Thanks for the input fellas, I've got plenty to try both methods so I think thats what I'll do.

Jared

[dosbow56]

Hey Jared,
Long time no see here......John and I did a ton of walnuts this year. After I husked them, I put them in water to rinse and pick out the floaters. I just used that water and wiped it on the shafts. They came out great. Also took some of the rottem black husks and wiped them on, that worked out well too. Let it soak in awhile then wipe it down. !CAUTION! that stuff is nasty and toxic!.......LOL
Dave

[jared s]

Thanks for the input all, here are two of my half dozen I completed this weekend. Hand planed Douglas Fir, walnut husk stain rubbed on, turkey primaries and sinew. I think they turned out good for my first try, hopefully they'll fly!
jared

Oh and the light crests are the natural wood color, masking taped off for a little contrast.

IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/schmijar/IMGP0005.jpg[/IMG]

[jared s]

Try that again......


 

[Mark C.]

Jared, WOW...Those are sweet. Nice and dark!

[Eric Krewson]

I use natural walnut stain a good bit on arrow shafts. The last time I made some stain I removed the husks from the nuts, let them dry and pounded them up into course powder. I put the powder in a qt container with a pint of water and about a cup of denatured alcohol. I wipe the stain, grit and all on a shaft then wipe the grit off. I could strain the mix but it is not really necessary.

With out the alcohol the stain mix with water only gets mouldy and rank in a few months.

Natural walnut stain has a richness that no commercial stain can match.

[Shawn Leonard]

Sweet!! Shawn

[dosbow56]

Jared,
Those turned out great. That stain is darker than mine. It turned out a yellow/green/brown natural kinda color. I like what you did with the cresting, good idea.....
Dave