Dyeing Feathers & Wooden Arrow Shafts - Herb haines

[Terry_Green]

DYEING FEATHERS
AND
WOODEN ARROW SHAFTS


I WAS A PROFESSIONAL  FLY TYER FOR A FEW YEARS AND LEARNED HOW TO DYE FEATHERS AND HAIR FOR MY BUSINESS . WHICH HAS HELPED ME IN MY ENJOYMENT OF MY FAVORITE SPORT ARCHERY .

A FEW THING YOU WILL NEED TO DYE YOUR OWN FEATHERS .

A CONTAINER OF GLASS OR ENAMEL TO HEAT THE DYE BATH IN .

FEATHERS , FULL LENGTH OR PRE  CUT

LIQUID DETERGENT , STIR STICK  , DYE  AND WHITE ARTIFICAL VINEGAR AND A PAIL TO DROP THE DYED FEATHERS IN .

DYE CAN BE  DYE FOR FLYTYING  , RIT DYE FROM NEIGHBORHOOD STORE  , OR IN MY CASE I HAVE SOME FROM A WOOLEN MILL  ALL WILL WORK .

PROCESS :
 I WOULD SUGGEST YOU DO THIS OUTDOORS  UNTIL YOU GET IT FIGURED AS  THE LADIES IN YOUR HOUSE HOLD GET UPSET WITH DYE ON FLOOR WALLS  AND CEILING . BELIEVE ME IT CAN HAPPEN .AFTER SAYING THIS , I DYE IN THE KITCHEN  .

TAKE THE FEATHERS YOU ARE GOING TO DYE AND PUT IN SINK OR CONTAINER , PAIL ECT . COVER WITH WARM WATER AND GRAB A BOTTLE OF DISH DETERGENT ( I LIKE DAWN )  AND GIVE IT A BIG SHOT . SWISH THE FEATHERS AROUND SO THEY GET WET . THE SOAP IS A WETTING AGENT SO WHEN THE FEATHERS GO INTO THE DYE BATH THEY WILL ABSORB  THE DYE . IF NOT THE DYE  DOESN’T ABSORB AS THE FEATHERS HAVE SOME OIL IN THEM .

PUT THE  DYE BATH CONTAINER  ON YOU HEATING SOURSE  , I WILL PUT A LITER OR 2 OF WATER IN THE CONTAINER . A COUPLE OF INCHES IS MORE THAN ENOUGH , TURN ON HEAT AND PUT ENOUGH DYE  IN THE WATER TO GET  A COLOR A BIT DARKER THAN WHAT YOU ARE AFTER . I PUT A ¼ TPS BY USING THE HANDLE  OF A TEASPOON TO DIP THE DYE  STIR IN THE DYE UNTIL IT DISSAPEARS , YOU DON’T WANT UN DISSOLVED DYE AS IT WILL RUIN THE FEATHERS . ¼ TPS IS USUALL Y LOTS TO DYE SEVERAL DOZ. FEATHERS .

BRING THE DYE BATH TO A BOIL  AND THEN POUR IN ½ TO ¾ CUP ARTIFICAL WHITE VINEGAR  . THE VINEGAR IS WHAT WILL SET THE DYE SO IT WON’T RUN OR WASH OUT .
THE DYE WILL COOL WHEN YOU PUT THE VINEGAR IN AND THIS IS GREAT AS YOU DON’T WANT TO BOIL YOUR FEATHERS . GO TO THE CONTAINER WHERE YOUR FEATHERS ARE TAKE THEM IN YOUR HAND DON’T RINSE JUST A SHAKE AND DROP IN THE DYE SUDDS AND ALL . GRAB YOUR STIR STICK AND GENTLY STIR AND MOVE AROUND SO THE DYE WILL  GET TO ALL THE FEATHERS . IT WILL ONLY TAKE A FEW MINUTES  TO DYE THE FEATHERS . 2 OR 3 DEPENDING ON CONCENTRATION OF DYE , WHEN YOU HAVE THE COLOR YOU WANT LET IT GET A BIT DARKER AS IT WILL LIGHTEN AS IT DRIES . WHEN YOU HAVE THEM THE COLOR YOU WANT I USE A ST OF TONGS TO TAKE THE FROMM THE DYE BATH . HAVE A PAIL OF COLD WATER OR A SINK HANDY AND DROP THE FEATHERS IN COLD WATER AND RINCE WELL TO GET OFF ANY EXCESS DYE . TAKE OUT OF WATER DRIP DRY AND PLACE ON PAPER TOWELS FOR THEM  TO DRY . CLEAN UP YOUR MESS AND ENJOY YOUR NEW COLORS .
A COUPLE OF TIPS IF YOU WANT BLACK YOU HAVE TO DYE TWICE . ALL BLACK DYES ARE EITHER BLUE OR PURPLE BASED SO YOU WILL END UP ,IF YOU DYE WHITE FEATHERS , WITH BLUE OR PURPLE . I DYE BROWN , BLUE OR RED FIRST THEN DYE BLACK AND YOU WILL GET BLACK .
IF YOU WANT HOT ORANGE , DYE THE FEATHERS ORANGE FIRST THEN JUST DROP IN RED DYE FOR A FEW SECONDS  , NOT GREAT IF YOU WANT TO CHECK FOR BLOOD ON FLETCH AS THEY LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN THOUGH AN ANIMAL .


                     DYEING WOOD SHAFTS

I  USED TO USE THE SAME DYE ON MY SHAFTS THAT I USED TO DYE FEATHERS JUST MIX THE DYE AND NOT USE THE VINEGAR  , THREE OR FOUR COATS WIPED ON WITH A CLOTH .
A LADY IN ALBERTA TOLD ME ABOUT A NEW DYE AND IT IS THE BEST AND EASIEST I HAVE EVER USED . IT IS THE DYE THAT IS USED TO COLOR ICING CALLED ICING GEL .COMES IN A 1 OZ. CONTAINER . I TAKE A TEASPOOON AND PUT IN A PLASTIC CUP OR ANY CONTAINER , ADD ½ TPS WATER AND STIR UNTILL IT GETS REALLY MIXED UP TAKE A SPONGE BRUSH AND APPLY TO SHAFT ONE OR TWO COATS AS DARK AS YOU WANT WASHES UP WITH WATER . CAN PICK YOUR TEETH WITH THE BROKEN ARROW IF YOU DON’T MIND VARNISH . LET THEM DRY FOR A DAY AND PUT YOUR FAVOURITE FINISH ON .