dyeing

[BattenkillBum 0]

Has anyone dyed snowshoe rabbit's feet? I have a collection of natural feet and i really need a dun color, for sulfur's, BWO's, etc. I have heard that dyeing will ruin the natural oils that make it float. Any input, advice would be appreciated.

[tidewaterfly 0]

I've done a lot of dyeing, but never tried it with those rabbit's feet. I've been told that dyeing will remove the natural oils in CDC, and it will remove the chemicals used in tanning, so expect it might remove the oils from Snowshoe feet too. I use acid dyes, but don't know if there is another type of dye that could be used that might not remove the oils. The only suggestion I can think of is to use markers, such as Pantone's in a gray color.

[Piker20 0]

I have not tried it on those but turmeric will provide Varying degrees of yellow and I would think that being a natural dye it wouldnt remove oil as an acid or synthetic dye.

tea also colours well but the tannins might remove oil in fur.

[mikechell 0]

I haven't done any dying. It's just too easy to get the colors I need when I get the material in the first place. But I might be getting some deer hair from some hunting buddies, so I might be getting into dying soon. My reason for replying to this thread though is to make an observation.

Why is it we try to dye materials with expensive dyes ... when any number of food stuffs will leave permanent stains on our favorite clothes? Just find the food that matches the color you want and spill it on the material you want dyed. If it works like it does on my favorite shirt, color to come out ... period!!!

 

 

[perchjerker 0]

 

Why is it we try to dye materials with expensive dyes ... when any number of food stuffs will leave permanent stains on our favorite clothes? Just find the food that matches the color you want and spill it on the material you want dyed. If it works like it does on my favorite shirt, color to come out ... period!!!

 

Mike...

 

Please define "expensive". Onion skins, both yellow and red make excellent dyes. These are natural dyes and onions are "food stuffs". How many pounds of onions is one going to have to buy to f=get sufficient skins to do the job, and what are you going to do with all of those onions after they have been skinned? How much is one going to have to pay for that bottle of wine to dye the amount of material intended to be dyed? Will there be any left over for the dyer? If so, how much? How do these costs compare to a box of RIT dye? Are you certain that the "food stuffs" dyes will be as permanent on our tying materials as they are on that "favorite shirt"?

 

Just curious.

 

Cheers,

Frank

[tidewaterfly 0]

Frank makes a great point. The primary reason for using a manufactured dye is for consistency of color, even though it's often difficult to get exact results even with the manufactured dyes. I buy acid dyes and the cost varies depending on the dye, but a little goes a long way, so compared to the examples that Frank cited, and the inherent mess you end up with, to me it's cheaper in the long run to buy the dye. However, I also agree that buying dyed materials is less expensive too, but there are colors I like, particularly when dyeing hairs & furs that are not readily available, so I dye my own. Plus, I enjoy doing it!

 

If saving money is the only concern, then why tie flies & accumulate all the materials we buy? It would be cheaper to just buy the flies as we need them.

[BattenkillBum 0]

Thanks for all of the responces, definatly some things to think about. I think i will give the pantone markers a whirl. I will let you all know how it works out and send some picks of my modified "Usuals".

[mikechell 0]

Perchjerker and Tidewaterfly ... my apologies. I tend to forget that people can't "read" my tone of voice and realize I am joking. I'll try to refrain from such statements in the future.

[tidewaterfly 0]

Mike, no need for apologies, it's all good. I'm sure there are folks who will go the route you suggest, for whatever reason they desire. But, you did ask a question & we replied. No harm done. Hopefully others reading this thread will learn something from it & if interested in dyeing make up their own minds about how to go about it.

[perchjerker 0]

Mike...

 

Tidewater sad it all for me. No fowl; errr,I mean foul!

 

Frank

[morfrost 0]

Since you indicate that you have a quantity of these hare's feet, why not try dyeing just one or two. This should give you some feedback on how it affects the hair, with respect to changing the properties that make a Usual, the "Usual", and you'll learn something about dyeing hair for fly tying.

 

Although another member joking replied to seek out a foodstuff which stains your tee shirt to a desired colour, using this on hair will generally produce different results on hair fibres versus fabric fibres. even natural ones. Hair is a protein fibre and cotton is a vegetable fibre with a cellulose type base. Acid dyes are the most popular types of dye used on protein fibres, although there are other types which will work. Acid dyes are simple to use and very safe. They set the dye into the fibre using an acid, like acetic acid ( vinegar). Onions skins, beets and other natural materials will dye many things. Do some research.

 

If you want to purchase some dyestuffs, I would suggest you google " Jacquard Dyes" and this should lead you to a source of not very expensive dyes with which to experiment. You may wish to experiment with Kool Aid. Try googling " Dyeing with Kool Aid". On small batches of hair, one or two packs are all you need. There's lots of info around on doing this. Be careful in your kitchen or your wife might get PO'd at you if you make a mess, unless you have an old slop sink area in the basement to make wine, beer and other man-messes.

 

PS:- RIT dye is not particularly reactive with animal hairs, tending to produce dull colours, at least in the limited amount of stuff I've tried dyed using it. It works real well with natural vegetable fibres such as cotton.

 

Let us know how you make out with this.

[petelangevin 0]

What about trying koolaid, i know it has been used to dye other natural fibers.

[Peterjay 0]

Kool-Aid would work, but it only comes in bright colors - if you're after a natural dun, RIT dye would probably get you what you want, but you'd have to do a fair amount of experimenting. Unless you want to get some serious dyeing experience, I doubt it's worth the effort.

[Stippled Popper 0]

Kool-Aid would work, but it only comes in bright colors - if you're after a natural dun, RIT dye would probably get you what you want, but you'd have to do a fair amount of experimenting. Unless you want to get some serious dyeing experience, I doubt it's worth the effort.

 

Someone posted a link to 500 different formulas for achieving different colors using RIT Dye. Using t would probably eliminate a lot of experimental steps.

 

It is here: RIT Color Formulas

 

Click the color and the necessary dyes and amounts are shown.

 

Click the color bar at the bottom of the color swatches and it changes the list of color swatches displayed.

[Peterjay 0]

The RIT formula guide is an excellent place to start; you just have to be aware that the colors will be more subdued than the ones shown, sometimes a lot more. At the very least, it will point you in the right direction. Being a mixed dye made with fabrics in mind, not all the dye will be absorbed by animal fur, feathers, etc. It makes for great natural-looking browns, grays, blues, etc. You can also get a great rust color by mixing orange with a smidgen of dark brown.