dying deer and buck tails

[jerzfly732 0]

So a hunter friend of mine has been saving all his buck tails for a few years planning on making his own salt water rigs n never got to it now i have 7 nice size buck tails and he gave me a nice size patch of fur. I would like to add some colors so What kind of dies should I use to die deer fur and buck tails?

[FlaFly 0]

I think there have been some discussions lately about dyeing fur... they tended more toward trying less expensive ways of doing it, like using easter egg colors, food colors, even jello powder. The most reliable way I have read about was plain old Rit dye. If I had those bucktails, I wouldn't want to cut corners.

I'm sure a lot of members have done it and will share their experience come morning. It's 2AM in the east so a big chunk of the country are in bed now.

[tidewaterfly 0]

Check Dharma Trading Co. for acid dyes. They carry Jacquard brand and their own. Both work quite well, but quantity and prices vary. Using acid dyes is a bit like dyeing Easter eggs. Some dye colors are more difficult to dye than others. Rit will work too, but acid dyes generally do a better job on hair.

 

There is information on the Dharma site for dyeing, and as FlaFly has said, there have been numerous discussions about dyeing.

[Meeshka 0]

I've used Veniard dyes for dying polar bear. It works quite well but can be difficult to find.

[trez 0]

Another vote for Dharma Trading Co and Jacquard acid dyes. They work very well for hair and feathers.

[Guest]

A lot of people use Jacquard's acid dye's, I haven't tried that one yet. Stay away from the Jacquard's I-dye it didn't work very well when I tried it.

 

The RIT liquid dye works good, I have some of the Veniards coming soon and yes it's tough to find, but according to the instructions a little goes a long ways.

 

Another one I've found is from Anglers Workshop - it's their Fly Dye and it does run cheaper

http://www.anglersworkshop.com/Water-Fowl-Feathers/Anglers-Fly-Dyes

 

Make sure to cover counters, and wear rubber gloves. Buy your own pyrex or Tall Ball canning jars - Make sure they have the raised Ball letters on the side of it,

[tidewaterfly 0]

Great advice from Fatman!

 

There are several sources for dyes popular for dyeing fly tying materials. Those mentioned all will work fine. With those I mentioned I've found I like the Jacquard for some colors, but the Dharma house brand works as well for some colors, or better depending on the color I want. A good example is chartreuse. Either brand works fine for me, but the Dharma is less costly. However, I only found this out by trying both.

 

Keep in mind too that dyes are chemicals, and they can vary as to possible dangers they may impose to your health. Use some common sense & take precautions, not only with the possibility of the dye getting on places you don't want it, like a kitchen counter, but also with it being on things such as used for food preparation.

 

I've done a lot of dyeing over the years & purchased utensils & containers that I only use for dyeing. I never use anything that will be used for preparing food. Not worth the risk of making someone sick!

 

If you use powdered dyes, keep in mind that the dust can be airborne & cause possible health issues.

 

Generally, with proper use and proper precautions they're safe.