Dyeing

**Esopus Guy** · 01-24-2011, 08:01 AM

This technique can be used for almost anything,....

How to Dye Feathers Sunburst with Davie McPhail.

**tim_y** · 01-24-2011, 09:50 AM

Just a sidenote here, I was wondering if anyone else dyed their feathers. I was reading an old article somewhere where the gentleman used strong coffee to dye his woodduck. Thoughts? Experiences?

**Esopus Guy** · 01-24-2011, 11:35 AM

My mom does alot of doll making and quilting and I've seen her use the coffe dye technique on fabrics to give them an antique look. This also required baking the coffee treated fabric in an oven to set it in. Does'nt come out as dark as you might think though...

**Fontinalis** · 01-24-2011, 11:46 AM

Hi Tim_y:

Ray Smith use to dye alot of his wet fly patterns with coffee. I due dye materials when I have to. Have to is the main word. If I can find the Material that I want with a little research then I buy it. I dye for certain colors like magenta and Claret on Duck quills. These are much harder to find colors that are not always available. Also some of my past Catskill Brothers also use to use oinion skins for dying as well.

**DrBob** · 01-24-2011, 03:06 PM

Good Ole RIT dye with hot water, some vinegar, a little table salt, and a few drops of blue dawn dish detergent. It helps alot on certain feathers if you can wash them prior to remove as much of the oil as possible. Oil in the material will retard the dye.

**littlej81** · 01-24-2011, 05:51 PM

Can you dye fur on the skin if the skin hasn't been tanned. For instance, I have some squirrel skins that I salted the crap out of. Could I dye them, or would they fall apart? Could I paint the dye on somehow so that I wouldn't have to submerge the whole skin?

**Esopus Guy** · 01-24-2011, 07:06 PM

I think they would hold up fine but I think you'll have to go thru the drying and salting again. Take a small peice and boil it for a few minutes as a test. Worst case scenario, I think boiling the dye and then steeping the fur off heat should definately work.

This guy does some rabbit skins but his process doesn't use heat. Again, I think boiling the dye first might be better.

Dyeing Rabbit Hair Part 1

**littlej81** · 01-24-2011, 08:40 PM

Thanks Brandon.

**tim_y** · 01-25-2011, 09:56 AM

@ Fontinalis, sorry if this is a newbie question, but the onion skins, how does that work, and what are the results like colorwise?

You were right on, Ray Smith was the gentleman that I was referring too. I came across a spread in an old Art of Angling Journal on him and the mighty Esopus. The pictures of the fish from there back in the day would make you think you were with Davy on the White River, no kidding.