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dying materials.

3K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  rjb222 
#1 ·
I am just starting to investigate how to dye feathers and hair. I am wondering if it is the same as dying cloth. I have looked around a bit and there is not much information on the process.I see some people posting of using cool-aide as a dye do you use vinegar to set the dye?:)
 
#2 ·
yes

cool aid is the same, acid to set
protein dye is all the same, same as for fabric
The big difference in fur and feathers is the damage the heat can do to the material. For some colors heat is necessary, dark colors, but heat must be applied carefully. When doing black polar bear high heat is required so we stand over the pot and dip the fur and remove it so as not to melt the enamel on the fur

Get the stuff clean with Dawn in warm water
Hit the dye with vinegar or muri acid in some cases

rinse and dry
 
#4 ·
Do a search on this site. flytyer and others have gone over this topic in detail and it will help you out big time.

I thought hair and fur was protein based and cloth was cellular based, which is why RIT doesn't always work well with hair and fur?

I love using Flyedye by orco....hasn't let me down. Synthrapol has also been very useful in the cleaning and dyeing process.
 
#5 ·
I have not tried cool aid since it is not available where i live, but i came through a nice alternative which is a cloth dye, it worked wery nice on feathers and was the only thing i got to actually set a nice color on deer hair (for me the hardest material to dye so far) The brand is "Dylon" and it is UK made and very cheap. All i do is wash the material with dish detergent, soak and then put it on the dyeing solution with sodium salt (common industrial use salt, not the ones sold for home use which are added with iron and other minerals) and let it there at about 50ºC for 10-15 minutes, wash and let it dry. The result has nothing to envy to the commercial materials. So far i only used black, olive and red, but i'm really satisfied with the outcome.
 
#8 ·
I don't recall dylon's instructions, but the dyes made here all ask to add quite a bunch of salt (whitout additives) on the solution because it acts as a fixative agent. I'm not expert in chemistry so i don't know exactly the "why/how" but it worked for me :D
 
#10 ·
salt is good when the ph needs adjusting
blues usually benefit from some salt, depending on your water


put it on the dyeing solution with sodium salt (common industrial use salt, not the ones sold for home use which are added with iron and other minerals)



Guys what sodium salt ? In solution a sodium salt forms sodium cation, positively charged, and the question is what is the anion, which in this case will dictate the pH.

Sodium chloride gives a neutral pH ( 7) as it is the salt of strong base and acid , sodium bicarbonate, known as backing soda gives pH ca. 8 , slightly basic.

Saying sodium salt it is like saying fly rod, what? SH, DH, what is the rod wt and length ?
 
#12 ·
Rather than retype a lot of what I've already posted about dying fly tying materials, I'm going to simply tell you to use the site's "search" function and type dyeing tying materials'. 'dyeing fly tying materials', or 'how to dye'. I'm telling to do this and use the search function because I've written a lot about how to dye, what dyes to use, brands of dye, and have provided some step-by-step written instructions. I've also written about what dyes to avoid and why. So do yourself a favor and use the search function to avoid problems or making mistakes. I've been dyeing materials for about 30 years now and I've made my share of mistakes.

I will say this though, dyeing fly tying materials is similar to dyeing cloth, but there are differences, not the least of which is the temperature you can dye at. Cloth can take a much higher temperature than feathers and fur. Also, I wouldn't use anything other than acid dyes, eventhough you can get good results on some materials and with some colors using Procion type dyes (such as the Dylon) as long as you use common non-iodized table salt. (yes, it is important not to use iodized table salt because it will effect the color you get).
 
#13 ·
I can wholeheartedly second that Flytyer. After searching this site as you suggest and following your instructions I have just successfully dyed some arctic fox, nayat goat, ringneck pheasant and JC feathers with Jacquard dyes. They've all come out really well, there were no hitches at all and I'm delighted with the results. Many thanks. I couldn't have done it without your advice and input.
 
#14 ·
Flytyer's posts will give you all you need to be successful. If you want to have a bit more technical background on dyes, you can read a compiled set of articles on dyeing fly tying materials published in the early 1990's by a dye chemist here <http://www.beaucatcher.com/Tying%20Notes.htm#Preparation_of_Materials_and_an_Introduction_to_the_Rudiments_of_Dyeing_Chemistry>
 
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