Buck tail Dye??

[Doodlum]

Trying to find out what dye type is used to dye bucktail.
Experminted with eyerything from cloth dye to womens hair dye but the results are not as good as the commerical dyed buck hair.
Anyone know what the commerical people use.

[shipahoy41]

You may get a few hints from this thread. As far as commercial people...I don't know.

Mike

http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showthread.php?t=50052

[Doodlum]

Shipahoy
Thanks for the reference thread. Read just about all of the postings on dying. Going to experiment with a few of the dying methods.
One post stated it's a lot easier to just buy them. I think he is right. Hate for the misses to come in and ask "what in th world are you cooking in my kitchen".

[Lynda Jean]

Use Kool Aid - it is so easy to use, so cheap and so effective. you won't believe the colors you can produce. So deep and rich and vibrant. And they're permanent. kool Aid is what the kids use to dye their hair. It only works by the way, on natural fibers like wool, deer hair etc. Not synthetics

Anyway, just type .... dye +Kool Aide on Google or your search engine, hit the button and enjoy.

Until you try it you won't believe how easy it is!!!

I've tried hair dye, Ritz dye and none come close to Kool Aid

[shipahoy41]

Use Kool Aid - it is so easy to use, so cheap and so effective. you won't believe the colors you can produce. So deep and rich and vibrant. And they're permanent. kool Aid is what the kids use to dye their hair. It only works by the way, on natural fibers like wool, deer hair etc. Not synthetics

Anyway, just type .... dye +Kool Aide on Google or your search engine, hit the button and enjoy.

Until you try it you won't believe how easy it is!!!

I've tried hair dye, Ritz dye and none come close to Kool Aid

Here is the thread I posted before on some dye methods.

Mike
---------------------

You can also dye with koolaid. http://www.thepiper.com/fiberart/koo...sic-howto.html
What You Need:

Protein fiber (wool, alpaca, silk, etc.) made into loosely tied skeins.
Unsweetened Kool-Aid packages. A good starting point is one package of Kool-Aid per one ounce of fiber.
Water
Vinegar
For stovetop method: stainless steel or unchipped enamal pot. DO NOT use aluminum or cast iron. If you plan on dyeing more than a single ounce at a time, use a large soup pot.
- or -
For microwave method: Pyrex or other heat resistant glass pan, microwavable clear plastic wrap (such has Handi-Wrap or Saran Wrap). Masking tape to tape up the ends of the plastic wrap once you've wrapped the dye-saturated yarn.
Small plastic spatula for mixing.
Rubber gloves, otherwise you will end dyeing your fingers in the process.
Heat source.
The Basic Recipe:

As a starting point, for each ounce of fiber (spun or unspun) you plan on dyeing, use:

One package of unsweetened Kool-Aid
Liquid (8 oz total):
6 ounces of water 2 ounces of vinegar
If you want the color to be less intense, use less Kool-Aid in the same amount of water. Conversely, more Kool-Aid will give you more color. For consistent results, dissolve the Kool-Aid in the water/vinegar solution and dilute the resulting solution.

Dyeing with Kool-Aid does not require a mordant.

Stovetop Method:

Soak fiber in hot water for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
While it is soaking, make your Kool-Aid bath. For each package of Kool-Aid use 3 parts water to one part vinegar.
Heat the dye solution to just below boiling.
Remove your fiber from the hot water soak. Squeeze out excess water.
Add your fiber to the dye bath. Be sure that the fiber is completely submerged in the dye solution. If necessary, add more water so your fiber is completely covered and ensure even dyeing . Adding some additional water will not affect the final result.
Simmer for about 45 minutes or until all the color is gone. During this time, carefully turn the fiber periodically in the dye bath so it absorbs the color more evenly. When the color in the dye bath completely disappears - the bath becomes a clear colorless liquid or a white, milky liquid - depending on the flavor of Kool-Aid you used - turn off the burner.
Let the solution cool until it reaches a temperature with which you can comfortably handle the fiber.
Rinse the fiber thoroughly in water the same temperature as the dye bath. At this point you may want to wash the fiber with liquid dishwashing detergent and rinse thoroughly using the procedure that you normally use for washing yarn.
Hang the fiber and let it air dry.

Here is how to dye bucktail or calf tail. I found this on a jig making forum for you.
................................
Dyeing bucktails is not all that difficult. First, using a sharp knife, debone the tails and remove the fat. The key is wash and degrease the bucktails in cold water. Use any household detergent (Tide works well as does Simple Green). Rinse well, be careful not to break hairs. I like to comb them to get all the burrs and other debris off, especially blood.You can utilize common vegetable dye on bucktails, just use hot water with the dye. I use a an old soup kettle to heat water and dye on my gas grill. Once water is over 180 degrees, shut off heat and put in cleaned tails and stir for about 10 minutes. Remove and hang to dry somewhere the family dog can't get to them. Once dry, plop tails into plastic bags and then freeze them. Remove from freezer as needed. No muss, no fuss, as long as you store in freezer. This has no effect on the hair as far as I can tell, which includes tying several bucktail jigs.

This is a great book for dyeing:
"Dyeing and Bleaching Natural Fly-Tying Materials" by A.K.Best ISBN# 1-55821-214-0
Here's an overview of the process:
To de-grease before dying: 1/4 cup Wisk, 1/4 cup Joy(or Dawn)dish liquid & 1/4 cup Downy fabric softner mixed in 3 gallons hot tap water. After scraping as much fat off the tails, soak for 24 hrs. then rinse under running water, blot dry(don't wring).
He boils 2 pks. of rit powder dye in 1 cup water to make his own liquid concentrate. This liquid concentrate is then added by tablespoons to a dye bath of 25 cups water, 1/4 cup white vinegar heated not over 140 degrees f .Add and test for strength of color you want as you stir then rinse/dry bucktails before storage.

[Doodlum]

Use Kool Aid - it is so easy to use, so cheap and so effective. you won't believe the colors you can produce. So deep and rich and vibrant. And they're permanent. kool Aid is what the kids use to dye their hair. It only works by the way, on natural fibers like wool, deer hair etc. Not synthetics

Anyway, just type .... dye +Kool Aide on Google or your search engine, hit the button and enjoy.

Until you try it you won't believe how easy it is!!!

I've tried hair dye, Ritz dye and none come close to Kool Aid

Your right when I dried Ritz dye it did not penitrate the deer hair and the colors were weak.
Going to buy some Kool Aid tomorrow and give it a wack.What flavor should I use for chartruse? Lemon or lemon lime I guess.
Thank you and shipahoy for the info.

[bobberwatcher]

Very good questions. I have 2 "fresh" buck tail (And they are Buck, not Doe tail.) Very interested in this thread.

[willsjwills]

I use acid vat dyes from Dharma Trading Co. and get good results. The dyes are cheap and work well for the numbers I dye. I have to dye a lot of tails, so I use a commercial dye that works in 5 minutes or so.

Even on your Rit dyes and Kool Aid It'll work a lot better if you load your solution with plenty of salt and baking soda. You also need to make sure you have the tail clean. The hide part needs to be scraped of all fatty tissue, otherwise the fat will keep the dye from penetrating the hair. After scraping, put in hot water on the stove for a few seconds to boil out any fat that's left, then wash in a detergent with warm water. This will remove any oils left. Do not use any kind of chlorine bleach. Go to the beauty shop and buy hair brightener.

[Doodlum]

UH-Oh, I have used bleech to brighten/clean the white tails. What are the effects of bleech on the deer hair?

[shipahoy41]

Your right when I dried Ritz dye it did not penitrate the deer hair and the colors were weak.
Going to buy some Kool Aid tomorrow and give it a wack.What flavor should I use for chartruse? Lemon or lemon lime I guess.
Thank you and shipahoy for the info.

lemon mixed with lime worke well for me.

2/3 lemon 1/3 lime. I guess I like yellow chartreuse for its visability.