Questions about dying hair.

I went by the deer processing business here in town and asked them to save me a dozen tails they said no problem. The question I have is where can I find any info on dying these tails besides with kool aide? Has anyone used the kool aide method and does the dye fade while fishing the jig? I tried a search on the net but did not get what I was looking for so any info would be appreciated. I just stretched and boraxed one today. The hair on local tails seem to be not as stiff as the ones I bought out of the store.

Try Cushing's Perfection Dyes. I use this brand on marabou, and it sets real well. Phone # is 1 800 626 7847. I just stumbled across it in a fabric shop.

Ditto with the Cushings,I have it in about 20 colors and they have many more.

Try flydye tel#which401-434-3300 email [email protected]
flydye p.o. box 14258 east providence, rhode lsland 02914 . Give it a try in order one of their color charts. I use their die it works terrific bob.

Here is the cool aide way...
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Dying Buck Tail

Talk about a coincident...I was going to post a similar question along with another one. I was also wondering if the Kool-aid faded in the water. My other question is on squirrel tails. I have several, some of them fox squirrel tails in black and red. Do you guys that tie with squirrel leave them natural colored or do you dye them also?

You can dye about any fur,hair or feathers.Kool aid is cheaper than Cushing's dyes but I can do about four colors in an hour with the Cushing dyes.When dying and looking for certain shades material willl be a lighter color when it dries than what it was wet.

if you set it right kool aid will not fade from my exp with it once you get them to the color you want take ad put in to cold water to set and it will not fade
as for the shades that brings me to a trick the fur will only get about 3 shades with in the color of the die so take your time and let it take as much color as you can and have a pot of boiling water to dip into if its to dark but rember wil lightin up when drys and then set into cold water
byw i have been testing a better way to get the colors to the shade i hope in the next few weeks to show you my new colors and combo's

as for tree rats tails i dye the all the time one thing about them is light colors like yellows and blues you will have only a hint of the colors in the tips and makes for some very nice jigs

oh i just remembered i had a pic of some tree rat tails i dyed hae a look
http://i537.photobucket.com/albums/f...Picture056.jpg

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Originally Posted by gabulldog

oh i just remembered i had a pic of some tree rat tails i dyed hae a look
http://i537.photobucket.com/albums/f...Picture056.jpg

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Those look good. Say you did those with cool aide?

yea thats koolaid

Thanks for sharing all the info guys, got about 20 bucktails coming from a taxidermist friend in a few days, gonna try the koolaid first.

Poppop asked about fading in the water. I have just a little experience with this. First my red maribou isn't set and bleeds over any other colors shared on that jig. Do I need to try a different batch or can I set what I have?
As to fade I was educated about this years ago from a perfectionist that had a shop in the town I lived in. The shop was "Die Werke International" and the owners name was Wilhelm Von Luscomb. A mouthful on both points. He was known in the earlier days of graphite fly rods for tarpon and other large species. G. Loomis was a blanks only company at the time. I met him in the early 80's. His work was top notch in every way. He had a big problem with color staying the same after using in salt water. He said what stays in fresh water will bleed easy in salt. Being the perfectionist he was he began dying his own and adding something to it to keep it set under any conditions. I know it smelled like boiled death. His materials were in high demand and for the life of me I can't remember what it was he used but it was an oily substance and would foam as he boiled in the color if he got it too hot. His colors were brilliant and stayed that way. I used a couple of his streamer patterns that still looked good after 3 or 4 outings. I can only hope that someone might remember him, or know what he used to set the dye better. Sorry for the lengthy post. Y'all would have loved a chance to talk to this man. I'm sure he's gone now but he was a truly dedicated fisherman and fly/jig tyer.

ok we was talkin about hairs when it comes to maribou or feathers at all theres anouther step and realy i do it to all i just kinda forgot to say it so far
take hot water <as hot as you can take your hands being in> and just a bit of dish soap and wash them good and then will still wet put into the koolaid,vinger,water<remeber its just under a boil> till ya get the color just darker then you want and rince in cold water to set and they should do fine its the oils in the birds feathers thats making it bleed

Terry Hellekson the author of Fish Flies has a whole bunch of links about dyes and dyeing which are really good.

Dye Sources

Fatman

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Originally Posted by Fatman

Terry Hellekson the author of Fish Flies has a whole bunch of links about dyes and dyeing which are really good.

Dye Sources

Fatman

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Thanks for the information. I am going to try the cool aide first then some of the craft dyes on some deer tails. I have to go by the processing plant today and collect the tails. I will post some pics after the adventure.

Gabullbog, thanx. Guess I just need to get some red from another supplier to insure it's a different batch. Frustrating to get done, get it wet and watch it turn to crap.

honestly i think koolaid is a waste of time and teh cheap way out. i had tried it many times and followed many different ways and could never get the rich brilliant colors i could get with a die... i wouldnt waste the bucktails on koolaid anymore even so dies cost more but its like everything, you get what you pay for

I tried the cool aide dye and was not pleased. The color was way light, maybe needed more than 2 packs. I am not even wasting time to post a picture. I think I am going to try Rite dye next.

can some one point me in a direction to using koolaid to make them pretty colors that gabulldog has used

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gabulldog

oh i just remembered i had a pic of some tree rat tails i dyed hae a look
http://i537.photobucket.com/albums/f...Picture056.jpg

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