Cleaning feathers and tried my hand at dyeing some

Not able to hunt again this year I posted on a few hunting boards and got some really nice feathers. I spent 2 hours sorting through the second batch and got them all set up for washing. My cleaning solution is 1/3 cup borax and 2 squirts of Dawn foaming dishwasher liquid soap. This combo is what I've been using for 2 years and it works nice.

Gadwall and Mallard Flank all set to wash
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6087.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6094.jpg

I tell you the guys when they plucked they got the really nice big feathers too!!!!!!!
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6089.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6093.jpg

Once they're washed and most of the water is out of them, they go into an old pillowcase and get 5 minutes of heated drying and 20 minutes of air drying and it works nice.

Nice gallon size ziplock bag packed full with Gadwall
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6107.jpg

Gallon bag only 3/4ths full of Mallard Flank as I used some for trying my first time dyeing feathers.
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6108.jpg

I got some PAS Easter Egg dying packs in the Neon colors and I tried pink, purple and green - well the tabs for pink and purple must have gotten mixed as they both turned out the same pink color. For some reason the green took to the stem but the color washed right out!!

Here's the pink and it gave me a nice big gallon bag.
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6102.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6111.jpg

Have the green batch that washed out in the blue dye and we'll see how that one works. I'm going to pick up some unsweetened kool aid tomorrow.

Pink ones sure came out nice...........

Like the looks of those!!! Must be nice to get your own hackle and make it whatever color you need.

Those turned out really nice,hopefully the rest will also.

Looking good Doug, very nice feathers. I have used kool-aid and it works very well with little to no mess on hair but have not tried it on feathers. :) Not sure it will work with feathers so try a small amount first.

At least the pink ones did really well! Good job, now if you can get the other colors you want all is good!

Well at least the pink did!!! The green only took to the shaft of the feather an a really light tint the rest just washed out. I took the batch of green that didn't work and mixed up the blue and let it sit all night!!! Washed right out this morning!!! Found some instructions for RIT liquid dye and you don't need the vinegar so I'm going to try some of that.

I wish I would have gotten into tying last fall! I shot 63 and did not save a feather from any of them. This time next year I'll have a garbage bag full! Going to watch this thread real closely, hopefully you can figure the dye out so I don't have to next year.

Hey bro look at Aljo dyes on the net . http://www.aljodye.com/main.html
I use Aljo to do feathers . I use colored mica for plastic and powder paint

Well did some more today -

Cherry Koolaid
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6114.jpg

Grape Koolaid
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6125.jpg

Went to the store for my wife and found some Hawian Punch Green Berry Rush (small packs that you would dump in a water bottle) and said what the heck for a $1!! Used 4 packs and re-did the green ones that didn't work last night and they came out pretty good!!! Picture came out lousy and I tried a couple of different times
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6123.jpg


Ice Blue raspberry/lemonade Koolaid - this one didn't work. the only thing that colored was the stems
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6112.jpg

Still learning so for my first couple times I thought they came out alright. Gonna pick up some RIT liquid dye when I hit Wally World

That is great, they turned out nicely!

Picked up the Liquid RIT dye https://www.ritstudio.com/techniques...ials/feathers/
today and did 4 colors - Dark Green, Purple, Sunshine Orange and Aquamarine. The stuff is really easy to use 1/4th cup of the dye to a quart of hot 140 degree water, dump the feathers in and stir them, drain the dye off and use warm water to rinse then dry. The Aquamarine and Sunshine Orange came out just as I thought they would. The Dark Green and Purple I may re-do tommorrow, they didn't come out as dark as I wanted and I left them in a long time.

Sunshine Orange
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6158.jpg

Aquamarine
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6160.jpg

Dark Green
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6175.jpg

Purple
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6169.jpg

Glad your getting it figured out!! I like that aquamarine!!

Some great looking colors.

If you have a meat thermometer it will help a bunch . I put folded aluminum foil over a hot plate grate to sit the liquid on and maintain temps while it soaks . I was dying wool at the time . It's a pain cause of the lanolin in it . Can't hardly get that greasy stuff out no matter how much you wash .

Could be the water wasn't hot enough got to get me a thermometer with a stem

Well I redid the Green and Purple - also did a couple of pieces of Polar Bear and Arctic Fox. The Green came out nice this time the polar bear is even nicer than the picture shows.

Sunshine Orange Polar Bear
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6238.jpg

Aquamarine Polar Bear
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6237.jpg

Green Arctic Fox
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6219.jpg

Purple Arctic Fox
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6217.jpg

Purple Mallar Redone - my older camera hates purple most times but the color is darker than the Purple Arctic Fox
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6206.jpg

Green Mallard redone
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/100_6197.jpg

Now that is what I'm talking about . Start tying you done worked yourself into the corner.

Thanks buddy!!!!!!! With all the feathers I got from folks this year it was time to give it a shot. got a few more colors yellow, fuschia and black.

I need to get out and get some feathers kinda laid up on my tail this year . Got a load of wool I'm dreading . STINKY right of the sheeps hiney . ARGGGG! Supposed to be connected with a guy that will deliver a few hundred raw northern buck tails this year . We'll see . To bad wild turkeys feathers have the dark colors in them . Just had an Idea . Just as well throw some tie dyed shirts in the product line up .

yep good job. I'd buy some of those thats for sure. I have really good luck with natural and yellow on my jigs. Good job !!!

Looks like your doing well with the colors, nice job!

Yet another addiction Doug? They really look super. I see some way above average ponies in the near future.

Yeah it's looking like it but there's not many colors of the RIT liquid left!!!LOL With all the feathers everyone sent me it was time to take a chance and learn - defintly beats buying a small package when you can do a lot of the colors you use all the time. I need to find some florescent color dyes but looking on the web don't seen me be many and they cost more than the RIT.