Anyone dyed deer hair?

[Lochan_load]

I'm a complete novice at dying, is it smelly?

[Darwin]

I'm a complete novice at dying, is it smelly?

No, not really.  The only thing that smells is the vinegar.  No worse than when dyeing eggs for Easter.  Now that I think about it, I think the Easter egg dyes are acid dye and might be fun to stick a feather in the pot   Just make sure to work cleanly and don't spill the powder or dye bath. (unless your single or want to be)  :shock:

[bibio1]

Don't do a microwave dye bath in fluorescent orange. I'm still married. :crap

[Wildfisher]

I'm still married. :crap

That's because you've not being trying hard enough.   :lol:

[bibio1]

Must try harder. Must try harder.

[Lochan_load]

Had a go at it in the end, went for claret and thought it went pretty well, once it all dried tho rather than claret everything turned out purple! Tips of the deer hair and some gp tippet went claret but the rest look like something of Liberaces smokin jacket!
Don't think I left it all long enough so going to give it another blast tomorrow and see what happens, here's the deer hair........

[lochgarryfisher]

That looks excellent Andy, can you put up your receipe/method at some point, my next fly tying order i was gonna order some claret and black dye

[bushy palmer]

I'd say that was a complete success. 

[Lochan_load]

Alright mark, I just gave everything a good wash through in a basin of warm water with Daz and left to soak for 10 and washed it all out thoroughly. Then just simmered in a pot with Veniard dye as per the instructions, the colour took fine but does say on the instructions that there is three components to each dye so you need to give time for each to take, it looked the right colour so I whipped it out, wasn't til it dried that it showed up purple but I'll bang it back in and hope it's second time lucky!
Ps I would wear rubber gloves, I look like I've been at the beetroot with bare hands!!

[Lochan_load]

Right gave the stuff another go in the dye, left it to simmer for half an hour this time, came out a truer claret colour
The deer hair

A fly with a claret hackle

And my fingers!!