Dying capes

[Robbie]

Lunchtime visit to Sommers in Aberdeen resulted in not gettin what I was looking for but picking up some sunburst dye and some epoxy eyes.

Had a golden pheasant crest that had been left on a windowsill and also wanted to try dying some roe deer. Before:
[attachimg=1]

Dyed the golden pheasant hot orange and used a mix of sunburst, hot orange and fiery brown on the deer hair:
[attachimg=2]

Reasonably happy with how they came out. Might leave out the fiery brown next time though.

[rannoch raider]

what a transformation. I've gotta get me some of that dye stuff ! :

[Lochan_load]

Nice one robbie, I found like you have that the brown dye takes over when added to lighter colours. the lighter colour dyes onto brown hair/feathers just adds a new tone....hope that makes sense!

[pedropete]

good effort robbie, nowt wrong with brown deer hair,will come in handy, its part of the fun of home dying.

[Bobfly]

I see there is an article on the basics on the March T and S. Suggests Irish Fly Supplies as a good sourse of dyes and capes and aslo a firm called Artvango.

[Robbie]

I ordered the dyes recommended in that article from Irish Fly Supplies. Article was interesting as the dying was done in a jug. Not sure that the method described would work too well for darker materials or deer hair. I have found it takes a while for deer hair to take up the dye and reach desired colour.

Currently trying to find out about using picric acid. Some online sources say it is too risky and others say the risks are exasperated. Spoke to a couple of people at the fly fair and was advised to avoid it. Waiting to hear back from a chemist friend for some, hopefully, more informed advice. Has anyone else tried / used picric acid? can  you get same effect using yellow or sunburst dye?

[garryh]

Irish fly supplies does a picric substitute. had stuff from him that has been done with it looks good to my eye
Garry

[pedropete]

i use picric dyed stuff all the time, hare, j.c, bronze mallard, peacock eyes, i wouldn't dream of doing it myself when there is other folk happy to do it for me.

[pedropete]

not been near the dye pot for a while but after getting some synthetic picric dye from irishflysupplys,  i dug out a few genetic capes id bought from cookshill just for the job,one a light greenwells and the other a cree. while the pot was out I did a batch of mallard some P.T. and a wee j.c cape that was looking a bit washed out. I've used this to tie some picric dabblers.

[Bobfly]

That looks terrific !!!