splicing withOUT cutting - Possible????

Matt Green · January 05, 2011, 09:56:00 AM

Have read posts about dying feathers - even with Kool aide. CAN YOU CREATE A SPLICED LOOK BY PARTIALLY DIPPING FEATHERS?? Just wondering if anyone had gotten creative this way? I like the look of spliced feathers but would rather be shooting than building feathers most of the time.

thanks
mgreen

magnus · January 05, 2011, 10:01:00 AM

Hadn't thought of that one. Try it and see if it works and let us know. I'll do the same on my next batch that I dye.

Keeping the Faith!
Magnus

reddogge · January 05, 2011, 10:04:00 AM

I would think the dye would bleed into the rest of the feather. Would give a muted look, not a sharp splice line.

FerretWYO · January 05, 2011, 10:08:00 AM

It can be done yes. I wish I had some pictures. It is a little messy. What I have found is that it works best with white and you can die them almost any color. Use some type of a divider (I used a thin peice of flat plastic). Slide in between the barbs that you wish to die and use a brush to apply the die. Allow it to dry completly then remove the divider. With a light pinch the barbs should re-join. It works.

lpcjon2 · January 05, 2011, 11:42:00 AM

I think if you spray the desired part of the feather with silicone it will not accept the dye.

RUSTY1 · January 05, 2011, 11:45:00 AM

What kind of dye do you use?

VTer · January 05, 2011, 01:12:00 PM

My son tried that with Kool-aid. It was like Reddogge describes. Not that fuzzy of a line but didn't look spliced. He dipped them perpendicular to the quill so maybe if you tried it at the angle of the feather lines, it might look better.

snag · January 05, 2011, 02:24:00 PM

Might try using a playing card or something to divide the quills. Let us know how it goes.

Jack Denbow · January 05, 2011, 07:47:00 PM

I have done it. Just bend the feather so the barbs seperate and dip it as far as seperation. When I did it I used the Great Northern dye.
Jack

Matt Green · January 05, 2011, 10:53:00 PM

Good input - thanks all. Seems some have had success - I figured a divider of sorts woudl be needed but hadn't thought of separating. Any of you who have done this have pics to post??
thanks again
mgreen

onewhohasfun · January 06, 2011, 06:53:00 AM

I have used dark oil based wood stain on light colored feathers with decent results. Try it on some old feathers first. You don't even have to seperate. Try it you'll see what I mean.

cyred4d · January 06, 2011, 08:02:00 AM

Some good information here. I will have to give it a try