Getting a sunburst or fade stain on woodies?

Izzy · May 17, 2011, 12:35:00 PM

Im wondering if any of you have tried this. I cant seem to get anything that looks close to a red to black stain on my woodies. It keeps coming out looking like a straight line or blob. Any help would be appreciated if any of you have stained arrows in this manner.

Thanks,Izzy

Patrick55 · May 17, 2011, 01:25:00 PM

I hope you get something back on this. I have wanted to give it a try again. I am thinking instead of using wood stain that dye might work better. I did some back about 20 years ago that came out just OK. Nothing great. I used water based stain (Tripps I think). I put the red on first over the entire shaft then went over the red with black. Then buffed with steel wool only the areas I wanted the red to show through. Gave it some nice highlights once the sealer went on. It was still not what I was looking for. There has got to be a better way.

Bud B. · May 17, 2011, 01:30:00 PM

I haven't tried it with wooden arrow shafts but you might want to stain the whole shaft to the lighter color by wipe-on or dipping. The darker stain should go on by wipe-on only with as little stain as you can get on your cloth. Start at the end of the shaft and work towards the area where you want to have the fade. Wiping towards the arrow's center will use up the small amount of stain in the cloth and get lighter as you go. It may take some practice because if you have your cloth saturated with the darker stain you'll cover up the lighter one. Just barely get the cloth wet with the darker stain. Harder pressure in the wiping but lighten the pressure as you go towards the fade.

Practice on scrap wood if you have it. I have done fades on paints but not with arrows. I used brushes and I think the technique for that process was/is called dry brushing.

reddogge · May 17, 2011, 03:08:00 PM

Yes, dry brushing will work on paints because they stay ON the wood and not go INTO the wood like stains or dyes. I'd try using alcohol based analine dyes like Fiebings leather dye and do a long overlap section of the two dyes and then experiment with steel wool and alcohol to blend them. The alcohol is a thinning agent for them. Try wet and then try it dry.

Paul Mattson · May 17, 2011, 03:24:00 PM

I use an airbrush to do my fades, you could try using a cheap testors aerosol spray kits.

benny · May 17, 2011, 03:31:00 PM

Wow...thats nice Paul.

Zradix · May 17, 2011, 04:13:00 PM

you can do it with alcohol based aniline dye.
Just went out back and tried it.

I'll see if I can post pics tonight.

The secret was to have both stains ready to apply at the same time.

Then apply both colors to the shaft ( red on one end black on the other) till they almost touch where you want the fade to be.

Then while everything is still wet ( we're talking seconds) spread some black into the red and put it on a bit heavy.

Take a paper towel and fade it up into the red.

If you don't get it just right add a bit more of the color you need where its needed and blend/rub it in. You can vary how long the fade area is by doing this to.

Just be sure you pay attention to how your shaft is oriented so you don't run the dye down the shaft into the other color....( learned that the hard way)

don s · May 17, 2011, 04:55:00 PM

rit dye will do what your looking for. use alcohol instead of water. don

Zradix · May 17, 2011, 09:42:00 PM

Here are a couple old shafts I sanded and dyed earlier today and tonight with alcohol based aniline dye. Pics aren't the greatest but shows it can be done. The fades look more even in person. My camera just doesn't pick it up.

Izzy · May 18, 2011, 06:36:00 AM

Youve got it man!!!! Thats super fine. I have some Rit and wood stain. Do you think I could find aniline dyes at a craft store? Thank you, as always I knew Id get an effective, helpful answer her.

Zradix · May 18, 2011, 01:51:00 PM

RIT would probably work.
I used some dyes we have here at work for making Beechem layout fluid.

Important to use alcohol though.

RIT's site has a nice color chooser with recipes for getting LOTS of colors.

http://www.ritdye.com/colorit_color_formula_guide

Start here and pick your color group.

Good luck

No-sage · May 18, 2011, 02:48:00 PM

Izzy,

I've got a ton of black power, water soluable analine dye if you need any. I doubt you'll find any in a craft store.

I prefer the water soluable for doing fades. I doesn't flash as fast and lets you "move" the color more easily.

Zradix · May 18, 2011, 03:02:00 PM

Cool no sage!

The stuff I have isn't a true red or black.

I have to mix them up special with sorta fuschia and yellow to make a red. And the black has lots of different dyes in it.

RickSaar@work · May 18, 2011, 03:21:00 PM

I've done the same thing as Zradix using acrylic paint from Walmart. I wipe on the base coat with a rag like stain and let it dry. Then wipe on the darker color, starting at dark end and feathering out the fade. I'll borrow my wife's camera and post a photo of the finished product tonight.

Izzy · May 18, 2011, 04:01:00 PM

I did it!!! I used Cabot ebony stain and red liquid Rit dye. Came out as well as I expected it to. Ill put up some pics as well after I seal them and fletch them with 3 4" natural gobbler shields. Thanks again. With all this rain all that there is to do is experiment with gear and techniques. I cant even find any good carp spawning action.