School Me

[parson]

    

I've read of folks dying their bows with RIT dye. I'd like to learn more about the process.

Thanks

Bill

[Pat B]

Mix Rit dye with denatured alcohol and use it like leather dye.

[parson]

Do you follow the package directions and use alcohol instead of hot water?

[Pat B]

I think you need to experiment to get the mixture to your liking. Start with just a little dye first. You can always make it darker if you want to.  I've actually never used it but have seen it used by many.   

[George Tsoukalas]

I've used it on hickory. You can experiment and get the right mixture of alcohol to dye. It takes a bit of work to get all the pores filled in but it works. You may need 2 or 3 coats and you can do each limb up in 3 different colors or so. I did the handle and fades brown, mid limb area green and the last 8 in yellow.  You can aslo do one color. Jawge

[parson]

Thanks folks. I appreciate the responses.

[Prarie Bowyer]

For high tannin woods like Oak you can put a pad of steel wool in a jar with white vinegar for a few days.  Wipe down with that liquid and it turns the wood black.  It works on maple also but it's more of a muddy grey.

[crooketarrow]

  I do all my white wood bows as well as arrows with alcohol rit dye and have did at lest 30 plus bows and 100's of arrows. Osage and it's mainly the only hard wood I use for myself I like to seal it and let it turn the natural color. I Love that dark reddish,brownish,Orange color. If someone wants it stained a different color I use leather dye.
 
  PRARIE never did this will it work with Osage. I'd like to give it a try.

[osage outlaw]

I used the powdered rit dye mixed with denatured alcohol to turn the wife's hickory bow purple.  I saved some scraps from cutting it out to experiment on until I got the color where I wanted it.

[Hillbilly]

I've used it several times on bows and arrow shafts, and it works good. Fiebings leather dye is better, but the Rit will work. I use the powdered Rit and mix it with just enough rubbing alcohol to make a runny paste-type consistancy. Forget the package directions, they're for dyeing fabric. Wipe it on with a paper towel (wear latex gloves  ) then wipe it off. You can keep repeating until it's the shade you want. This one was done with Rit:

[Prarie Bowyer]

@crooketarow~  I've never worked with Osage.     Take a scrap piece and give it a shot.  My FB page shows a bowl I did with a maple rim.  Bowl was oak.  I used cider vinegar and it didn't work well for a few reasons.  Mainly it turned it purple black.  Also I didn't ask for the cider vinegar.... and apparently the MRS had plans for it . . .  so . . . .well.  White vinegar and steel wool (or nails but the wool has more surface area) works better.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000955187713&sk=photos

[parson]

Hillbilly,

That's a great looking bow!

I mixed powder (black) with alcohol and wiped it on with a rag. I did 3 applications, and I'm pleased with the results.

The bow is a red oak board with hickory backing.

I finished it with 3 coats of Helmsman poly. I'm waiting for it to dry.

Thanks again for all of the responses.

[Bow Nut]

any one know how rit dye works with bamboo I use transtint dyes and they work great but are pricy would rit dye work just as well.?