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Author Topic: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS  (Read 8254 times)

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Offline burchett.donald

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PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« on: December 27, 2011, 01:07:02 pm »
   I have 2 doz. Douglas Fir shafts straightened and want to add some color to them. Wanted to know if anyone had some suggestions for a primitive stain or pigment that I could use before sealing them. Blackwalnut would be great but it's not available to me now. All suggestions from everyone welcome and thanks in advance.
                                    Don
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Genesis 27:3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

Offline Pat B

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Re: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2011, 01:52:37 pm »
You can buy natural pigments from Crazy Crow, Pine Hollow and other sources. You can also use Rit dye or unflavored KoolAid mixed with alcohol for dying or staining shafts and bows.
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Offline burchett.donald

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Re: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2011, 10:41:22 am »
How about tobacco and alcohol, anybody tried it? Ran across this idea while goggleing "primitive stain" It said to soak the tobacco in alcohol for 1 week and then strain. Probably would use pipe tobacco and not sweet sticky molasses filled chewing tobacco.
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Genesis 27:3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

Offline aaron

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Re: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2011, 01:05:05 pm »
vinegar + steel wool makes a nice dark grey. just let the mixture soak for a week, apply, and expose to sun.
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Offline Bevan R.

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Re: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2011, 04:00:01 pm »
I know this is not a stain...
But I have seen shafting scorched to change colors and given a mottled camo affect.
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Offline burchett.donald

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Re: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2011, 05:30:35 pm »
  Pat, Aaron and Bevan thanks for the ideas. Got on a woodworking site and they were using equal parts of ammonia and tobacco and was ready in 24hrs. for a deep brown color.
                      Don
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Genesis 27:3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

Offline Pat B

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Re: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2012, 01:46:06 am »
Donald, the cool thing about primitive archery is if it works for you , its good.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline burchett.donald

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Re: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2012, 02:44:02 pm »
  The ammonia and tobacco mixture was a complete dissapointment, barely changed the color of the fir shafting. Live and learn... But on the other hand I learned that taking a pinch of moist copenhagen snuff and wiping on the shafts left a deep dark brown stain that didn't streak or raise the grain!
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Genesis 27:3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

Offline sadiejane

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Re: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2012, 04:22:22 pm »
hows bout yr left over morning coffee? i use it all the time to stain bone.
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Offline Tom Leemans

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Re: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2012, 01:18:09 pm »
DO NOT do that ammonia stain anywhere where people will be! Build a temporary tent of sorts from sheet plastic and 1X2's or something to contain the fumes. The longer the wood is exposed, the more it oxidizes the wood.
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Offline randman

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Re: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« Reply #10 on: January 11, 2012, 12:31:11 am »
I read on another site here recently about onion skin stain. Boil lots of onion skins for 1 hr, strain and boil some more to intensify the color. I haven't tried it yet but his bow is a beautiful amber color. Could probably get other colors from purple and red onions.

Thought this was an appropriate thread to pass this info on.
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Offline JackCrafty

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Re: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« Reply #11 on: January 11, 2012, 04:02:08 pm »
Brown stain:  soy sauce, liquid smoke.

Yellow stain:  mustard, osage sawdust steeped in alcohol or oil.

Red stain:  beet juice.

There are also various fruit juices that you can use straight out of the bottle:  grape juice, pomegranate, cranberry, prune, etc.

The list is endless. ;D
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TurtleCreek

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Re: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2012, 09:47:57 pm »
  Beef blood makes a neat looking stain
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Offline HickoryBill

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Re: PRIMITIVE OR PERIOD STAINS
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2012, 11:33:01 pm »
If you consider blood a primitive stain then most of my wood projects bows, arrows, etc usually end up with a little red HickoryBill primitive stain..... ;D ;D In all seriousness whatever stain you decide to use make sure you use a good sealer.
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