Staining Horn

[Del the cat]

I'm thinking of making a fancy, special ELB for a lady archer who likes everything pink, red or purple, so I'm wondering does pale horn take a stain, or is there any horn that has a hint of colour to it?
I've got my eye on a nice Abalone arrow pass with some couour in it and a red leather grip. Boo backed Yew with maybe a purple heart lam in the middle...
Del making a trilam? Surely not... well maybe I'll scrub the core lam
Del

[PatM]

I would try mixing up some aniline dye and actually soaking the horn for an extended period of time.

[Del the cat]

Ta' I'll give it a go... there's no rush on this project 
Del

[simson]

Del, i would give a hair stain/dye (right word?) a try!
As hairs are out of ceratin and horn also ...
... maybe it works.

[DC]

Just a thought since horn is the same as fingernails. If there was away to dye fingernails I think the beauty industry would have done it. But it was just pointed out to me by my grand daughter that hair is also keratin. So I asked my wife(beauty shop owner) and she said that hair dye will dye nails but not deeply. Wears off after a couple of days. There might be an opportunity there though. Maybe use hair dye for an extended period.

I'm overlapping with Simon

[Aaron H]

 

[stuckinthemud]

I'm told that some hair dyes need the hair to be bleached first, tho' having hair enough to dye has never been a problem for me 

[DC]

My wife says that the bleach lightens it so the color shows better but it also roughens it so the color adheres better. There is also some stuff that "opens the cuticle"(sounds like a sales pitch to me) and helps the color stick.

[Ruddy Darter]

I was reading on the web about staining horn and to get the dye to stay it was boiled, the water(and dye) is then drawn into the expanded micro pores, when it dries the pores close and keep a little dye on the surface. Maybe a strong pink food dye in boiling water for a while would work?
(Obviously when the horn is blended flush at the base with the bow, and string groove cut that will remove the dye, but might contrast well with the remaining pink?) 
(Another idea is acrylic horn blanks used for making  pens etc. They come in all colours and cost about a fiver tops, I've seen them used for nocks.)

 R.D.

[Lucasade]

So boil the horn in a bucket of blood for about a week would be good? 

Double double toil and trouble...

[wapiti1997]

Poke berries!  They will stain it!

[DC]

I was reading on the web about staining horn and to get the dye to stay it was boiled, the water(and dye) is then drawn into the expanded micro pores, when it dries the pores close and keep a little dye on the surface. Maybe a strong pink food dye in boiling water for a while would work?
(Obviously when the horn is blended flush at the base with the bow, and string groove cut that will remove the dye, but might contrast well with the remaining pink?) 
(Another idea is acrylic horn blanks used for making  pens etc. They come in all colours and cost about a fiver tops, I've seen them used for nocks.)

 R.D.

There ya go! If you stain horn pink everyone will think it's plastic anyway.

[JW_Halverson]

I was reading on the web about staining horn and to get the dye to stay it was boiled, the water(and dye) is then drawn into the expanded micro pores, when it dries the pores close and keep a little dye on the surface. Maybe a strong pink food dye in boiling water for a while would work?
(Obviously when the horn is blended flush at the base with the bow, and string groove cut that will remove the dye, but might contrast well with the remaining pink?) 
(Another idea is acrylic horn blanks used for making  pens etc. They come in all colours and cost about a fiver tops, I've seen them used for nocks.)

 R.D.

There ya go! If you stain horn pink everyone will think it's plastic anyway.

Valid point!

[Del the cat]

Thanks for the input guys...
It goes against the grain (groan) to use plastic, but maybe it's the simplest and most permanent solution.
I'll be sure to post up the bow as and when I do it. mean while I'll make up some slivers of horn and try a few things.

... now how do I get glitter to say on a bow limb? ...  just kidding 
OMG... I just hit "Buy" on a purple swirly girly acrylic pen blank on E-Bay.... shhhh don't tell on me
Del

[simson]

Thanks for the input guys...
It goes against the grain (groan) to use plastic, but maybe it's the simplest and most permanent solution.
I'll be sure to post up the bow as and when I do it. mean while I'll make up some slivers of horn and try a few things.

... now how do I get glitter to say on a bow limb? ...  just kidding 
OMG... I just hit "Buy" on a purple swirly girly acrylic pen blank on E-Bay.... shhhh don't tell on me
Del

how about using sheeted mica? Its a grounded mineral and some indians have used it on their bows.
Have a look on my attempt: http://primitive-bows.com/osage-sinewed-plains-cheyenne-style-5426-no-58/

curious how it will come out ...