How to stain/color rawhide.

[autologus]

I am finishing up a rawhide backed Red Oak bow for a young man at church and was wondering what you all use to dye the rawhide with.  I did a few test runs with wood stain on some scraps but it didn't seem to take it very well and I did not like the results.  I could paint it with acrylics but was wondering what my options were.

Grady

P.S.
The limb thickness/tillering advice helped a lot, this bow is going to be a great shooter.  I will post pictures when its completed.

[steve b.]

I haven't done it but I know someone who used leather dye and it seemed to work well.  Also for sinew.

[Pat B]

If the glue saturated the rawhide you will get an uneven coloration it you use dye or stain. That could work as a camo design. Acrylic craft paint is your best option and you can make it look like dye or stain if that is the direction you want to go.
  Before you add a rawhide to the bow you can dye it any color with Rit Dye. You can even do a "tie dye" design if you are into the Grateful Dead. 

[autologus]

Thanks, looks like I will be painting it with acrylics.

Grady

[PEARL DRUMS]

I use minwax stain and it looks camo'ed. Osage Outlaw has a HHB bow I made for him with stained rawhide.

[blackhawk]

Thanks Pat..now I got the dead ringing thru my head,n wanting to leave work n go take a "trip" 

I like the looks of dyes or stains leaving a camo'ed look better than acrylics...acrylics can look like "kids" play art if not done right.

[killir duck]

i have dyed rawhide with coffee grounds you just let the rawhide sit in a bad covered in used coffee grounds for a couple hours for a light brown and leave it for 10-12 hours and you can get a real dark brown almost black if you leave it long enough, i'm not sure how you would do it after the bow is already backed though

[paulsemp]

For me the dead and making bows go hand in hand

[autologus]

I may give it a good sanding and go with the same stain I use on the wood, I will see how it looks.

Grady

[osage outlaw]

I use minwax stain and it looks camo'ed. Osage Outlaw has a HHB bow I made for him with stained rawhide.

Pearly's rawhide camo job looks great. 

[Stingray45]

Hey Grady,

I did the same thing. I did a good sanding once it was on the bow to get the rawhide smooth and then I used the same minwax gel stain I used on the bow. It didn't soak it up like the wood did but it did stain it and it looks pretty even.

~Barry

[Pat B]

"...what a long strange trip its been..."   

[autologus]

"Trucking"

Grady

[Pat B]

 

[blackhawk]

Well I guess we know who some of the granola eating tree hugging dirty hippies are in the bunch    .... no further comments from me