Rit Dye

[bgmills]

I want to use Rit Dye to color some deer leg bone. Do you follow the directions or is there a "method"? Do the colors come out as planned, such as does the black dye come out black or is it blue? Any help I can get it this regard would be greatly appreciated. I don't have the net at home and must get on line here at work which is a risk. Thanks in advance.

Bill

 

[LRB]

Rit dye works very well with horn. It should work well with bone. You will just have to try it. I use Fiebings leather stain, but it helps to either soak for awhile, or heat with a hair dryer before staining.

 

[jll346]

I use RIT a lot to stain plastic RC parts and it has always been dead on. I dilute it in very hot tap water, dip my parts and it comes out great.

 

[Darrin Sanders]

I have used Rit on deer bone. I boil the bone to get it clean, change the water and boil it again with a little dish liquid to remove more of the oils. Keep temps just high enough to boil and let it cool slowly. High heat and rapid cooling = cracks. after its nice and clean let iy dry several days. If you can put it in the sun a few days, I think it gives you more of the tiny cracks that give it character. Put enough water in your container to cover the bone, add enough Rit to get a nice rich color and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and put the bone in. Check every few minutes until you get the color you are looking for. when still wet you can rub with a rag to lighten the colors in places for contrast if you'd like. Let it dry for a few more days and you're ready to go. Like anything I'm sure there are many ways to do it, that's just the way I do it. Hope this helps.

 

[bgmills]

Darrin, I agree with boiling the bone several times with a little dish soap and the fact that the "tiny cracks" give the bone character. I've done two leg bones from the hind legs of deer with Fiebings medium brown leather dye. I let the dye soak in for a day then sanded down and submerged for 24 hours in Watco Teak Oil, wow!! It literally looks like a poor man's mammoth ivory with the superficial cracks taking on prominence. I'm going to keep on experimenting with the deer bone, it seems right to have a knife that was made with a deer you have harvested. Thanks to all who took the time to reply to this thread, I really appreciate it!

Bill