|
Post by bamaman on Mar 20, 2009 10:37:06 GMT -5
Well, I recently completed a braintanned War Shirt. It looks great(sorry no pics yet, will work on that). I want to do some decoration on the sleeves. I was thinking of dyeing some stripes into it or something to that effect. Nothing really colorful, just maybe some dark brown or black. What would be the traditional way of dyeing, and where can I get materials to do it right?
Any suggestions are appreciated.
|
|
|
Post by joanne2 on Mar 20, 2009 12:33:58 GMT -5
Perhaps Redwind is your best bet for that info. Sorry I can't be more helpful.. look fwd to seeing your War Shirt bamaman. good to hear from you.
|
|
|
Post by Buckskin Billy on Mar 20, 2009 23:53:48 GMT -5
at one time braintan.com was selling earth pigment dye. i don't know nothing about it but from what little i've read on the subject i believe that it's the most tradtional stuff to use. good luck
i can't wait to see pictures of it either
|
|
|
Post by beaudro on Mar 21, 2009 6:53:46 GMT -5
I think Braintan.com was selling www.nativeamericanvisions.com/ pigment. Try this link and you'll see their pigments on top of the list. I wouldn't call it dyeing , i'd call it painting buckskin. If you look around long enough you can find good examples of originals in paintings , try peabody museum search www.peabody.harvard.edu/col/Search.cfm . Native American Visions sells really good pigments , and it's intended to be mixed with hide glue for best results. They also recommend using gum arabic to keep the paints from cracking after applied. Follow that link in the NAV site and it will take you to www.earthpigments.com/ . I never have done a war shirt, but i have painted on a few robes. I can't remember which color does it , but it can stink bad if you leave it out ,, i think it's blue and it may be made with duck dung. Just don't leave it out , mix only what your going to use that day,, and get rid of any left over.
|
|
|
Post by bamaman on Mar 21, 2009 19:33:03 GMT -5
Thanks for the info beudro. I'm going to order from earth pigments. They have a really good selection. I do have a question though. I don't have access to hide glue. Is the milk paint that they use a good medium for braintan? If not, what could I use to get the right look?
|
|
|
Post by beaudro on Mar 22, 2009 7:08:03 GMT -5
I thought they sold hide glue on that website? I was thinking thats where i got mine from. I personally havn't tried milk paints on anything other than wood work, I wouldn't try it on good braintan. Those natural pigments are about the only thing to use to get an authentic look. If you'll look at some of the original parfleche cases that are painted, the colors are real vivid and strong, even after 100 years. So it doesn't have to look worn to be authentic. If you can't find hide glue to mix with those pigments, i've used elmers glue before. It's aliphatic resin, and I've never had a problem with it effecting the colors. Another trick, and it's authentic , but after you paint your buckskin if you can find a prickly pear cactus and collect enough juice from it to coat the paint it will help keep it from rubbing off. The girls in the Women of the Fur Trade do this on painted rawhide belts, to keep the paints from rubbing off onto their dress. It's an authentic thing to do , you might have to add several coats of it. The last thing I painted was a buffalo rawhide shield , I cut the hump out of a buffalo hide after the hair was scraped off. While it was green I buried it a few inches in the ground, and placed hot coals and rocks over it. This made it shrink up and harden. It's traditional , and it's a hard project to do well. I researched a few originals and figured out how I wanted to paint it,,, then took a paper plate, poured out a little elmers glue , added pigment and stirred with a stick , when i got the color i wanted, i just applied it to the shield with an old bone . you might want to water down the elmers just a little , this way the paint isn't so thick it goes on in globs.. this is probably best for your buckskin. I've seen many leggins with black horizontal stripes on the lower part of the legging.. that should be an easy paint project. I'm not sure on a war shirt , there should be several originals out there to get good ideas for designs.
|
|
|
Post by beaudro on Mar 22, 2009 7:20:54 GMT -5
Bamaman I looked back at that site and I don't see hide glue anymore , now they suggest using glycerin for the mix. If you can't make your own hide glue, try that elmers on a test peice and see if you like it, remember to thin it with a little water. If your using black, you can make it cheap, just use charred wood from the fireplace or grill. Fold up a piece in a rag and hit it a few times with a hammer , then grind it down with a rock or something. Black is the easiest pigment of course. If you can find red ocher it makes a good color, watch the dust though, i think it's bad to breath. Try this website , these gals from the WOFT do some cool stuff with pigments. www.womenofthefurtrade.com/wst_page18.html
|
|
|
Post by Buckskin Billy on Mar 22, 2009 9:51:07 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by bamaman on Mar 22, 2009 20:52:21 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Buckskin Billy on Mar 22, 2009 22:20:21 GMT -5
that native way web site looks to have the right stuff. all the hide glue i have ever seen was in flakes that you have to boil down. and that looks like the stuff.
thanks for linking that web site i have never been to it before but now i have it bookmarked
|
|
|
Post by beaudro on Mar 23, 2009 6:34:07 GMT -5
Glad you found a few places that sell hide glue Bama , and Billy is correct about the flakes , I've used the granular though and it was just fine. but either way you'll have to boil it , That stuff crazy crow sells (titebond), I don't know anything about it , I don't put much stock in CC , my guess it's a hide glue knock off , but check out the ingredients and see if you like it. Like Joanne says, if redthunder shows up he can give you some tips on the subject. If i remember correct, when i boiled that granular hide glue , it stinks, you might want to get outside with it. Have you got your design figured out?
|
|
|
Post by bamaman on Mar 23, 2009 7:04:31 GMT -5
Yeah, I was thinking something like dividing the sleeve into three equal sections. The front third doing it a kind of dark/muddy red. The middle third leaving the color of the buckskin and the top third doing it in a really dark brown. I'm planning on painting it solid all the way around as well as down the fringe.
I think by keeping it simple I have a better shot of not screwing my shirt up, and it still ought to look pretty good.
|
|
|
Post by Buckskin Billy on Mar 23, 2009 12:30:18 GMT -5
the good thing about this buckskinning stuff is if you screw something up you can always say i ment for it to look like that, and no one is any wiser. thats unless you screw up really bad and it come out pink, then you'r the one doing the dishes ;D
by the way when are we gonna see pictures of your war shirt
|
|
|
Post by bamaman on Mar 23, 2009 13:18:59 GMT -5
I actually took some pics last night of the shirt and the pants I made a while back. Then I go to post them and I have no idea how to do it. Is there a sticky with instructions anywhere?
|
|
|
Post by Buckskin Billy on Mar 23, 2009 15:10:21 GMT -5
go to photobucket.com and set up a free account. upload your pictures onto photobucket from my pictures or my documents how ever you do it. then after its up loaded copy and paste the img.code and paste it to the buck rub. thats what works for me.
|
|