Old time dyes: a How_to

[Boothill Bob]

I give up. Cant get  black walnut hulls 

[Mogorilla]

Hey BHB,
Have you tried looking for English Walnut hulls?   It is possible if you can get a european nut hull, you might be able to find it.  In this day and age, the transportation of certain plant material can be difficult if not impossible, all very understandable.   In my recollection, the english walnut has a similar hull to the black walnut and starts green switching to black.   If there is a colour difference, I am guessing it would be subtle.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I made some English walnut dye and it works fine, but it is significantly lighter than I would have expected. It does make a good finish. Here's one done with English walnut hulls.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

  I think you got nice color Will, but there is a big difference in the two type walnuts for sure, and I think it also makes a difference in where they come from, I mean what part of the country, the most color I've gotten out of walnuts have been the black walnuts that fall off my neighbors black walnut three, when they still have their green hulls, the color is just stronger when the hulls are cooked when green, I make it a practice to pick the green hulls up off the ground as they fall and freeze them right away, so far this has kept me in walnut dye year after year, and all I do is cook up a fresh batch, and add it to the old, when the color starts to get weak I know it's time to add some fresh cook to it.


                  tEN wOLVES   

[Boothill Bob]

Were can I bye the black hulls? Is there someone or some
store that sends them over the big sea?

[Cliff Fendley]

Bob, I've seen where you could buy the dried husks (I think sometimes it's a powder) for making stain. Google basket making dyes or Home made Walnut dye. It's commonly used for baskets and many of the recipes you see are on basket making forums.

Whether or not they ship over there is the big question. I'd be glad to send some to somebody but I don't know if it's legal.

We have to be careful sending things around the globe. That's how we got the Ash Borer that is killing all of our Ash trees here, I've heard it came from Asia.

That is probably why they sell dry husks as a powder.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I just found this source for black walnut hulls. Currently $6.00 a pound.

http://www.herbco.com/c-147-black-walnut.aspx

Here's their contact information:
Monterey Bay Spice Company
719 Swift St, Suite 62
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
800-500-6148
www.herbco.com

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

I just found this source for black walnut hulls. Currently $6.00 a pound.

http://www.herbco.com/c-147-black-walnut.aspx

Here's their contact information:
Monterey Bay Spice Company
719 Swift St, Suite 62
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
800-500-6148
www.herbco.com

If using the powder how much should a person use to make a gallon of dye?

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

TwoWalks, I like to make about 14 to 16 quarts when I make my dye, that pound of crushed walnuts should make you  two gal. easy. just cook it over three days to get the best result, and follow the methods. NOTE, I use a 22 qt. pot to cook mine in, with the lid on.


      tEN wOLVES 

[Boothill Bob]

Tanx guys. My friend Dick have send me a bag of black walnut powder, will trye to
Make the dye   

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

TwoWalks, I like to make about 14 to 16 quarts when I make my dye, that pound of crushed walnuts should make you  two gal. easy. just cook it over three days to get the best result, and follow the methods. NOTE, I use a 22 qt. pot to cook mine in, with the lid on.


      tEN wOLVES 

Thank you Ten Wolves, will order a pound today.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

  "TwoWalks, you can use that pound of crushed walnuts over again, after your through, you can either freeze the walnuts, or hang them up to dry, I guess I should say to, if at all possible, use a womans nylons to put your nuts in, this way when done, you can just freeze your nuts or hang them up to dry. and no comments from you Gun Slick Rick

      tEN wOLVES 

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

  "TwoWalks, you can use that pound of crushed walnuts over again, after your through, you can either freeze the walnuts, or hang them up to dry, I guess I should say to, if at all possible, use a womans nylons to put your nuts in, this way when done, you can just freeze your nuts or hang them up to dry. and no comments from you Gun Slick Rick

      tEN wOLVES 

Now that I have cleaned up the coffee I was drinking and gotten my composure back ... Thanks Ten Wolves.

[Judge Lead]

That's being a little hard on GCR isn't it 10W 

Regards

[Marshal Will Wingam]

and no comments from you Gun Slick Rick

[Pappy Hayes]

I was looking at the how tos on old dyes. In making the coffee dye are you suppose to use iron shavins and or nails in conjunction with the coffe? When pouring it into a container do you filter the coffee grounds out or are they left in the mixture that the holster will be soaked in?

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

 If you want a darker brown color, you can use a little iron, cook it along with your coffee, then when cool you can pour the whole works into a container, grounds and all, my coffee dye is a few years old now, and as good as new, the length of time you leave your leather piece in the coffee, will determine the depth of color.


                        tEN wOLVES 

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

Made a couple gallons of Coffee dye about 3 weeks ago and noticed today there is a strange scum forming on the top.

Should I ...
A. add a little alcohol
B. just skim it off
C. Leave well enough alone

[Dalton Masterson]

I let it alone unless its real bad, then I add a little alcohol.
DM

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

  When it gets bad enough, just scoop it off, I've never added alcohol to mine, it's all coffee and a little iron, because i like my coffee dark.

              tEN wOLVES 

[Dalton Masterson]

10W, do you think adding iron to it after cooking would do anything to darken it?
I have always used mine right out of the tap so to speak, and would prefer some darkness.
DM

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

10W, do you think adding iron to it after cooking would do anything to darken it?
I have always used mine right out of the tap so to speak, and would prefer some darkness.
DM

     Dalton, adding a little iron gave me a darker brown, which is what I was looking for, hers a sample of how it looks, you can vary the darkness with the amount of oil you use

         tEN wOLVES 

[Pappy Hayes]

Ten Wolves what is your recipe for making your coffee dye?

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Pappy I just pulled this up from FAQ/HOW TOO, YOU CAN FIND A WEALTH ON INFORMATION THERE, INCLUDING HOW TO MAKE OLD TIME DYES

   Well, I use  a one pound can of the DARK ROAST coffee, and about two heaping tablespoons of broken or crush iron, or you could use a dozen or so iron nails, I pour this into a 20 qt. pot filled 3/4 of the way up with water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for about three or so hours, let cool over night, and then pour into a plastic container of your choice, but one deep enough to submerge your leather in. the dye my last rig was done in , I made a year ago, so it doesn't go to waste. when dying I leave my leather in the dye, submerged for 24 hours, then pull my leather out and rinse off with fresh water, if you're doing a belt place the belt on your bench straight or curved as you want it, when dried it will hold its shape pretty well, same with your holster, but you want to mold the holster to your gun at this time, let dry 24 hours, then condition with Lexoil conditioner, and after an hour , you can start oiling with either EVOO, or Neatsfoot oil, you will find you can vary the depth or darkness of the leather by the amount of coats of oil you apply, when you get it the way you want, let it dry over night, if it still looks the way you like it, you can either use Skidmores leather cream or use another sealer finish or nothing at all, that's open to you, or make it darker by applying more oil.

                         tEN wOLVES  

[COACHE]

Can you cook in a cast iron dutch over for the iron? And how thick should it be after?
Coache