Dyeing milkweed

[Forestryguy]

Has anyone had luck dyeing milkweed silk? I am good with the natural color till there is snow on the ground.

 

[150plusB&C]

Following. I’m curious


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[Sadie]

Light mist rattle can paint. Walnut media in case tumbler might give you enough color.

 

[Macintosh]

Makes perfect sense, but never even thought to try. Wonder if something like a sharpie would work? Tedious applying it, but??

 

[Erict]

For $2.99, I'd try this. Many color options, though they cost a bit more:

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[Forestryguy]

I have thought about the rite dye. Just wasn’t sure if the silk would take it up and hold the color. I will have to give it a try.

I would think painting it would add to much weight and it would not be as effective.

 

[Blackcow]

I figured since I have a lifetime supply of mw pods I’d see if they would dye like fletching. I wasn’t sure how long the homemade mix would take to soak into the pod, so I split one and took out the fluff.
I boiled 1 cup of water in the microwave and dumped it into my dyeing vat, also known as one of my wife’s stainless mixing bowls. I added mmmmaybe 1/4 cup of vinegar( for the acid) and Flo orange food coloring. I just kept adding food coloring till it looked orange enough. Walmart had the gel Flo food coloring, but red and yellow gel would do the same thing.
Stir it, let it sit, come back and stir it again. The fluff always kinda floats, but whatever. Altogether I let it soak for maybe three hours, stirring it here and there. I put a coffee filter over the sink drain and poured it into, kinda slow. Same thing I do for feathers. Let the “ dye” drain down the sink and much as you can. Then gathered up the fluff and folded in a paper towel and patted as much moisture out as I could( orange fingers here) then moved it to the middle of a couple more paper towels and folded them up. Took them outside and sat a brick on the edge of the paper towel fold to keep them from blowing away. Now I’m waiting for them to dry, and see how they look/work. Fairly simple. I see white ones pretty well, so not sure of the benefit…..

 

[Forestryguy]

I figured since I have a lifetime supply of mw pods I’d see if they would dye like fletching. I wasn’t sure how long the homemade mix would take to soak into the pod, so I split one and took out the fluff.
I boiled 1 cup of water in the microwave and dumped it into my dyeing vat, also known as one of my wife’s stainless mixing bowls. I added mmmmaybe 1/4 cup of vinegar( for the acid) and Flo orange food coloring. I just kept adding food coloring till it looked orange enough. Walmart had the gel Flo food coloring, but red and yellow gel would do the same thing.
Stir it, let it sit, come back and stir it again. The fluff always kinda floats, but whatever. Altogether I let it soak for maybe three hours, stirring it here and there. I put a coffee filter over the sink drain and poured it into, kinda slow. Same thing I do for feathers. Let the “ dye” drain down the sink and much as you can. Then gathered up the fluff and folded in a paper towel and patted as much moisture out as I could( orange fingers here) then moved it to the middle of a couple more paper towels and folded them up. Took them outside and sat a brick on the edge of the paper towel fold to keep them from blowing away. Now I’m waiting for them to dry, and see how they look/work. Fairly simple. I see white ones pretty well, so not sure of the benefit…..

View attachment 861512

Nice. Mainly for late season with snow on the ground.

 

[Blackcow]

Yeah, I can see that

 

[Sizthediz]

What about trying chalk line powder?

 

[Macintosh]

powders work but they arent nearly as effective for treestand type hunting. The powder gives you visibility of wind right where you are, then it quickly dissipates. The milkweed gives you visibility for 20, 30 yards or more--as far as you can see it--and allows you to see where thermal currents are pulling in unexpected directions, etc, which is super common in dense forested terrain with any relief to it. It's truly a gamechanger and powder just doesnt do that. Example, tree stand along a creek I hunt, the wind usually blows from the north, but then as soon as your scent hits the little creek the thermal current from the water pulls your scent downstream. Drop milkweed and you can literally watch it fall with the wind until it hits the water, then take an abrupt 180 and drift down the creek channel. That sort of thing happens all the time, and most times you'd never know without something like milkweed to show you.
It's far less of an issue in open terrain I've found.

 

[WCB]

powders work but they arent nearly as effective for treestand type hunting. The powder gives you visibility of wind right where you are, then it quickly dissipates. The milkweed gives you visibility for 20, 30 yards or more--as far as you can see it--and allows you to see where thermal currents are pulling in unexpected directions, etc, which is super common in dense forested terrain with any relief to it. It's truly a gamechanger and powder just doesnt do that. Example, tree stand along a creek I hunt, the wind usually blows from the north, but then as soon as your scent hits the little creek the thermal current from the water pulls your scent downstream. Drop milkweed and you can literally watch it fall with the wind until it hits the water, then take an abrupt 180 and drift down the creek channel. That sort of thing happens all the time, and most times you'd never know without something like milkweed to show you.
It's far less of an issue in open terrain I've found.

I think he maybe referencing mixing the colored powder into the milkweek to give it color. I may be wrong but that was actually my first thought when reading the OPS question.

 

[Macintosh]

Well, thats probably true, I hadnt even considered that. (Face/palm!)

 

[Sizthediz]

I think he maybe referencing mixing the colored powder into the milkweek to give it color. I may be wrong but that was actually my first thought when reading the OPS question.

This^^^^^