A Pretty Good Way to Bleach Hackle

Fly Patterns
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1

Well, I found an older Fly Tyer article on bleaching hackles that I have been using these last couple of months and it works pretty well. Thought I would share it with you folks in case you were interested. Here are the basic instructions:

Ingredients/Equipment needed:

Synthrapol (available through quilters’ supply stores, or find another unscented, mild detergent… Woolite works OK too but leaves a little scent.)

Green Light Iron & Soil Acidifier (4.6% Chelated Iron content - get it at Lowe’s)
Distilled Water (a couple of gallons should do it)

Ammonia (unscented)

Ascorbic Acid (Vitamen C, ground to a fine powder)

20 Volume Hydrogen Peroxide (I got it at Sally’s Beauty Supply in Olympia)

Stainless Steel or Corning Ware Pan (I used a 10" by 7", 5" deep corning ware casserole dish)

Set of Long Tweezers or similar tool

An eye dropper

A 6 inch stainless steel strainer

Method:

(I was bleaching about 30 individual blue-eared pheasant rump hackles - larger batches probably require proportionally larger solution. There is no need for heat… bleaching at room temperature is fine)

[1] Assuming you start with hackle that has already been processed/cleaned, begin by thoroughly mixing:

1.5 oz of Green Light Iron & Soil Acidifier
1 quart of distilled water
1 teaspoon of Synthrapol or Woolite

Place the hackle in the above solution, making sure that it is well soaked using the tweezers to hold it in the solution. After the hackle is soaked, let it sit for an hour and a half. Remove the hackle, rinsing it with distilled water, and dispose of the solution

[2] After rinsing your bleaching dish (using tap water is ok), mix a second solution, same formula as above but substitute 1 teaspoon of the ascorbic acid crystals for the Synthapol. Stir it well to make sure the ascorbic acid is completely dissolved. Again, soak the hackle in this second solution, this time for an hour. Remove and rinse the hackle with distilled water and discard the solution.

[3] Mix 1 pint of 20 Volume hydrogen peroxide with 1/2 teaspoon of Synthrapol then place the hackle in this mixture. Measure about an eighth of a cup of the ammonia into a cup, fill your eye dropper with the ammonia, then add it a drop at a time to the hydrogen peroxide/Sythrapol solution while gently stirring the hackle. (Remember to do this phase in a well vented space!) After the solution just begins to foam, stop adding the ammonia but keep with the gentle stirring of the hackle. You will see the solution begin to color to a tan tint as the reaction that removes the materials’ pigment progresses. After about 15 to 20 minutes, remove the hackle from the solution, rinse again, and lay it out to dry.

With the blue-eared pheasant hackle I did, the end result was coloring that ranged from a very slight tan tint to a slightly deeper tan. I then used Kool Aid & vinegar to dye the dried, bleached hackle to the colors I wanted (deep orange, scarlet and sky blue for this batch). A note about the Kool Aid, there will be a residual odor after dying but it can be removed by sealing the materials in a tupperware container along with an open box of bicarbonate of soda (Arm & Hammer, etc) for about 24 hours.

The bleaching is a three-step process and takes about 3 hours to complete. The results are impressive compared with the other methods I have used though… faster than hydrogen peroxide alone and much safer than household bleach. I believe the treatment with the iron solution frees up the molecules that make up the hackle pigmentation making it more susceptible to bleaching with the peroxide. The results for me have been darker feathers (blue eared pheasant hackle for instance) that come out a light shade of tan and take dyes well.

The mishap I mentioned occured when I tried using the author’s suggestion of applying a RIT “rust remover” to try to get the tan shading out of the hackle after the initial bleaching. Luckily I only did that part with a couple of “test” hackles because the RIT ate the material. After that experience, I just decided to dye the tan-tinted material as is.

Let me know how this method works for you if you try it…

Regards…

Steve Cole

2

Steve,

You wrote that your process included,

“20 Volume Hydrogen Peroxide (I got it at Sally’s Beauty Supply in Olympia)”.

You might want to try buying hair bleaching powder also sold at that supplier. There are several brands and I’ve gotten good results with the 2 or 3 brands I’ve used. You just mix the powder and the 20% hydrogen peroxide to a foam consistency. Apply this to the feather(s) or skin patch and work it in. Keep a close eye on what you’re doing. When the material is a shade darker than what you want, rinse it completely in warm water. Air dry. If you want to strip the fibers off of a hackle stem or off of a peacock quill, just swish the material in the solution and watch. When stripped, rinse.

These bleaching or stripping processes take less than 10 minutes and I think you’ll get similar results to what you described. As with any ‘bleaching’ or ‘dyeing’ process, test try a couple of feathers first.

BTW, what was the date of that magazine issue?

Allan

3

Allan…

Actually, I was planning on giving the powder a try on some brown bear fur I have. Have you tried it on furs/hairs before? If so, how did it work out?

Thanks

Steve

4

I will get the year and volume number for you for the article later this weekend.

S

5

Steve,

I’ve used that type of bleach to strip peacock eye feathers down to the quill. It’ll do the job but you have to be very careful or you’ll ruin the quill. I much prefer to strip the peacock ‘fuzz’ by dipping the individual eye feathers in melted parafin and then using my thumbnail to strip the fuzz. Quill comes out pliable, easier to wrap and with a sheen.

The bleach method I mentioned will bring a very dark brown, almost black, down to a light ginger. I was able to get hair that was naturally lighter down to a dark cream. You are much better off dyeing the material twice instead of leaving the bleach on longer. I don’t think you can get a white though. I’ve had success bleaching deer, elk, moose, bear, peccary, porcupine guard hairs, beaver, some rabbit and a few other animal skins or patches. I tried to bleach mole and a couple of other ‘thin skinned’ mammals but the results weren’t good. The skins kinda fell apart. I think if you want to bleach feathers to get a lighter shade you should make the mix a little thinner(less powder). Watch it carefully because you don’t want to ruin the feathers with too strong of a solution or too much exposure time.

By the way, I think I know who the author of that article is. Just wanted to know the issue so I could check.

Hope the above helps.

Allan

6

Steve,
If you mean the article by Ted Roubal I believed he used oxalic acid. Bill