Tutorial: Dyeing stag

Bill DeShivs

Bill DeShivs

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Jun 6, 2000
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Burl Source supplied me with this piece of nicely figured stag. Unfortunately, it had no color. I'll show you how to color it.
The first thing I do is paint the stag with a solution of potassium permanganate mixed with water. Potassium permanganate is an oxidizer. It can be bought on Ebay. It's pretty nasty stuff in it's powdered form, so be careful with it. Mix it with water until the solution is very dark. When you apply it it turns things purple, but when it dries it turns dark brown. Use several coats to ensure the stag is sufficiently darkened. Let the stag dry.
Here is the stag as delivered:
a001.jpg


Applying the stain:
IMG_1461.jpg

IMG_1462.jpg


It will lighten after it dries. That's OK, because we are using the PP as a "base coat."
We will apply other dyes to selectively darken areas.
 
Right on time Bill :thumbup: :thumbup:

I'm just getting ready to order potassium permanganate crystals.

Is this real Sambar Stag you're working on ?
It has a very nice, gnarly look to it ;)

Have you ever tried soaking the stag in your mix vs. brushing it on ?
If so, can you touch on the pros & cons of soaking vs. brushing ?

What kind of penetration can a maker expect from either method of application?

Do you ever use potassium permanganate on stag that has been glued up and finished ?

Thanks Bill ..... a lot :)


:cool:
 
IMO, you don't want the penetration of soaking. Nice stag isnt colored too deeply.
The stag is American elk, not sambar.
If you mean scales that are already applied (glued up & finished), yes it can be used with some success.
The potassium permanganate is not the only dye we will be using. In my experience, other coloration is needed to make the stag truly striking.
 
Can't wait to see the rest.Please list exact colors and brands of the different dye used.
 
PP turns from purple to brown.......most of the time.;)
 
HMMMM looks like mule deer to me not elk. either way I am looking forward to this as well. thank you for doing the tutorial.
Chris
 
Thanks for the tutorial. I understand Sears sells PP. It is labeled Kenmore Potasssium Permanganate is found in the water softner section. My understandiing it is not always found on the shelves, contact a salesperson and let them go in the warehouse and do a search. Oh, I agree those antlers look like mule deer:D
 
Correct- it is mule deer. Elk is much bigger.
Here is a pic of the colored stag after it dried.
IMG_1463.jpg


I then used Fiebings dark brown leather dye and a q-tip. I applied the dye to the lower areas of the stag. This stuff penetrates the stag like crazy, so use it sparingly. A small artist's paint brush might have been better for the leather dye. You can also use Magic Marker to color the ruts (it penetrates deeply, too!,) but the height of the bumps on this piece precluded that.
I only did a small area so you can see what it does.
IMG_1465.jpg


After the coloring, I use Krylon clear spray acrylic to "fix" the color on the stag. You can soak it down pretty good, as the stag will absorb the acrylic.
IMG_1466.jpg
 
After the clear coat dries, you begin to work the stag. Sand/file the tops of the bumps and ridges down. The white stag will begin to show. Make sure you round the edges of the bumps instead of leaving them flat-it looks much better and more natural.
IMG_1467.jpg

Once you have the surface looking like you want, sand with wet/dry 320 grit paper, and then again with 400 grit. Buff the stag with gray or green compound. Make sure you buff from all directions to keep the stag ridges/bumps rounded.
Here are more pictures of the finished antler. You can see where the leather dye was used, as it actually penetrated the bumps and some were colored all the way through.
You can see that even the smooth part of the antler takes on much more depth with the coloring.
IMG_1468.jpg

IMG_1471.jpg
 
Once you get the hang of it, you can grind as much or as little of the surface off to get the effect you want.
WD 40 works very well to get the buffing compound off the stag. Just spray it down, and scrub with a rag.
 
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I should have posted this in the first paragraph- wear rubber gloves when using the dyes!
They stain everything, and they don't wash off!
I use Fiebing's dark brown, light brown, and cordovan dyes. They are available from www.jantzsupply.com.

And, don't breathe the dust when you open the potassium permanganate. It hurts-a lot!
 
I cant wait to experiment.I have a bunch old white elk i didnt know what to do with.Thanks Bill.I used to be a chrome plater and used that purple stuff in the ulcers that chromic acid would put in my hands and arms or any tiny scratch the chrome solution touched.Yuk.Im thinking i can just use it and not mess with the powder.Its available at any drug store,or used to be.
 
Bill, I used to use dark brown Fiebings but it could get stag too dark and you couldn't really steel wool it to lighten it up as easily as you can on maple. I switched to light brown and it was much easier to control. After talking to Jay Hendrickson about the dyes he uses on maple, a had a chat with a guy at the Tandy store and he said that any of the brown based colors will eventually get pretty much as dark as you want them with repeated applications so I tried some british tan and it works too. I am using the light brown and british tan exclusively now for both maple and stag.
 
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