wing bone calls

[spudnut]

Just finished a couple wing bone calls .I scrubbed em with Dawn detergent and they came out chalk white.I'm gonna stain em in coffee but can anyone tell me what to use as a mordant and/ or preservative for the coffee.My wife will kill me if she finds me brewing fresh evrytime I dye something with it ...Mark

 

[Birdman]

Spud I don't think there is anything that will set the stain in bone. I'm probably wrong but I haven't found anything that really works. The color will fade as time goes on but with use n the oils n dirt from yer hands the bones will take on a nice patina. I've made hundreds of wing bone calls n used all sorts of dyes. The structure of the bone simply seems to tight to let the dye really penatrate n set fast. They will take on a nice color but like I said before they will fade some with time. YMHS Birdman

 

[Bob Riegl]

:v Listen try some vinegar to set colours---like chicken soup---it couldn't hoit. :hmm:

 

[Harddog]

Dye the bone with leather dye and it will be permanent enough to last for years of use. No mordant needed with leather dye.

Randy Hedden

 

[mikee51848]

I bought one but how do they work?

 

[rabjr]

Takes practice but you can get an awesome sound from one. Have to use a "kissing" action with it.

Go here and scroll down,
[url] http://www.nwtf.org/nwtf_newsroom/press_releases.php?id=11608[/url]

 

[Maestro]

I bought one but how do they work?

Hi Mike - you've gotta do a "kissing" action on it for yelping.

 

[nchawkeye]

I made a couple a few years ago, just soaked them in tea, they took the stain, never did anything else to them...I keep them in my hunting pouches.

 

[Maestro]

You could also try onion skins to dye them.

 

[mbw907]

I have used instant coffee with just a splash of water added as a dye and it worked great. I don't know how it would do on bones, though. :hmm:

 

[Slamfire]

I bought one but how do they work?

Suck, don't blow. :thumbsup:

 

[BillinOregon]

Made one out of some small sections of bamboo and it sounds just great.

 

[spudnut]

I put it in the corner of my mouth and kinda suck with a tight lip to produce a backwords rasberry sound :youcrazy:and cup the bell ...It takes practice.I used to make the same kinda sounds with a clay pipe long before I ever heard of a wingbone turkey call :winking: ...mark

 

[Seamus]

You have to be careful if you try to use vinegar with bones as it will soften them, especially something as thin as a bird bone.

 

[Black Hand]

I used salt instead of vinegar. It seems to set the stain quite well....

 

[Chiefs50]

I just use spray spar varnish on mine. They kind of take on an aged ivory look with a little use. I guess you could use amber shellac if you wanted a little more color.

 

[mudd turtle]

I know about wing bone calls but I want to know about slate calls for turkeys. Were these calls used by native Americans. Mudd turtle.

 

[schnapser]

I looked into this once and I believe any documentation of slate calls doesn't show up until the early to mid 1800s. I don't have the documentation but I know this was discussed on another forum.

As for dyeing, I use onion skins and salt. Nice tan yellow color which hasn't faded yet. Chris