Feather cleaning?

[Jon]

Last fall I killed a few snipe and starlings which allowed me to start tying a few North Country flies, none of which are good enough to show anyone on this forum unless their ego needed boosting. I cured the pelts with Borax, but I have not attempted to clean the feathers to remove residual oils and dirt. Should I do so? If so, how? I process furs with Dawn before dyeing or utilizing. Thanks.

[narcodog]

I use Woolite, rinse well then place then between a couple of paper towels and those I place in some newspaper. I also put some weight on top of the pile. After a few days I change the paper until the are dry. You can also use a hair dryer on them after a few days of drying.

[William Anderson]

I can second the woolite and papertowels. I just tried to absorb as much moisture out with the paper towels (minutes, not days) and then let them airdry. No problems. I was really happy with the result. I'm not much for processing my own materials. If I were you, I would follow Bob's instructions. He's done a lot more of this than I have.

w

[Johnno]

A hair drier is great for drying the feathers following a clean or dying.

[Jon]

Thanks very much for sharing your expertise. I would not likely have thought of Woolite. Is it advisable to pluck the feathers from the pelt prior to cleaning? If not necessary, is it then advantageous to restretch the pelt and reapply Borax?

[narcodog]

I would not pluck the skins. Once the hides are dry of their oils with the Borax it will not be necessary to re-Borax them. The Borax is just used to draw the fat and oils from the hide. That may take a few weeks. You can wash the skins before applying the Borax. Remember that these skis are very thin so you just want to agitate them very gently to get the dirt and grime from the feathers. Just a few minutes and they will be ready to remove and dry. If you wash first then apply the Borax be sure to dry them gently and as thoroughly without putting and holes if the skins.

You can wash then apply the Borax or apply the Borax then wash them. I have done it both ways with satisfactory results. If you use a hair dryer only use it on very warm or just blow so you don't singe the hackle.

As far as stretching the pelt, that's why I spread them out on a flat surface between the paper towels and newspaper with a little weight on top. They will draw up some as the hide dries but that is no biggie.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

[Johnno]

If you use a hair dryer only use it on very warm or just blow so you don't singe the hackle.

indeedy! I should have mentioned that. "Warm" setting at the very most!

[Jon]

Thanks for all the help. It will help immensely to do it right the first time. Jon