Directions for using Veniard Dyes
First clean the feathers by soaking in any good detergent (Venpol preferred), for a few minutes. Waterfowl feathers must be soaked considerably longer to allow penetration of the natural oil coating. Rinse in cold water.
Dissolve approximately a quarter of a teaspoon of de in about a Litre of boiling water and stir until completely dissolved, ten add one table spoon of Acetic Acid or white vinegar. (To fix the color)
Black and all other dark shades should have a much stronger dye bath with more acid or vinegar.
Put in the feathers to be dyed and return to simmer keeping he feathers moving all the time.
Most dyes are a mixture of three colours so it is essential to allow time for all the colours to penetrate to obtain the correct shade. They do not fix at the same rate so withdrawing the feathers too soon could result in the wrong shade. You can get an idea of what the final shad will be by watching the quill or by holding a single feather up to the light , (bear in mind the feather will look a lot darker when wet).
Remove all feathers from the dye bath and rinse in cold water. Press the Feathers between cloth or paper to remove most of the moisture. All to dry naturally.
These directions also apply to furs, wools, and other fly tying materials. Use stainless steel or heat resistant glassware for the dye bath.