Bleaching and Dyeing Birch Seeds/Catkins: Help Please!

[admiraldick]

the catkins from birch trees break down into seeds that look remarkably like miniature leaves, which can be dyed to a more suitable colour. i'm running into a problem though, the seeds start off pretty dark, so its hard to dye them a more vibrant colour. however Skullcrafts seem to have found a way of doing it (linky). i would guess that they somehow bleach the seeds before dying them. i haven't experimented too much yet, but i would have thought that bleach would have simply destroyed the seeds (making them to brittle to be of any real use). has anyone else got any experience with this? have you found a way to bleach and dye birch seeds?

[snitcythedog]

i haven't experimented too much yet, but i would have thought that bleach would have simply destroyed the seeds (making them to brittle to be of any real use).

A light solution of bleach might work.  Another option might be to thoroughly dry them.  They might lighten up in a food dehydrator.  It also could be that it is a different species of birch tree.  We don't get them where I live so I have not had a chance to play with them.
Snitchy sends.

[dampfpanzerwagon]

I have not had this problem - the Birch Tree seeds I have in my garden are quite light.

I would suggest that you try leaving them to dry in full sunlight and allow the sun to 'bleach' them.

Good luck.

Tony
http://dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.com/

[Drachenklinge]

I paint them a few times now, already, without any problems. Painted them light green and yellow, a few I just kept the way they are/were.

But since I only used a few on my bases and not in large quantities, that might be a problem. How about let them soak in ink of the preferred colour (like green ink, yellow ink, etc.). The ink itself should be "non-natural" enough not to let them rot or something. Then let them dry again. However, while drying the might stick together ...

Apart from that, I have no idea

best wishes
Drachenklinge

[OSHIROmodels]

Just a suggestion because I've never used them but you could put them in a large box and get some light spray paint and give them a couple of blasts from a distance?

cheers

James

[Drachenklinge]

I thought about that, too, but either the blast will blow them away or they will stick together, while drying. However, it might be worth a try (since sticking together, will be the problem with my inky idea, too, anyway ^^).

best wishes
Drachenklinge

[OSHIROmodels]

I reckon if you do it in a big enough box they will only get blown around in it and not out of it 

(you could mount each one individually    )

cheers

James

[admiraldick]

thanks guys for your responses so far.

i've just tried soaking the seeds in a bleach solution over night and that didn't appear to have any discernable effect on the colour. i will try neat bleach as well (just to see).

@ Tony: do you use fresh catkins or the dry ones that fall from the tree?

@ jimbibbly: i'm not sure that that would work. the spray paint would come out in particles giving a patchy colour to the seeds unless you really gave them a heavy coat, and a heavy coat is likely to cause them to adhere to the box you put them in.

[FramFramson]

I have a catkin question myself: What the cheapest way to get some of these if you don't live in an area where they occurr naturally (Toronto)?

I've seen some sellers (like the one linked above) who do sell them, but they seem seriously overpriced and in small quantities.

[Fitz]

The seeds do lighten as they dry, and though they do become a bit more brittle, it's not that much of an issue for modelling purposes, as your standard white glue bedding and sealing gives them plenty of support. They can be bleached further if you so desire (though it will make them even more brittle), and can be dyed with any penetrating stain -- a 50/50 mix of methylated spirit and ink works OK.

If you absolutely need them to keep their flexibility, instead of drying them you can soak them in glycerine to replace their water content. Of course that means that they won't lighten as they would if they were dried, and bleaching them would probably drive out the glycerine, removing its preservative value.

[admiraldick]

thanks Fitz. that's really helpful. do you have any recomendations for how to go about bleaching the seeds? do you recomend starting with the green catkins from the tree, or the browner ones that are ready to drop?

@ FramFramson: i can't honestly say i've found (or tried) anything else. a quick google search does tell me that there are Birches that are commonly found in Canada including the Yellow Birch which produces catkins. and whilst i can't find a map of trees in Toronto, i did find the website for the city authority in charge of the trees, you might be able to e-mail them and ask where there are birch trees (link). i've never seriously tried breaking down catkins for other plants, such as Alder, with an eye to look for terrain making material (i probably should have done though), but you might find that they can provide a suitable alternative. wikipedia gives a pretty comprehensive overveiw of what plants produce them.

Antenociti's Workshop produce some bags of miniature leaves that are supposed to be natural in origin, but i've no idea what sort of plant they come from, so i couldn't tell you how to find them. perhaps someone else will know the source.

[magokiron]

I'm so surprised none has mentioned the REAPER MINIATURES "The Craft" article:

http://www.reapermini.com/TheCraft/24

Hope that helps.

[HerbyF]

Sun bleaching them should work. Leave them exposed to sunlight behiind glass for a few weeks.