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J-Walk - Posted - 06/02/2012: 16:29:47
A common technique for skin heads is to use wood stain to give the head a different look. You just apply the stain to both sides, before soaking it. Just wipe it on, and then wipe it off. I've tried it several times, but I was never really happy with the result because it came out too dark. Today I tried a lighter color, Golden Oak, by Miniwax.
I really like the effect. It's like 40 years of cigarette smoke build-up. And it also matches our kitchen counter.
Edited by - J-Walk on 06/02/2012 17:45:42
jbalch - Posted - 06/02/2012: 16:46:41
Looks great.
Bob_C - Posted - 06/02/2012: 16:48:39
Nice John! Did you dilute with anything or just use straight stain? Did you use some kind of applicator?
thanks, Bob
J-Walk - Posted - 06/02/2012: 16:49:19
It's a "thin" goat skin from Elderly. I bought four, just to have some one hand and ensure I got a good one. All four look great, with lots of variations. They're only $9 for 18".
J-Walk - Posted - 06/02/2012: 16:51:17
No dilution, I just dipped a paper towel into the can. Rubbed it on, and then rubbed it dry with the same paper towel. Then I let it sit outside to dry before I soaked it in water.
jbalch - Posted - 06/02/2012: 17:01:25
I've been experimenting with staining some hides too. I think the key is finding a good color stain. Yours looks like a great choice. That head would look especially good on a maple banjo I think.
I'm linking this to the Hide Heads group....banjohangout.org/group/hideheads
shooze - Posted - 06/02/2012: 17:44:32
looks great, finally a stained head that is not too dark or too orange, good color!! Looks old and worn already, thanks for posting!!
oldtimefolkie - Posted - 06/02/2012: 19:48:03
I like it, nice job. I mounted an Elderly goat skin medium thickness head on an old no-name banjo I have. I was impressed with it. Looks good with stain too.
Warren
banjooud - Posted - 06/03/2012: 05:36:55
quote:
Originally posted by J-Walk
No dilution, I just dipped a paper towel into the can. Rubbed it on, and then rubbed it dry with the same paper towel. Then I let it sit outside to dry before I soaked it in water.
Do you go over all the surface of the skin with your paper towel or just in some place ? I'm wonder how you can have some stain more intense on the skin head , or it's just the natural color of the skin head and the stain come from the wood stain ....
Shawn Hoover - Posted - 06/03/2012: 06:37:53
banjooud: I assume the preparation of the skin involves some scraping and sanding, so any difference in the final thickness or texture of various parts of the skin will take stain differently.
Thanks, J-Walk. It's great to have a picture and a stain name to go with it.
Edited by - Shawn Hoover on 06/03/2012 06:42:36
J-Walk - Posted - 06/03/2012: 15:20:53
I apply the stain evenly. The color variation is just the natural look of the skin. The stain really increases the contrast, and makes the color variation more pronounced. For more examples, see Jason Romero's banjos: romerobanjos.com/
blockader - Posted - 06/03/2012: 15:40:57
quote:
Originally posted by J-Walk
I apply the stain evenly. The color variation is just the natural look of the skin. The stain really increases the contrast, and makes the color variation more pronounced. For more examples, see Jason Romero's banjos: romerobanjos.com/
the striations that form lines or bars fanning out, like the ones on the bottom of your head in the photo and on a lot of jason's heads, are actually knife marks made by the skinner. good skinners will pull rather than cut the hide off the carcass except in certain difficult spots and often in the belly region on a larger animal that must be skinned on the ground. the blade makes permanent marks in the membrane that can't be scraped off but that don't matter functionally. you can't see them much on finished rawhide until staining and not at all on fully tanned hides.
-justin
J-Walk - Posted - 06/03/2012: 17:50:33
That's interesting, Justin. I had no idea. It would be cool to watch a goat skinner in action.
In fact, I just did...
youtu.be/OoLGz7b_NJ8
banjooud - Posted - 06/04/2012: 05:04:32
beautiful video for a poor vegetarian like me
Thanks for all the information and happy to see that John Balch will follow the step of Bill Miller pre mounted skin head
steve mcgrath - Posted - 06/04/2012: 05:25:52
Have you got any shots before you stained it so we can see the before and after?
not meaning to offend anyone but
With our goats we put a slit in the skin at one leg and blow compressed air in to separate the skin, makes it very easy to remove.
blockader - Posted - 06/04/2012: 06:58:46
we use compressed air too, the hide pulls right off with nearly no cutting. that won't make any cool striations though! i had intended to make a photo tutorial on here on how to make rawhide (for banjo heads or anything else) from a freshly skinned goat hide the next time i butchered one, but the sale barn prices are so high on goats right now i've been selling rather than eating them. i paid for more nearly a third of my romero with goat auctions!
also, jwalk, i meant to say in 1st post how great your head looks and i can't wait to try it myself. thanks for the info.
-justin
Edited by - blockader on 06/04/2012 07:00:45
mike hansen - Posted - 06/04/2012: 17:13:18
looks great...is that your Dobson...looks a lot better than the skin head it had on it...which was dyed with some sort of hair dye....this looks much better!
stevel - Posted - 06/05/2012: 11:48:02
quote:
Originally posted by blockader
quote:
Originally posted by J-Walk
I apply the stain evenly. The color variation is just the natural look of the skin. The stain really increases the contrast, and makes the color variation more pronounced. For more examples, see Jason Romero's banjos: romerobanjos.com/
the striations that form lines or bars fanning out, like the ones on the bottom of your head in the photo and on a lot of jason's heads, are actually knife marks made by the skinner. good skinners will pull rather than cut the hide off the carcass except in certain difficult spots and often in the belly region on a larger animal that must be skinned on the ground. the blade makes permanent marks in the membrane that can't be scraped off but that don't matter functionally. you can't see them much on finished rawhide until staining and not at all on fully tanned hides.
-justin
very interesting justin. i always assumed those darker marks were intentionally added by the person doing the staining.... cuz many times they look like a smudged hand-print. as does the mark on j-walks and many of Jason Romero's heads.
looks good.
J-Walk - Posted - 06/05/2012: 15:11:13
Here's kind of a before-and-after. It's a different skin, obviously, but it has the same coloring as the one I stained. It basically makes it looks yellowish rather than whitish. That's just with a single coat of stain on the front and back. It would look even more aged with a second coat.
And yes, Mike, that's the Dobson.
mike hansen - Posted - 06/06/2012: 12:35:54
post one of the whole banjo...how is it sounding with steel strings again?
flatlander78 - Posted - 06/25/2012: 20:31:43
I like Romero's view on the staining. I saw his interview that Craig 'frailin' Evans did and he and his wife are really amazing sounding folks. He see's the head as part of the banjo that should be a complement to the entire 'jo and not something that is just thrown on there. Its kinda like putting a $3 mass produced bridge on a $2500 custom banjo. I tried a goat hide with Walnut stain to complement the Walnut stained pot and neck on one of my 'jos.
