st croix - Posted - 10/21/2016:  14:42:43

I wanted to try a calf vellum skin head on one of my banjos i never played because i did not like its sound. i also wanted to dye it. i didnt care for the perfectness of the head. after doing much reading on the subject... i took the skin, folded it up a bit then kept the folds together with clothes pins. next i made black tea , and added usedcoffee grounds i had saved from my morning coffee for a week. let that get ripe, then filtered to remove the grounds, a last minute decision.. i dumped a bunch of soy sauce in the mixture. after immersing in the solutioni put it in the fridge for 3 days. lol the end result looks like some strange patterned animal. i love it and would do it again. 

Edited by - st croix on 10/21/2016 14:50:08

dyed calf vellum

 

 

 

Dan Drabek - Posted - 10/21/2016:  16:26:57

If you ever get marooned on a desert island with your banjo, you can throw the head in a pot of boiling water and make soup. 

DD

Helix - Posted - 10/22/2016:  04:41:44

I like it when someone takes an old technique and does something new with it. It looks like it's a century old. Very nice.

Bill - Posted - 10/22/2016:  08:11:44

The salt in the soy sauce left a residual in the head. It may corrode any metal parts that it touches.

G Edward Porgie - Posted - 10/22/2016:  09:23:25

With all the caffeine you've put into that head, your tone should really wake up!

st croix - Posted - 10/22/2016:  13:52:09

quote:

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Originally posted by G Edward Porgie

 

With all the caffeine you've put into that head, your tone should really wake up!

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I sure could use the help!

st croix - Posted - 10/22/2016:  13:56:03

quote:

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Originally posted by Bill

 

The salt in the soy sauce left a residual in the head. It may corrode any metal parts that it touches.

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not to worried about it. i live on an island thats  5x26 salts everywhere. its a pisgah, raw brass, nice banjo, but not over the top collectible. ha ha i did think about it though.

tdennis - Posted - 10/22/2016:  16:32:17

Since you've shown a humorous bent toward nonsense,  I would expect your poor skin head to rot & putrify,  as all  organic material is destined to do.   Please give us an update in 6 months after the bacteria, fungus & mold has set in.  (BTW,  soy sauce is for noodles only)

Edited by - tdennis on 10/22/2016 16:33:04

G Edward Porgie - Posted - 10/22/2016:  17:47:49

quote:

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Originally posted by tdennis

 

Since you've shown a humorous bent toward nonsense,  I would expect your poor skin head to rot & putrify,  as all  organic material is destined to do.   Please give us an update in 6 months after the bacteria, fungus & mold has set in.  (BTW,  soy sauce is for noodles only)

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I have to point out here that the very head, dyed or not, is an organic material and given time, it too will rot. I can't imagine much happening from tea and coffee, but the soy sauce could spell trouble. However, if you can keep the neighborhood dogs from eating it, I don't think you'll have a problem.

And as far as that sauce goes, I just ate my dinner, which happened to be chicken roasted with soy sauce and garlic. I've never even tried it on noodles.

Dan Drabek - Posted - 10/22/2016:  17:59:51

I use soy sauce when making homemade beef jerky. I think it actually helps prevent rot. Probably from the salt content. 

In any case, I would keep my dog away from that banjo. They love flavored rawhide chews. :->

DD

tdennis - Posted - 10/22/2016:  18:14:27

I believe the curing of a skin head is much different than the curing of soy sauce & beef jerky. 

olddirtybanjo - Posted - 10/23/2016:  05:26:03

Its, different, I have soaked several in coffee to give them a nice soft aged look. Most instructions I have seen say not to soak over 10 min.

st croix - Posted - 10/23/2016:  08:15:27

quote:

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Originally posted by tdennis

 

Since you've shown a humorous bent toward nonsense,  I would expect your poor skin head to rot & putrify,  as all  organic material is destined to do.   Please give us an update in 6 months after the bacteria, fungus & mold has set in.  (BTW,  soy sauce is for noodles only)

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well, since you have a nasty bent on your opinion, salt has been used as a preservative since time began. 

st croix - Posted - 10/23/2016:  08:38:51

quote:

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Originally posted by tdennis

 

I believe the curing of a skin head is much different than the curing of soy sauce & beef jerky. 

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I truly believe trying new things is vital to human advancement.  If what you create fails, the  opportunity for a better plan becomes clearer.