For seal brown it is not necessary to wash your feathers, nor to bleach
off any color. Any old colors, excepting black, can be made a good
shade of seal brown. Begin in bath by diluting about two ounces of
turmeric in a gallon of boiling water (more or less matters not). Enter
your feathers and keep them well under the surface of the bath about
two or three minutes; after which take out and rinse in cold water
twice. In the meantime boiling a bath of logwood about one pound to a
gallon of water. If boiled on fire about fifteen minutes is necessary,
and if boiled with steam a half hour is required. Enter feathers in
logwood and let remain in about three minutes, keeping them well under
the surface of bath, after which take out and rinse; if in cold water
about twice, then dilute a half an ounce of bichromate of potash in
a gallon of boiling water, and see that bichromate is thoroughly
dissolved. Enter feathers and let them remain in about ten seconds,
a longer time if a very dark shade is wanted; then take them out and
rinse thoroughly in cold water; after which add to your logwood bath
about one tablespoonful of extract of archil; bring bath to a boil and
enter your feathers; cover up bath and let them remain in about four
minutes; a little more or less time, in this bath is of no material
difference in color, only to make the shade heavier or lighter. Take
your feathers out of bath and rinse in cold water; mix a small handful
of starch in about a quart of cold water, and pass feathers through and
dry in the usual way.
If your color be darker than the shade you desire, add a drop or two of
sulphuric acid to starch bath, and pass your feathers through for a few
seconds. If found to be lighter than the shade you desire, rinse off
the starch from your feathers in cold water; then dilute a quarter of
an ounce of bichromate of potash in a gallon of boiling water, and pass
your feathers through; after which rinse, starch and dry.
Another excellent method for quick seal brown is as follows: dilute
two ounces of turmeric and half an ounce of copperas in one gallon of
boiling water, and let them remain in about two minutes; take out and
rinse, then enter in a strong bath of logwood at boiling, and keep
under surface about three minutes; after which rinse; then mix a
bath of a quarter to a half teaspoonful of aniline brown in a gallon of
boiling water. Enter your feathers and let them remain in bath about
three minutes; take out, rinse, starch and dry. If required darker,
re-enter into logwood bath for a few seconds. If wanted lighter, add a
drop or two of sulphuric acid in your starch bath, squeeze out and dry
in the usual way.