eagle feather bustle construction

[ndnmannoko4]

hi all,
I'm making a set of eagle feather fancy dance bustles for my son and could use some ideas. I plan on using horse hair for the streamers but am wondering which is the best way to attach the hair. I could use some help on this one.

[WhoMe]

hi all,
I'm making a set of eagle feather fancy dance bustles for my son and could use some ideas. I plan on using horse hair for the streamers but am wondering which is the best way to attach the hair. I could use some help on this one.

ndnman,

Before you attach the hair gather it in even sized bunches. Clip the top and bottoms off to make them even. Then wrap one side two inches with cotton thread The thread will tighten the bunch and keep it in place before you glue it to the end of the feather.

[lostsalt]

If you do not want to cut those "birds" I dont blame.
WHOME is right the best choice is a glue that can be taken off without damaging the birds. Elmers can be used but it is water saluable(sp?). This can be a problem if you dance in humid areas or if it rains (but you wouldn't be caught out in the rain with those on, right).
Other than glue the only other option I can think of involves very small electrical clamps to attach to the quill after the horsehair has been tied. I've never tested this but....

Glue seems to be the choice on the circuit because it is more forgiving.

P.S. Bustle that are as beautiful as "birds" don't need alot of decorations. You'ar gonna catch the eye anyway.
Good luck & let us see your finished product if we may.

Peace
Lostsalt

[crazywolf]

Boozhoo niji,

I have never worked on eagle feathers on this extent, probably never will, but I take a pot shot on this one. This is a catch 22. Feathers by a nature are oily, thanks to the birds tentative preening. Elmers glue and other similar adheisives are as lostsalt says, water soluable (dont think I spelled it right either, oh well). Read the directions on these and it says, contact surfaces should be free of dirt, grease and oil. So these kinds of glues are not going to stick very well at all.

There are literally thousands of kinds of adhesives in the world. Everything around you is glued together in some way with one or more of them.

I wonder if there is an adhesive, that is semi permenant, that will bond to oily surfaces, and release on a condition, either with a solvent, or maybe if heated. The feathers are made of a material similar to your fingernails, so you can use those to test with. I know there are adhesives that will disolve with acetone, and that does not seem to do anything to my nails. (I use it all the time) I dont know if it will do anything to the feathers, never used it, but it will take all the oil off the feather as well. The feathers will have to be repreened as well.

Derek

[ndnmannoko4]

ndnman,

Before you attach the hair gather it in even sized bunches. Clip the top and bottoms off to make them even. Then wrap one side two inches with cotton thread The thread will tighten the bunch and keep it in place before you glue it to the end of the feather.

Thanks for the info Who Me I'll will do as you say and let you know how it turns out
And to everyone else thanks for your input

[bwhite]

Try glueing a bamboo skewer to the back of the feather, along the quill. Let the skewer extend beyond the tip of the feather enough to tie a bundle of horse hair.

I saw one set of eagle bustles where the bamboo skewers were secured at the base of the feather in the thread wrappings, but the skewer was not glued to the back of the feather. It still extended beyond the feather and flagging tape had been added. It looked ok, but it sure did save the feathers.

Hope that helps.

[danceman457]

has anyone tryed what they do on tradish bustles? a spot of cow hide thats about the size of nickel and glue this over top of the horse hair

[WhoMe]

has anyone tryed what they do on tradish bustles? a spot of cow hide thats about the size of nickel and glue this over top of the horse hair

dance,

I have. This looks good on some traditional bustles.

For fancy dance bustles, buckskin cut in the shape of a 1-inch skinny tear drop will cover the area where the glue, wrapped horsehair and the end of the eagle feather all meet.

It looks really nice too, especially if they are all evenly tapered in a natural semi circle around each bustle.