Coloring wood

Birdy916 · Dec 4, 2013

Ok, so i know the preferred method is with those special food colorings and soaking in vinegar like a easter egg...

But cant I just use like some non-toxic crayola water-color paint or something?

If a child can injest crayola products with no ill-effects, then why cant I use the water-colors to paint some wood my parrot is gonna just chew up and spit out... ?

I myself have 1st hand experience eating crayons, and to this day I am still alive, and if you added it all up Ive even probably downed more than a bottle of elmers glue in my day too...

Its not like the color is set in on any bird toy ive ever bought anyway, it comes off on my hands, in the waterdish, on the floor sometimes...

I mean lets leave all the bs out of it, do you honestly see a problem using child-safe-non-toxic-water-based colors on some wood for a bird to chew up?

I have some bigger/longer pieces of wood that there is no realistic way of dying using the food-coloring-soak-methods.

Granted, my birds have proven they dont need color on wood to chew it up, but once I make what Im making and post pics, you guys will understand why I myself want some colors on it...

Kimma · Dec 5, 2013

I have no idea if it's safe or not, but birds weigh a whole lot less than a child, so it takes a whole lot less of a toxin to affect them.

The rules around what is an acceptable level of toxin is based on research done on humans, so when they say non-toxic they could be meaning "below the level that is toxic for humans".

Like how chocolate is just fine for humans, but toxic to dogs and birds - it's not because it's actually more toxic to them, it's just they are so small that the toxic dose is easier to ingest.

Do you think paint would even work though? I wouldn't think it would stain very well. But you could paint with food colouring mix. The way I read it, you can use rubbing alcohol rather than vinegar - and it would be similar to a regular wood stain.

Birdy916 · Dec 5, 2013

Hmmm... I like where your heads at Kimma

GaryBV · Dec 5, 2013

I do agree with kimma, there are lots of things I can eat that my birds can't (I only learned yestereday that uncooked beans are poisonous to birds). The same with my dogs and my cat. In fact, I can't even use the same flea stuff on my cat that I use on my dogs. No onions for any pets, no avacodo for the birds, the lists go on and on. Truth is I'd rather be safe than sorry and I really don't want to experiment on my babies.

JerseyWendy · Dec 5, 2013

May I suggest substituting the vinegar with Isopropyl (rubbing alcohol)? No worries about the bird ingesting it, as it evaporates completely.

MomtoPercy · Dec 5, 2013

GaryBV said:
I do agree with kimma, there are lots of things I can eat that my birds can't (I only learned yestereday that uncooked beans are poisonous to birds). The same with my dogs and my cat. In fact, I can't even use the same flea stuff on my cat that I use on my dogs. No onions for any pets, no avacodo for the birds, the lists go on and on. Truth is I'd rather be safe than sorry and I really don't want to experiment on my babies.

I fully agree. A child that has ingested something even "mildly" toxic in most cases easily be saved with quick medical intervention. A bird (even a big bird) weighs much less than a child and so will be affected a lot sooner and more severely by the same ingested item, even in a much smaller quantity. Also - birds hide illness and by the time we notice something, the problem could be far advanced and perhaps beyond help. That is not a risk I am willing to take.

When I colour big pieces of wood, I use liquid food colouring diluted with boiled, cooled water and paint it on. When I'm done, I always stick the wood in the oven for a bit to 5ry it properly. Won't this work for your project? I use only pine so it colours easily even with diluted colouring.

Merlee · Dec 5, 2013

I do not understand why people color the wood. In the wild the wood is not colored. So many members feed their birds organic food because it is safer. How does one know any dye is truly safe over time? As the OP states, the dyes used on bird toys comes off when coming in contact with water so the birds are possibly getting some in their system. If you are feeding organic then why color the wood? Seems to me that you are defeating the purpose of going the organic route.

I like the looks of colored wood toys myself, but I am not going to give them a lot of them because who knows if they end up being toxic in the future. We do not know what type of dye the manufacturers use either. I may be wrong but I feel better this way.

tab_xo · Dec 5, 2013

Merlee said:
I do not understand why people color the wood. In the wild the wood is not colored. So many members feed the birds organic food because it is safer.

Why? Because some birds don't like plain wood...

They were not born in the wild... :20: They have never been in the wild...

Fargo will not touch plain wood.. He also doesn't like yellow or orange that much either..

I would rather dye wood and have a bird who is happy and destroying things, rather than him sitting there bored out of his brain, and then start destroying himself...

And just because a food is organic, doesn't mean it is organic... ANYONE can say their product is organic..

Only certified organics means that the product IS actually organic... and even then, there are levels..

It is very hard to get 100% certified organic...

I have never tried dying wood myself.. I just buy wood blocks from bird safe stores.. I dont trust myself to do the dying

hahaha

Kimma · Dec 5, 2013

JerseyWendy said:
May I suggest substituting the vinegar with Isopropyl (rubbing alcohol)? No worries about the bird ingesting it, as it evaporates completely.

This is what I want to do but I am having a really hard time finding isopropyl alcohol to buy. I wouldn't be suprised if there were restrictions on selling it now.

JerseyWendy · Dec 5, 2013

Kimma said:
JerseyWendy said:

May I suggest substituting the vinegar with Isopropyl (rubbing alcohol)? No worries about the bird ingesting it, as it evaporates completely.

Click to expand...

This is what I want to do but I am having a really hard time finding isopropyl alcohol to buy. I wouldn't be suprised if there were restrictions on selling it now.

Would THIS be it??

Isocol

Kimma · Dec 5, 2013

Yep. But I've only seen the Anti-bacterial Solution version in shops, which isn't pure and is highly scented. I've only really checked chemists and supermarkets though. Time to try hardwares and computer shops I guess.

getwozzy · Dec 5, 2013

It may be time-consuming but you can make your own vegetable dyes... Chemical free, natural, and safe.

Making Natural Dyes from Plants | Crafts | Pioneerthinking.com

Merlee · Dec 5, 2013

I like the idea of dyes from bird safe plants.

getwozzy · Dec 5, 2013

Yes, here's a great post from MonicaMc listing safe vs toxic foods

http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html

So make sure whatever you use for dyes to check whether it's safe or toxic.

Birdy916 · Dec 5, 2013

I think Im gonna give the alcohol and food coloring a shot....

As I said in my original post, the color is for my own personal enjoyment, my birds do not require it and almost prefer uncolored wood.

you guys wanna see what Im gonna make..... ?

Its a ParrotShip for my Pirate!
I seen it at The Bird Shop here in Sac...
This thing is pretty effin cool, but really expensive for just a few boards and ropes and blocks and beads all glued and tied together...
And in my opinion its really small for what it is supposed to be...

But Pirate is a bird without a ship, and we cant have that...
So Im gonna make a huge version of it so Pirate and his first mates can sail and pillage and plunder!

MrBackpack · Dec 5, 2013

Kimma said:
JerseyWendy said:

May I suggest substituting the vinegar with Isopropyl (rubbing alcohol)? No worries about the bird ingesting it, as it evaporates completely.

Click to expand...

This is what I want to do but I am having a really hard time finding isopropyl alcohol to buy. I wouldn't be suprised if there were restrictions on selling it now.

restrictions on rubbing alcohol?

... the very idea makes my brain hurt.

I guess as a nursing student and living in the US, I cannot concieve of a time where I couldn't go to a grocery store abd buy a gallon of the stuff for $5.

MomtoPercy · Dec 5, 2013

Birdy916 said:
I think Im gonna give the alcohol and food coloring a shot....

As I said in my original post, the color is for my own personal enjoyment, my birds do not require it and almost prefer uncolored wood.

you guys wanna see what Im gonna make..... ?

Its a ParrotShip for my Pirate!
I seen it at The Bird Shop here in Sac...
This thing is pretty effin cool, but really expensive for just a few boards and ropes and blocks and beads all glued and tied together...
And in my opinion its really small for what it is supposed to be...

But Pirate is a bird without a ship, and we cant have that...
So Im gonna make a huge version of it so Pirate and his first mates can sail and pillage and plunder!

Oh my goodness, that is AWESOME!! I can't wait to see Pirate on his ship!

Birdy916 · Dec 5, 2013

its gonna be a few days or more, i got some other household projects that need doing first, but I will definitely post pics when shes done!

Merlee · Dec 5, 2013

Birdy916 said:
I think Im gonna give the alcohol and food coloring a shot....

As I said in my original post, the color is for my own personal enjoyment, my birds do not require it and almost prefer uncolored wood.

you guys wanna see what Im gonna make..... ?

Its a ParrotShip for my Pirate!
I seen it at The Bird Shop here in Sac...
This thing is pretty effin cool, but really expensive for just a few boards and ropes and blocks and beads all glued and tied together...
And in my opinion its really small for what it is supposed to be...

But Pirate is a bird without a ship, and we cant have that...
So Im gonna make a huge version of it so Pirate and his first mates can sail and pillage and plunder!

I love THE BIRD SHOP. I haven't been there in 20 years because I moved. What else do they have?

Birdy916 · Dec 5, 2013

they are still going strong, and they pretty much have anything and everything for a bird of any kind...
I go there for the things I cant make myself, or to get ideas...

I like to make my own stuff, because for the price of 1 or 2 "brand name" bird toys, I can get parts to make more than several...

I dont get up there too much, cause I have a problem with impulse buying

Plus I got a new parrot store only a few blocks away from home but they dont have as much stuff(they DO got alot tho)

Coloring wood

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need some suggestions....

HELP! Possible contact with sick Parrot.

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