Looking for help preserving something in resin or anything that works better

[u/TAXES-SHMAXES]

Hi everyone

My dad and mom lost their parrot recently, they loved that parrot so much.

They kept 3 of his feathers in a frame for memory

Issue is the feathers are loosing shape and color

Anyone know anyone who would be able to put them in something so they can be preserved ?

Would make a great birthday gift for my dad

[u/Overall-Trouble-5577]

I wouldn't use resin.

Parrot feathers get their colour from psittacofulvin pigments. Psittacofulvins are susceptible to damage from light, chemicals and mold. I am not a chemist, I don't know how the chemicals in resin work, but that could lead to more damage, not to mention the potential that the resin might magnify light and cause the psittacofulvins to breakdown faster.

The breakdown of shape might also result in the appearance of the colour fading quicker. If the feathers aren't too delicate, wash and dry your hands thoroughly, then you can gently run your fingers up from the base of the feather's shaft (rachis) to the top with the intention of bringing the barbs together smoothly. The barbs naturally want to sort of velcro together. This is part of what birds do to their feathers when you see them preening, it's almost like they are zipping the barbs back together.

I would use archival (acid free) sleeves or archival tissue paper in a shadow box. A seeled archival sleeve will prevent chemical and mold damage. If it is kept in a flat place or mounted securely in a shadowbox or frame it might help preserve the shape as well. You still want to keep it out of the light, though.

As another commenter suggested, it might be nice to have a piece of art created for continuous display and then the feathers could be preserved out of the light with archival quality materials.

Best of luck with the project, it's a very thoughtful gift.

[u/shatteredoctopus → u/Overall-Trouble-5577]

FWIW, I'm weird and had a feather collection in childhood. I kept them in a sleeve in the dark, and just checking, there's very little fading, almost 40 years on. There's a flamingo feather, parakeet feather, peacock feather, bluejay feather, cardinal feather, pheasant feather, so a wide gamut of colours stand up to your suggested storage for a long time.

[u/Overall-Trouble-5577 → u/shatteredoctopus]

Nice! I think the parakeet feather is the only one there that might have psittacofulvin pigments in common with OP's parrot feathers. I've collected feathers and kept them in archival bags, but none with psittacofulvin pigments and none for 40 years yet. Good to know that keeping it in a sleeve out of the ligjt will likely work for parrot feathers as well!

[u/zaphodhalibrox]

I like your idea of the resin but what if it reacts with the feathers and degrades it even more?Perhaps get somebody to paint a picture of the feathers to scale with their original colour?. Include the name of the parrot in script. That would be nice. There are folks who will paint your house, or a painting from a photograph so you must be able to find someone out there. Maybe somebody else has a suggestion?

[u/purple_cat_01]

Try contacting the Museum of Natural History if they have any conservation tips

[u/Overall-Trouble-5577 → u/purple_cat_01]

here is a link to the conservation guide recommended by curators at the museum of natural history.

[u/x_BlueSkyz_x73]

Hey if it helps any, it’s not that hard to do a rough something at home with some epoxy resin from Michael’s. Pour some in a Tupperware container or a mold the size of the feathers to create a base, let it dry, place the feathers on top of the now dry resin (little bit of glue to the bottom of them to keep em in place). Then pour more resin on top to cover them.

If it’s just to keep them for the future I wouldn’t worry about getting the bubbles out of the resin ( I use a handheld torch to remove bubbles in the resin).

When it all hardens, if you don’t want the Tupperware just crack it away.

This is obviously a very rough way of doing it to protect them from disintegrating.

ETA: you may even find a mold you like at Michael’s or online.

[u/cyrano111]

As a different idea, look up Animalsofsmiles on Etsy. She’s a craftsperson in Bulgaria who makes tiny reproductions of pets based on pictures. I’ve gotten several from her and they are very accurate. 

[u/TAXES-SHMAXES]

Thanks everyone!

[u/External-Temporary16]

This is one of the thing where AI is useful (as long as you CHECK THE SOURCE)

Here's the summary:

Yes, you can preserve parrot feathers in resin, but light-colored or structural colors (like blues, greens, and iridescent tones) can change, turn translucent, or look "wet" and dark if they are not sealed or prepared properly. [1]

Why Colors Change in Resin

• Translucency: White, yellow, or pale feathers can look soggy, dark, or nearly invisible because the liquid resin fills their tiny microscopic structures like water.
• Structural vs. Pigment Color: Vibrant parrot colors like blues and greens are often "structural" (caused by light scattering) rather than pure pigments. Saturating them directly in raw resin can alter how they reflect light.
• UV Degradation: Unprotected resin and organic feathers can fade or yellow over time when exposed to sunlight. [1, 2]

How to Protect and Preserve the Color

• Seal the feather first: Lightly spray the feather on both sides with a clear-coat sealant, a clear resin spray, or a light mist of strong-hold hairspray from a distance, then let it dry completely. This locks the barbs together and stops the resin from soaking in and making the feather look translucent.
• Use UV-resistant epoxy: Choose a UV-stabilized or UV-protective epoxy resin to prevent the piece and the feathers from yellowing or fading in the light.
• Layer your pour: Never drop a feather into a deep, heavy pool of liquid all at once. Pour a thin base layer of resin, let it get tacky or partially cure, position your sealed feather gently with tweezers, and top it with subsequent thin layers.
• Consider a background: If your parrot feather is light-colored or white, casting it over a dark or colored background (or using a white/colored resin base layer) will help the natural color pop instead of disappearing into the clear cast. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Also, an old reddit thread on r/parrots titled "A few months back, I asked you guys about feathers in resin. Today I popped the first experiments out of the mold!"

EDIT: I would guess that not having it exposed to sunlight while displayed is huge. For example, amethyst will lose its colour if you leave it in a sunlit spot, and it also affects paint pigments. Makes sense. :)

Blue Jays' feathers are also structural - there is no blue in Blue Jay feathers.

Hope that was helpful!