Carrier for Transtint Dyes

[Canuck]

I got me some Transtint dye and went to work on a poplar picture frame. While it turned out "just ok", I found that even on a small piece like this, I had to really work fast as I used alcohol as a carrier.

Have read ready quite a bit about using water as a carrier and dealing with the resulting grain raising.

I have a daughter who wants her RO coffee and end table .....black!:BangHead::BangHead:

I have completed the build and ready to start the dye and was wondering if anyone out there have any tips for using a dye on a larger piece such as this coffee table top (24" x 48").

Thanks in Advance!

Wayne

 

[Jeff]

I just completed some stuff with TransTint which is my first experience, but maybe I can share some stuff that'll be of use to you.

1. Grain raising. I didn't worry about it, but if you want just mist the wood with water and allow it to dry. Then sand at about 220 g to knock down the fuzz. It only raises once so that's behind you.

2. Water based application is good. Remoisten your rag in the dye/water mix or just plain water and rub again to even out any dark/splotchy areas. Water is very forgiving because of the long dry time and the dye will move and blend as you wipe. Let dry at least 24 hours before messing with it again. Then you can still take a damp rag and wipe it again to even it out.

3. Spray application works well in alcohol or a 1:1 mix of alcohol and lacquer thinner. Wiping this mixture on the surface dries much too fast and ends up streaky, but you can still wipe it down again with a damp rag.

4. Seal it with a 1-1.5 lb. cut of dewaxed shellac of your choice. Not necessary for an oil based finish, but a must for a waterborne finish or the dye will smear around with the water.

A few thoughts IMHO. Experiment and find your comfort level in your hands. I really like the TransTint dyes because they give a clear depth of penetration which doesn't obscure the grain/figure which we often see with pigmented stains, etc.

Curious to hear about your follow-up experiments and general impressions of how it worked for you.

 

[Cato]

I use alcohol as the carrier too, but I read on their site where you can mix alcohol and water to get a longer working time.

I have not tried this yet, so a sample board would be the way to go.

I do like the effect that their orange has on walnut with a topcoat of amber shellac.

I have some butternut for a drawer front that I plan on trying their honey amber to see how that will look.

Good luck with the black. Now that sounds intimidating.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

As Jeff mentioned, you can minimize the effect of water raising the grain by raising it beforehand. I always include this step as part of my sanding routine. Prior to the final sanding, I wet the wood w/ a sponge. Let it dry, then sand (I use 320 grit for this stage).

Anytime I need to color the wood, I prefer a dye rather than a stain.

Bill

 

[stave]

I just finished a panel with dyes using alcohol but I sprayed it. I sealed it with shellac that was tinted also to give it more depth.

I have used black dye before and really liked the experience. I used water as the carrier and it was easy to use and manipulate. I was able to lighten and darken the color by additional coats and by rubbing with a damp rag. I think to get a true ebony will be a little more work than just wiping on a coat or two of dye. I would us a very high concentrate of dye to carrier on the initial coat then seal with a real sharp shellac. Using a high quality brush I would seal with another coat or two of tinted shellac. This will give it more depth and a deeper color.

Of course brush technique would be a factor. Large areas brushed with shellac can't be fussed over. The brush would have to be fully loaded and sure strokes without hesitation are a must but the finished look is beautiful.

Good luck.
Stave

 

[fergy]

I've used Behlen Solarlux NGR dye in the past for this very wood / color combination, and it worked great. Might be an easier solution to this project.

 

[sawduster]

Have you considered an ebonizing stain ? Not sure if it is more or less trouble, just what comes to my mind as oak has a lot of tannic acid ( I think ) :mrgreen:
JMTCW

 

[Canuck]

Thanks so much for all of the tips, everyone!:icon_thum

I still have some table top edge profiling and more sanding to do.

I think that I will try the grain raising methods recommended and hit it with the Transtiint (water carrier out in the back yard:wsmile as soon as it cools down a tad.

I will let you all know the results.

Thanks again!

Wayne

 

[Canuck]

Update........

Well. I decided to raise the grain with distilled water, sand lightly with 220G and use the water as a carrier for the black transtint. I mixed 1oz of dye to a quart of distilled water and headed outdoors. (Today was perfect out there. 70 degrees in the AM with much lower humidity!:wsmile::icon_thum)

I bathed both tables using a brush and wide sponge. Two coats. (Brought tears to my eyes seeing that pretty oak take on this look!)

Looking pretty good so far (for black!!!:BangHead::BangHead

I did notice that even after the two coats, the pores of the red oak were still winking at me!!:gar-Bi

With my scrap sample in hand, I applied the two coats of dye and then followed up with a coat of Minwax Ebony stain and it seemed to take care of it!:eusa_clap

I am going to let the dye dry real good overnight and start applying the ebony stain followed by a few coats of poly.

Thanks again for all of the good tips.

So far so good!

Wayne

 

[mckenziedrums]

When in doubt... use tint coats.

I get away with a lot of colors average wood workers would never use... That's one nice thing about building drums. When dealing with difficult colors like black (green is another one that sometimes gives me fits) I mix the dye with the clear coat and spray a tinted lacquer essentially. With black you get a real nice deep black by dyeing the wood first (I always use water with my powdered dyes) and then going back and tinting the clear as well. Give it a try on some scrap sometime.