Coloring Blanks

[larryc]

I have a customer that wants a pen with a color that is close to one of the Pearl Ex Pinata colors. She doesn't want an acrylic blank.
My first thought is to turn the blank (probably curly maple), paint with the Pearl Ex Pinata and then a CA finish.
Never having used Pearl Ex Pinata, (I believe it's a paint product from what I see on their website) I am looking for some experience on this product.

 

[grz5]

Use an alcohol based stain. Solarlux makes a good set wit different colors. Look up contrast staining. Trifern in lumberjocks.com has some amazing stuff

 

[rsulli16]

i dont know about pearl colors but i just had great luck with using sharpie markers!
the light colors work great, when i tried to go dark it got splotchie but when i did it lightly i got nice even coloring. i used BLO on one blank first, sort of like a conditioner, the other just went on plain. the CA went on right over it, so far no problems
Sulli

 

[AultMan]

water based pigment

I made a bunch of pink maple pens for a charity. I used scarlett colored pigment (from woodcraft) disolved in water. Then I lightly sanded with 600 grit until I removed enough pigment to get pink. The cool thing is that the harder grains don't absorb the pigment as well, so after you sand it, you really highlight the wood's natural figure. The "curly" part gets very light and the soft wood in between stays more bold. Just keep in mind that the dried color of the figure is a lot lighter than it will be once you add finish. I wet mine with mineral spirits to see what the final color will be.

I attached a picture of one I did in forest green. It is meant to show how the color shows the grain with light sanding. The pen is from my junk pile though, so don't think the pink turns out as ugly as the green.

 

[Drstrangefart]

i dont know about pearl colors but i just had great luck with using sharpie markers!
the light colors work great, when i tried to go dark it got splotchie but when i did it lightly i got nice even coloring. i used BLO on one blank first, sort of like a conditioner, the other just went on plain. the CA went on right over it, so far no problems
Sulli

WEIRD. Every time I've tried that, the CA dissolves the Sharpie ink and I'm left with a really messy looking pen. I've put it on bare wood, put it on the first few coats of CA, ALL of the coats of CA but the last one, no luck. I've only tried red and black so far, though.

 

[Drstrangefart]

I made a bunch of pink maple pens for a charity. I used scarlett colored pigment (from woodcraft) disolved in water. Then I lightly sanded with 600 grit until I removed enough pigment to get pink. The cool thing is that the harder grains don't absorb the pigment as well, so after you sand it, you really highlight the wood's natural figure. The "curly" part gets very light and the soft wood in between stays more bold. Just keep in mind that the dried color of the figure is a lot lighter than it will be once you add finish. I wet mine with mineral spirits to see what the final color will be.

I attached a picture of one I did in forest green. It is meant to show how the color shows the grain with light sanding. The pen is from my junk pile though, so don't think the pink turns out as ugly as the green.

In no way shape or form is that pen ugly. At least not from where I'm sitting.