Unusual Dye Material

[53Jim]

Hi gang,
Just wondering if anybody has ever thought of using, or has used, Iodine-type solutions for tinting pen blanks. My mother was discharged from the hospital, after spending the last month their, and they gave her pert-near 1.2 bottle of "Prep Solution", Povidne Iodine 10%. This stuff has a strange orange-ish color, so I was wondering IF it could be used for blanks.

I'm not trying to start any wars, or nothin'. I'm just curious about any possible health issues, or coloring bleeding (NO pun intended[)]).

Thanks

 

[woodwish]

Don't know of an reason that it wouldn't dye the wood, it certainly dyes any skin it contacts! Can't think of any health issues but personally I find it to be a really ugly color. It will be interesting to see what you do with it. On a dark wood it may add a nice tint but on light wood it really doesn't sound that nice, just my opinion. I thought about trying the same think with cranberry juice after seeing what it does to our kitchen counter when it gets spilled.

 

[dachemist]

Hi Jim,

Health wise I'd think it would be ok as long as a person doesn't chew on the pen. Iodine is toxic (in large enough amounts). It's also quiet reactive and could possible degrade the wood and/or the finish. It may also casue problems in putting on the finish depending on what type is used. If I recall correctly at least some oil based finishes cure by polymerizing after exposure to an oxidizing agent (typically oxygen in the air). Having an oxidizing agent (iodine) directly on the wood would be much more concentrated than oxygen in the air which could (in an extreme worst case) lead to a lot of heat and possible spontaneous combustion of the finsh. Again, there is probably not much chance of things bursting into flame but, I've never tried to know for sure (iodine is less reactive than oxygen). But based on the fact that rags with tung oil on them can spontaneously combust as they dry it's possible iodine could have a similar effect.

I don't want to sound too dramatic but after having a few fires (albeit none caused by iodine) in the lab I try to err on the side of caution.

What's likely to be a bigger issue is that iodine is not water soluble. If the solution is water based it's going to have detergents (and most likely higher alcohols like glycerine that don't evaporate easily) in it to dissolve the idodine that would probabaly interfere with a finish. Although it may be possible to sand those out depending on how far into the wood they penetrate.

It may also change color when it dries. Solid iodine is a nice deep purple color, in solution it tends to look yellow-brown.

Mike

 

[Doghouse]

If that is betadine, keep it! Don't waste it on pens. Think of the number of times you have cut yourself (deep) but not bad enough for stitches. That is what you should wash your hands with. Nothing better in the world!