Dye help...please

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LandfillLumber

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Hello, I have read people usinf all kinds of different dyes for wood. I have two questions what is best for deep penetrating wood blanks, and whats best for adding color to casting resins, maybe a dye is good for both wood and resin??? I also read about powder coat stuff for casting color, this seems cool as they have so many options for colors/pearls and so on. Thanks, Victor
 
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As far as casting PR, you have many, many options. I typically use dyes and pigments such as those produced by Castin' Craft. I also use pearl ex and other dry artist pigments.

I have yet to successfully get useful color penetration in wood blanks, so someone else will have to help you (and me) with that.
 
I've got a sliced up box elder burl that is not stabilized and I've had mixed success at dying it, at least half of the turnings I've started have ended up in the trash. I can tell from cutting open the failures that the dye is soaking in pretty deep, but box elder is very soft and it really needs to be stabilized.

I tried Artisan brand dye that I bought from CSUSA and I don't like it much, the colors are too pale. What I like most is food coloring. Don't buy the small tubes that are located with the baking supplies, get the super concentrated dyes that are on the spice shelves. I like McCormick brand. It is only available in bright primary colors and the dyed turning are pretty intense. I think there was a thread a few months back where someone gave a baker's supply link where it could be purchased in larger containers and more colors.

It soaks in pretty deep, but I don't think it goes nearly deep enough to dye a blank and then turn it into a pen. You can't put a single drop of CA on the turning before dying, the CA area will not take dye and if the wood is pourus enough for the dye to soak in it is pourus enough for the CA to get even deeper, you can't sand it off the surface and get back to raw wood. All CA needs to go on after dying.
 
What kind of wood are you trying to dye? Anything harder than maple, and even some of that, you'll have a lot better luck dyeing it on the lathe after you turn it.

I use Transtint dyes in high concentration with DNA, usually about twice what the label says. They aren't cheap, but they're the best I've found so far.

Anything thicker than DNA and you're out of luck without extreme pressure/vac and/or heat, and even then, some woods just won't take the dye due to density.

Hope that helps a little. :)
 
I've tried a number of different dyes and I like the Transtint dyes in DNA the best. The DNA doesn't raise the grain or leave me with a "wet" turning to try to finish. Most food colorings are water based and will raise the grain.

I don't think anything will penetrate more than 50 or 60 thousandths of an inch, so dying after rough turning is probably the order of the day. It works well for me.

Rich
 
Transtint works well and is expensive,but RIT dyes are cheap and available at art supply stores or some supermarkets and seem to do pretty well at penetrating. I also like to use it on the lathe to get the colors in a design of some sort. Last night I had some nice red streaks on a curly maple blank until I put on a band-aid. DOHHH:)
 
I have used Food Coloring to dye blanks after turning. Worked well. Fast. CA finished and pleased with the results.

200837182438_Elegant%20Green%20Maple%20Burl.jpg
 
Originally posted by Jarheaded

Transtint works well and is expensive,but RIT dyes are cheap and available at art supply stores or some supermarkets and seem to do pretty well at penetrating. I also like to use it on the lathe to get the colors in a design of some sort. Last night I had some nice red streaks on a curly maple blank until I put on a band-aid. DOHHH:)
Click to expand...

Do they work in DNA, J?
 
Hi i use the dyes a lot,i use the Anniline dyes same as the T-dyes i`m told. Didn`t know they would mix with the DNA i was using water,i tried clear shellac once it didn`t work.
You mix very little T-dye in a small jar like a tiny stick full mix and it will last for lots of pens you will probably have to throw it away. I probably have enough for a life time of dying pens. Carl
 
Originally posted by SuperDave

I have used Food Coloring to dye blanks after turning. Worked well. Fast. CA finished and pleased with the results.
Click to expand...

That is one sharp looking pen, Dave! Given that you used food coloring to get that amazing result, are there any significant disadvantages to your process? Also,
  • What brand food coloring did you use?
  • How long did you soak your turned blanks?
  • How long did you let your blanks dry before finishing?
  • Did you sand after dying and, if so, what grit did you start with?
 
Originally posted by Proud_Poppa_of_2

Originally posted by SuperDave

I have used Food Coloring to dye blanks after turning. Worked well. Fast. CA finished and pleased with the results.
Click to expand...



That is one sharp looking pen, Dave!


Thanks,
I have been toying around with writing up a PDF tutorial and maybe adding a video to my web site. It really is a simple and quick process that gets amazing results.

Given that you used food coloring to get that amazing result, are there any significant disadvantages to your process?

1. I sometimes lose the tiny bottles on the lathe...
2. They can be hard to hold while dying...
3. And I have to share them with my wife... seriously!

Also,
  • What brand food coloring did you use?
    Safeway Private Label... nothing but the best!!
  • How long did you soak your turned blanks?
    I don't soak. I sand all the way to MM 12K, then apply the color right on the lathe. Whole process from initial sanding to final buffing takes about 10 minutes...
  • How long did you let your blanks dry before finishing?
    About 30 seconds...
  • Did you sand after dying and, if so, what grit did you start with?
    Rarely, but if I do, I usually start with MM 3200 or higher
Click to expand...
 
Source for food coloring http://www.sugarcraft.com/
Get the soft gel paste 3/4 oz squeeze bottle for 1.39 ea. to try it out. Turn the pen, sand and finish for your final coat, apply food coloring with a paper towel with the lathe on or off. You don't need much and let dry for a minute. It's ready for your top coating of CA. I used 4 coats of thin, sanded lightly with 400 grit to smooth it and finished with 3 each of med and thick. Micromesh and voila.
tn_Blue%20curly%20Maple.jpg
tn_hot%20pink.jpg
 
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