Dyed Hemp wood

[Madman1978]

I am doing a gift for a friend and I am looking for some Dyed Hemp Wood
any suggestions?

 

[Don Rabchenuk]

If you are looking for pen blanks try here https://www.facebook.com/bullseyeturning/shop/?ref_code=mini_shop_page_shop_tab_cta&ref_surface=page

 

[JohnU]

This is what I do… I buy my hemp wood from Ed and Dawn at exoticblanks and turning it down to size. Then mix a little rit dye and denatured alcohol and apply with a Q tip to the desired areas before finishing with GluBoost to seal it all in after it dries. I find it much easier to get the color I want and where I want it. I feel it gives me more creative control with the ability to overlap and blend colors. Also, your not out as much money from buying a custom dyed blanks if you blow it up. (Just my humble opinion)

 

[Bats]

Also, your not out as much money from buying a custom dyed blanks if you blow it up. (Just my humble opinion)

Based on an earlier thread about hempwood, though (I haven't been brave enough to try it myself), you're probably more likely to blow up the raw blank than one that's dyed, since the latter generally means it's also stabilized. Which risk is more economical probably comes down to a question of how much of a premium you have to pay for the dyed version.

Reputed difficulties of turning hempwood aside, I like the turning-then-dying option. One of my only experiments with closed-end pens was a foot-long poplar (ew!) desk pen that I disguised after/while turning with some extensive dying to look almost rosewoody. I ended up discarding the process at the time as "cheating" (I had a bit of an aversion to dying/staining woods vs using woods that naturally looked that way. I've been trying, with the help of extensive therapy, to get over it), but more recently I've been meaning to give it another try. It's a lot quicker than waiting days for the vacuum chamber, too.

 

[carlmorrell]

I am not as sophisticated as JohnU. I took some food coloring and used a paper towel. Got acceptable

results:

 

[ed4copies]

I have dyed and stabilized hempwood. Color was all the way through the blank. I did not find it any easier to turn.

YMMV!!
Ed

 

[Madman1978]

I have dyed and stabilized hempwood. Color was all the way through the blank. I did not find it any easier to turn.

YMMV!!
Ed

Well, I guess I am going to find out

Ed I a trying to do an add-on to my order but I cannot change the shipping?

 

[ed4copies]

If you are ordering accelerator or some other hazmat, the system will not let you avoid shipping charges.

 

[Madman1978]

If you are ordering accelerator or some other hazmat, the system will not let you avoid shipping charges.

So call to do this now? lol

 

[Bats]

I have dyed and stabilized hempwood. Color was all the way through the blank. I did not find it any easier to turn.

Thanks for the warning. I very nearly picked some up in my last order, thinking "well, I can just stabilize (and dye!) it, and then everything will be fine!"

That's "fine" like the "This is fine" dog, apparently. Call me easily discouraged, but if Ed thinks it's problematic to turn, I'm not even going to try.

 

[mark james]

I am not as sophisticated as JohnU. I took some food coloring and used a paper towel. Got acceptableView attachment 311533 results:

Carl, that's beautiful! I have a block staring me in the face. I need to cuts some blanks off. I am intrigued, maybe a more natural color - brown, tan, but hey, the worst I can do is a splattered blank - been there, done that, will visit again! Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[mark james]

This is what I do… I buy my hemp wood from Ed and Dawn at exoticblanks and turning it down to size. Then mix a little rit dye and denatured alcohol and apply with a Q tip to the desired areas before finishing with GluBoost to seal it all in after it dries. I find it much easier to get the color I want and where I want it. I feel it gives me more creative control with the ability to overlap and blend colors. Also, your not out as much money from buying a custom dyed blanks if you blow it up. (Just my humble opinion)

Very helpful John!