Dyeing Question

[Darley]

I collect a tree ( a Gum as usual but don't know the species ) from my son's school last month , and I would like to make pens and other turnings for the school, the school's colours are blue and yellow, I do have some yellow wood ( Mulberry, osage orange ) but don't have any blue I would like to stay with the same wood if it's possible I do possess a pressure pot and a vacuum pump, now here's my questions,

#1 what is the best for wood dyeing, a pressure pot or a vacuum pump?
#2 can you dye green wood or not ?
#3 what is easy to dye, green wood or dry wood ?

Help will be appreciated, Thanks

 

[johncrane]

HI Serg you could use pine' turn your pen too size do all your sanding then wipe on the blue dye to colour the blank,then ca, l have tried pressure and dye wasnt that good. 'l got all my dyes from Jim Carolls Carba-tec may have it . []

 

[JimGo]

OK Serge, here's some pure conjecture, but this is probably what I'd probably do. I'd try turning it to near the final shape, then applying the dye by hand. If I wasn't happy with the results, then I'd try imersing the turned blank in the dye, pulling a vacuum for a few minutes, then slowly releasing the vacuum. In theory (MY theory - NOT based on any actual tests), what you'd be doing is drawing out any available air from the wood when you use the vacuum, and then, when you release the vacuum, you'd be replacing a good bit of that air with the dye. This assumes certain things, like that the dye molecules are at least the same size or smaller than the air that they're replacing, but I would think that you'd get better penetration that way.

 

[its_virgil]

Serge,
This pen, and several others, were done the way John suggedted. I turned and sanded the wood. Then I wiped on the dye and immediately did my CA finish. The dye was aniline dye, a powder mixed into water. I use it lots to make pens with color.

Go ahead and cut pen blanks and dry them in a microwave oven. Or, turn them to almost final size and they should dry quickly. Maybe turn them without gluing in the tube so the wood does not crack as it dries. I have good results drying pen blanks in a microwave.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[Darley]

Thanks for the comments and I will try few thing, John could you give me the web site of Jim's Carroll, please, TA!