Experimental Color Blank

[Grizz]

I turned down a piece of Maple Burl to size and then added red and Blue food die. Microwaved it for 20 seconds. Then started sanding at 320 grit up to 1000. Then put some CA on for a finish.

Just experimenting a bit. Any thoughts on it... feel free.

 

[MichaelS]

Looks interesting. Although I am not a fan of food die on wood! I mite change and try it. There was a post on another forum that said the food dye was coming off onto the sand paper through the ca finish. The microwave part may be the solution.

 

[R2]

Interesting looking result. Why, exactly did you decide on the microwave step?

 

[broitblat]

It looks like the dye helps to pop the figure -- I think it looks great.

-Barry

 

[Grizz]

Originally posted by R2

Interesting looking result. Why, exactly did you decide on the microwave step?

I was at the Kitchen table when I was playing with the food dye. Looked at the microwave and thought, "Why not? Couldn't hurt... could it?"

 

[Dan_F]

I would be concerned about the lightfastness of food dyes. Might look good one day, blah within a relatively short period of time. Don't need much permanence in color for food, but if you are selling a pen or giving it as a gift, you want it to look as good in a year as it did when it was purchased. If they are just for personal use, then no problem, you can always change the hardware to another barrel if it fades.

Dan

 

[rhahnfl]

Do you have any problems with the food color bleeding out? I'd be concerned over that.

 

[wdcav1952]

I like that you are experimenting. That said, for a nice piece of maple burl, why use dye one it? Hit it with a bit of BLO to bring out the grain and enhance Nature.

 

[fernhills]

Hi, i dye a lot of pens with Aniline dyes and i have had good and lasting results. I believe their is a site called River Ridge that sells dyed stabilized blanks and sells dyes along with it to enrich the colors of turned blanks. Carl

 

[rherrell]

Originally posted by wdcav1952

I like that you are experimenting. That said, for a nice piece of maple burl, why use dye one it? Hit it with a bit of BLO to bring out the grain and enhance Nature.

Oh, Cav.[:0]

 

[loglugger]

Hey quit picking on Cav he is doing a good job.
Bob

 

[jwoodwright]

Folks have also used Rit Laundry Dye.

 

[Aderhammer]

Originally posted by loglugger

Hey quit picking on Cav he is doing a good job.
Bob

You know that's against forum rules to stick up for Cav!

 

[fernhills]

Originally posted by rherrell

Originally posted by wdcav1952

I like that you are experimenting. That said, for a nice piece of maple burl, why use dye one it? Hit it with a bit of BLO to bring out the grain and enhance Nature.

Oh, Cav.[:0]

[:0][:0]

 

[Glass Scratcher]

Good idea using the microwave. Many dyes use thermosetting to enhance permanance.

 

[Hello]

I agree that the dye made the figure pop a bit.
I also agree with the comment about using a nice piece of maple burl for a dying experiment.
I've experimented with dying too.
I used coffee to dye a piece of birds-eye maple...it made the grain pop, it only chnged the color slightly...it was itneresting.