Dye for wood

Tom Lewis

Tom Lewis

Joined
Feb 24, 2000
Messages
1,915
These handles are made of stabilized mesquite wood. I like the figure but would like it to be a bit darker. What kind of dye would you recommend?

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I had a related question: how do you work with dye? Do you oil before or after applying dye? Or do you use a different finish. Thinking specifically of colour dye like q classic Mora handle.
 
I’d be surprised if they would take a dye after being stabilized.
But I’m interested if there is a product or technique out there.
 
Either fieblings leather dye, or the analine dyes from Lee valley. I like the light brown fieblings, and dark amber analine from Lee valley. The colors are quite similar once applied.
 
If it's properly stabilized, no dye should soak into the wood, and it would sit on the surface only.
 
Stabilized wood from K&G will easily take leather dye. Stabilizing makes them absorb less but they will still absorb
 
I have wondered how deep the dye went so lets do a test. This is maple stabilized by K&G , Picture is green dye wiped on and wiped off. Currently letting it soak in the bottle for a while then will see hot deep the color goes.
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The mesquite was stabilized by K&G. I have begun experimenting with different dyes. The mesquite does take the dye. How deep it goes I don't know.
Thanks to those who offered suggestions.
 
I use TransTint dyes, mostly on unstabilized woods. My experience has been as Bill describes. The dye will sit on the surface of stabilized pieces but will wear away in time, or will be susceptible to lifting if it comes in contact with a solvent.
 
This is interesting , the first picture I posted I put the piece of maple in the jar and touched bottom , pulled it right out and wiped it down right away so you see how deep the dye is in the bottle. This next picture was after the same piece sit in the jar for 2 hours. It had absorbed the dye almost to the top
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I'm going to wait and let it dry before seeing how deep it went.
 
I put a different piece in the dye last night, stabilized at a different time than the first. First picture shows how deep the dye was in the jar and second picture shows how far the dye soaked up in 12 hours.
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The bottom piece was the first one that soaked 2 hours top piece soaked for 12 hours. Then I sanded the pieces - 20 strokes each on new 80 grit paper.
The piece with a 2 hour soak didnt penetrate that much and after seeing this I am thinking if you just wipe the dye on one day it will probably wear away. The 12 hour soak went deeper and most of the color was still there after sanding. I am thinking if you really want it dyed at home you need to soak for maybe a few days to make sure its deep enough to not wear off with use.
The wood was 1/4" thick 1" wide and 4-5" long
 
Just tossed a piece of maple in the dye that was not stabilized. Give it @12 hours and we will see how they compare.
 
I wiped Birchwood casey brown dye and also some leather dye on a piece of stabilized mesquite. I let it dry then applied a couple of coats of Tru oil. This morning I buffed both pieces with a lot of pressure and the color stayed. If the handle was given hard use the color might wear away, but I think buffing would give a good indication of whether or not the color was there to stay.
Thanks to all of you who have done and are doing experiments on this issue.
 
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