Dyes Bring Out Best in Figured Maple
Get a rich, multidimensional shimmer with simple sanding steps and water-based dyeSynopsis: James Condino’s finish is designed to bring out the multidimensional, layered color of figured maple. His method uses a dark dye followed by a series of lighter dyes, sanded away to reveal the depths of the wood’s figure. The final product will have a shimmer that can appear almost three-dimensional.
If you’ve ever attended an outdoor custom-car show, you’ve noticed how some paint schemes appear to change color. That ’49 Mercury appears black from a distance, but closer inspection under the sun’s rays reveals a dark-purple shimmer with a subtle iridescent red.
This multidimensional, layered color is what I try to accomplish on figured maple, a wood uniquely suited to being enhanced with dyes. First, the wood’s light-blond color puts no limit on your imagination (I’ll stick with wood tones, but my process works just as well with other, brighter colors). Second, the striped and quilted figure becomes almost three dimensional with added color. This is because the ripples present alternating sections of long grain and end grain to the viewer.
Prep the surface and select your colors
Your goal is to reveal the depth and clarity of the wood, so use a finely burnished scraper to remove tearout or machine marks. Vacuum fine dust particles; don’t blow them into the pores.
Once you have a color scheme in mind, test it on some scrap, ideally from the same boards as the workpiece. Take careful notes on dye concentrations, color combinations, and the number of coats. I use water-soluble dye powders (www.wdlockwood.com). They penetrate the wood, giving me a margin of error if I accidentally sand through the shellac later.
The wood is alternately dyed and sanded
To prepare the dye, mix the powder in hot, but not boiling, water. The ratio is 1 oz. of dye to 1 qt. of water, but you’ll need only a few fluid ounces of each dye. So just gradually add dye powder to the water until a maple stirring stick turns roughly the color you want. Allow the mixture to cool and then strain it through a piece of old T-shirt or a paper coffee filter.
To apply the dye, I use a pad similar to that used for French polishing. Cut out two 5-in. squares of lint-free cotton cloth (well-washed T-shirts work great). Fold one of them to form a 1-in.-wide strip, and then fold the strip into a 1-in. square. Wrap this in the other piece, and secure the ends with rubber bands to give you a handle. You’ll need a pad for each dye, so make several. To prevent the wood from absorbing too much dye initially, I first rub the wood with a damp pad, using distilled water.
From Fine Woodworking #196
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