All the black and near-black woods that I know about are very expensive – even in the smaller pieces such as those for sticks and ‘crooks’. The surface finish will be gloss Polyurethane. If anyone has any thoughts as to how a near-black finish can be achieved on some of the strong but lighter colored woods(such as maple), I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks very much.
Dave Owen
Replies
To get a dark color on maple without actually painting the wood, I think the best way is to use an aniline dye. The darkness depends largely on how concentrately you mix the dye. You can also add a dark gel stain over the dye to give depth to the coloring, but you have to get most all of the real darkness with the dye.
Thanks Steve! The added depth using the added gel coat sounds interesting.Dave
IMHO, the best way to "Ebonize" is with black dye.
Hint: you can add india ink to make it darker.
Scott
Thanks for your response. Am I correct in thinking you mean to add the ink to the dye - or is it a subsequent process? Do you think India Ink alone would work - or is the dye a necessary part?Dave
Use the dye first, if it'n not black enough (most are really just real dark blue or green) add some ink. It doesn't take alot...Scott
This really helps. Once again, thanks!Dave
Mt personal preference is to dye the wood and then use a black/ebony stain over the dye. The combination of dye and stain produces a true black color that's deeper/darker than either will achieve by itself. The dye provides a great deal of the color and the stain highlights the grain (and pores on wood that has good size pores).
Here's a color sample on birch. The left side is bare wood. Dye only in the middle. The right side is dyed and stained.
I used the dye & stain finish on the interior of some cabinets that were made with mahogany face frames with birch ply interiors. It was a nice look. Here's a picture.
The same steps work well on maple and other woods. You can vary how much you thin the dye to make it lighter or darker.
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What brands of dye and stain do you use? You're so helpful, there are good people and you are most certainly one of those people!!
I use a lot of different brands of finishes and there are lots of good ones out there. The biggest problem, I think, is finding a variety of finishing products. Most people are limited by what they have available at the local home center, hardware, or paint stores. And some of these products are very good, just not a very wide selection. The internet makes it easier because you can find almost any item you need and order it online.
Paul
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Paul - Your explanation is very much appreciated, and the photos really brings it home. Thank you for the time and effort you took to help me out.Dave
Glad to help Dave. Good luck.Paul
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What brands of dye and stain do you use for the black?? Thanks!
My favorite is the black dye concentrate from ML Campbell... very potent. But other good brands of black dye include ILVA, Mohawk Ultra Penetrating Stain, Transtint, Sherwin Williams dye concentrates, and a couple others I can't think of. I'm not too crazy about Behlens black dye because it's too dilute and has a strong blue or purple tint to it. But almost all black dyes have a blue or purple tint when you thin them.Paul
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