Hi everyone,
I currently use water based aniline dye stains because as everyone knows they are the most light-fast of the aniline stains.
Relatively speaking just exactly what does that mean?If I stain a piece of oak dark fumed oak(with Moser’s aniline stain by the name) and put it out in the direct sunlight how long would it retain its tone in general and how much longer would it retain its tonality than say alcohol or oil based aniline stains of the same tonality(dark fumed) and manufacturer.
As you know the oil and alcohol based aniline stains save you a couple of steps,obviating the pre-raising and sanding of the wood necessary with water based.If the degree of “light-fastness” is marginal with the water based I am making the switch.I hand plane the wood after fabrication.Once the grain has been raised with the water based stain,however, it is really hard to get it hand plane smooth again.With water based aniline I think I am nullifying alot of the benefits of hand planing(increased clarity and chatoyance) by having to use fine grit sandpaper after staining.Thanks very much in advance.Roland.
Replies
Roly, I guess you could put all the differently carried mediumed stains to the test by putting a sample of each in direct sunlight. In practice I've never seen it happen, but water based aniline dyes/stains are reputed to be the least fugitive. Put any dyed/stained piece of timber you like into direct sunlight for a fortnight or so, and I'm sure the stained finish will change colour. For that matter, put any undyed/unstained timber in direct sunlight for the same fortnight or so, and I imagine that it too will change colour.
I don't know anybody that dyes/stains/finishes/polishes directly after handplaning or scraping. I hear people claim that they do just that in forums and magazines, but I don't know a single working cabinetmaker amongst the hundreds I do know that does---there's always at least a bit of sandpaper involved--- so your second question is pretty much of academic interest only, and therefore from a working cabinetmaker's point of view, moot.
No doubt my slightly provocative response will bring to the fore those that claim a piece of sandpaper hasn't been used in their workshop in the last thirty years, and I'll know that that's not true, unless profit has never been a motive for their working of wood. You might be missing one significant factor though. Water based dyes or stains are significantly more forgiving at application than oil or spirit based formulae. Slainte, RJ.
Edited 5/25/2002 2:57:36 PM ET by Sgian Dubh
Edited 5/25/2002 3:05:20 PM ET by Sgian Dubh
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