Replies

1. 
   peter28 | Dec 27, 2008 09:33pm | #1

   Dan,

   First off, how did you manage to sneak away and ask this on Christmas?

   IMO; I always like the way a dye unites the look of different boards. You'll still have a variation in color yet it will harmonize much better.

   I often use the dye as a first or "ground" color and follow that with a stain (gel or wiping) or a glaze.

   As an example on mahogany;

   medium yellow dye from W.D. Lockwood followed by Georgian Cherry Gel stain from General Finishes. This color is a  purplish red. Used together, the color will be a lovely golden reddish brown. 

   Make some samples with just a stain and then make some others with a dye underneath then a stain on top. You will see a world of difference and it's simple to do.

   Have fun.

   Peter

1. 
   user-231372 | Dec 29, 2008 08:25pm | #2

   Peter,Thanks for the tips on the colors, the base dye and finish stain. Two questions - 1) If i were going for a something with a little less reddish shade, what stain color? I am using dark green granite tiles as part of the desk top and 2) I assume a coat of de-waxed shellac between the dye and stain is in order?Aciu labai (do you speak the mother tongue at all - Gedrys sounds very Lithuanian?)Dan

1. 
   peter28 | Dec 31, 2008 03:37am | #3

   Dan,

   I should have mentioned the coat of shellac in between the dye and the stain. However, you can put the stain right over the dye if you wish. The best part of putting the color over a sealed surface is you have much more control; if you don't like what you see you can change it by wiping it off with mineral spirits before it dries.

   Another gel stain I've tried is Brown Mahogany. It is essentially burnt umber which is a deep warm chocolate brown.

   No matter what you decide on, make a few samples first. Try one with a dye and  stain without shellac as a barrier and one with the shellac. Let your eye tell you what's right for you.

   As far as the mother tongue; I'm totally ignorant. Yes, I am Lithuanian ( and Canadian). How did you know? My grandfather, Peter Gedritis, left early in the century when things were getting bad. I have only faint memories of him. He never said much and when he did I could barely understand him.

    But I do remember the bakery he owned in Camden N.J. I can still smell those wonderful loaves of rye bread coming hot out of the oven.

   Thanks for bringing back a great childhood memory.

   Keep me posted

   Happy New Year.

   Peter

1. 
   user-231372 | Jan 09, 2009 05:27am | #4

   Peter,To answer to "how did you know?" - my wife is Lithuanian (her parents are the true Lithuanians but she grew up speaking, going to Saturday school for language and history, etc.) and I have spent a fair amount of time with the broader community so seeing certain family names is a give away for the Lithuanian heritage. My mother-in-law would have loved your grandfather's bakery a she is a real fan of rye bread. All-in-all, good people with good basic values.Now to my finishing issues;I bought the dyes, stains, etc. and have fiddled around for days now trying the myriad possibilities and here is where I am at,basic issue - some of the quartersawn African Mahogany is lighter and some darker (the darker is a nice brown color with very tight pore structure.I loved the amber dye, de-waxed shellac and brown mahogany stain combo, especially on the wood which started lighter in color. But the differences in wood color can be seen more easily than I care for. With the above formula, if I skip the brown mahogany stain on the darker pieces of wood, I get good color match but the pores on the lighter base wood pcs. are much darker than the dark color base wood which did not get stained. Not good in my opinion.I then tried using a brown mahogany dye on the light colored pcs. then used the amber dye over all the pcs. then put the shellac down. The color matching looks very good at this stage and I should be able to stain everything consistently as I wish. I was surprised that the using the brown dye and then putting the amber dye worked pretty well, as I was really unsure what I would get.My questions at this stage - should I dye in two steps on the light colored pcs. (brown then amber on top) or mix the two dyes together and apply only once?
   Any other thoughts on how I have approached this?Thanks Peter.Dan

1. 
   peter28 | Jan 09, 2009 07:00am | #5

   Dan,

   I'll get back to you next week, I'm doing seminars at a woodworking show and will be gone for the weekend.

   Peter

2. 
   peter28 | Jan 13, 2009 04:30pm | #6

   Dan,

   Concerning the dyes;

   If you mix them together, you get a color. If you layer them, you get more depth. When I use a dye (water) I'll apply the second one as the first has started to dry but only about half way. If you put the second on when the surface is already dry it will "pull " the color up. It's not hard, you just need to read the surface as you go.

   Concerning your colors and the way you are making samples; you are making what's called a happy mistake. By reversing a formula you've created something that pleases your eye. That's what it's all about. You're taking the time to experiment which is the real key.

   There are times that I'll just throw some completely different combinations on mahogany when making samples. Some look like crap and other times I'll see one and think "that's how you make that one"

   With mahogany you'll want to fill the pores so start thinking about that too.

   Peter