Replies

1. 
   calden | Mar 30, 2009 06:11pm | #1

   Doug:

   I don't have step-by-step pics, but I can tell you what I did in building a mandolin.

   http://eaglelake1.org/Carlos/mando%20pics%20new/heel.jpg
   http://eaglelake1.org/Carlos/mando%20pics%20new/back.jpg

   I dampened the sanded surface with alcohol, then wiped on thinned alcohol-based dyes, starting with amber, then red, then dark brown around the edges, for a slight sunburst effect. It was pretty easy to work colors and dark tones in together with the alcohol. When it was dry I put on a wash coat of shellac, then sanded, then several coats of lacquer.

   If you have any experience with painting (art) this is not a difficult task.

   Carlos

2. 
   WillGeorge | Mar 30, 2009 06:29pm | #2

   Try:

   http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=31470

   if you have access.

   I am NOT an finisher but usually, but not always, finishing my projects turn out at least OK.

   Sort of bumping your post (sorry) but I sort of have the same question. Maybe we both get a good answer.

   I have tried dye many times. Sometimes, but not very likely, I come close to what I expected. Color or Color Matching... is sort of like my carving skills... Somewhat less than OK to very poor. I never seem to get anywhere close to what I want. The finish is useable to very good, but nothing like what I wanted or envisioned it.

   I guess I could experiment but that fancy wood is expensive. Also, even if I experiment on the same wood type, but non-figured wood, the color is nowhere close to what I had on the less than fancy wood.

   If 'adding my thoughts upsets you' Let me know and I'll delete my added question/comments...

    

    

1. 
   GDH2 | Mar 30, 2009 08:01pm | #3

   Will George -""If 'adding my thoughts upsets you'" - Quite the contrary, I welcome the link and your comments on your personal results. The linked article by Jeff Jewitt makes it seem like I am embarking on an almost hopeless task... <> it seems it's really easy to make mistakes that would be difficult to recover from (my first dye project will be a maple chest top using TransTint honey amber)
   <> it can be expensive ($4-$6 per small project if I exhaust the bottle), but there are lots of colors, meaning more expense and...
   <> color selection is confusing - the first link in the article has 21 mahogany dyes (!), each shown at two strengths (the second dye I buy will be for a mahogany project)...So it's hard to do, expensive, and confusing! Sounds like a challenge! BUT when the wood is suitable and it works - WOW! PS - HUGE KUDOS TO JEFF JEWITT - I love his articles in FWW, I love his FINISHING book, and he personally gave me some soon-to-be-very-helpful advice via email on my maple chest project.Doug
   The Wood Loon
   Acton, MA

1. 
   Shoemaker1 | Mar 31, 2009 02:50am | #4

   That tray/ basket is very nice indeed. A friend of mine just had a mandolin made for him, and it had a similar finish on the back, similar wood also. The finish is so deep looking.I will have to get a pic of a flame birch table I made and after about 5 years with just a tung oil finish it is has a nice warming tan patina now.

3. 
   RW | Mar 31, 2009 03:04am | #5

   I didn't do it, but this is a guy I know. He's quite good at his craft. I thought the curly maple here was out of the ordinary and fit very well.

   http://sharpdecisionknives.com/knives.php?item=54&page=1

   Real trucks dont have sparkplugs

4. 
   nboucher | Apr 01, 2009 05:31am | #6

   Here's a vanity I just finished. I used a mixture of amber & brown dyes heavily diluted with water. I applied the dye then sanded it back and put on the topcoats of wiping varnish. The wood is mostly hard maple, with QS hard maple for the door frames and bird's-eye for the door panels. I was looking to pop the figure without coloring the maple too much. One of the neatest examples in this piece of what dye can do is seen in the top two drawers and the panel between them, which were all cut from the same hard maple board. Although the board was in the hard maple bin at the hardwood dealer, the dye brought out some decent curl in it.

   Sorry the pix are lousy. The flash is pretty harsh and the vanity is in a very small half-bath, which explains the not-so-great angle of the shot.

   Norman

   
1. 
   GDH2 | Apr 01, 2009 05:41am | #7

   Norman -Quite impressive. And I like the hardware. Did you mix the two colors of dye together or did you apply each separately?Doug
   The Wood Loon
   Acton, MA

1. 
   nboucher | Apr 01, 2009 05:58am | #8

   Thanks. I mixed the dyes together and diluted them. I tried different combos and dilutions on a bunch of test pieces using offcuts from the project boards.Norman

2. 
   prbayliss | Apr 01, 2009 06:44am | #9

   Hi Norman,I was waiting to see this! Nice job. Looks like you have a great deal of skill!Take care mate,
   Paul

1. 
   nboucher | Apr 01, 2009 04:42pm | #10

   Thanks, Paul. All I see are the mistakes, of course . . . Hope your project is going well.Norman

5. 
   | Apr 02, 2009 12:04am | #11

   Very nice job Doug!

   Here is my sewing table; dye, BLO, shellac.

   Bob, Tupper Lake, NY

   
1. 
   GDH2 | Apr 02, 2009 12:23am | #12

   Bob - BEAUTIFUL to the Nth degree! But tell me about the dying details. Did you use alcohol or water, what color dye did you use, did you need to sand after the dye, did you dye everything uniformly, did you dye it before or after assembly? How often have you dyed in the past?See what happens when you contribute to the conversation?Doug
   The Wood Loon
   Acton, MA

2. 
   flairwoodworks | Apr 04, 2009 06:06am | #13

   Very nice.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com(soon to be http://www.flairwoodworks.com)

    - Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

6. 
   dmdnk | Apr 04, 2009 10:58am | #14

   Doug,

   I've been using dyes for a long time and love them.  I think the best way to find out how good they are is to buy some and play around with them.  I use mostly water soluble dyes.  I like Moser's available here:

    http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/fullpres.exe?PARTNUM=843-924&search=Medium%20Amber%20Maple&smode=&showsingle=

   The page takes a while to load. 

   How do you plan to apply the stain?  I get the most control by spraying, but they can be brushed on as well.

   I don't have many great close up photos of finishes, but I attached examples of dyed pieces.