Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | May 11, 2008 04:42am | #1

   There is a basic reason that Steve Latta chose one technique and Peter another.  That reason is the holly.  You ask if you should stain first and then do the holly.  Would be nice, but it doesn't work.  Why, because the holly is inlet and then, after it is glued in place, it is planed or scraped or sanded flush to the mahogany.  That would with virtual certainty damage the stain on the mahogany, therefore Latta choices a method that doesn't color the holly while the mahogany is being colored after the holly has been applied.  . 

   The problem is if the suntan doesn't give a dark enough mahogany for your taste.  So what you need is a dye that colors the mahogany but not the holly. 

   This is where the chemical dye can come in.  One possibility is potassiium dichromate which will turn mahogany a rice brown color, but have very little effect of the holly.  Potassium dichromate is also quite poisonous, so significant care is called for in its use.   

   Rob Millard uses a hydrated lime solution to color mahogany that probably has similar properties of coloring mahogany but not holly.  I haven't used that so I hope he picks up on this. 

   I do like the depth that using a pore filler over dye can give.  After dying, either chemically or with aniline dye, the wood would be sealed, and a pore filler you have tinted is used.  The sealing prevents the pore filler from acting as a (much of a) stain for the wood between the pores.  Holly would take very little stain after being sealed because it is already quite dense.   This is basically the Gedry's method, with the chemical dye substituted. 

   Using a chemical dye requires LOTS of experimentation, both to get concentrations right and to ensure that if you have wood from different trees in the project they react similarly to the chemical.  But it does allow you to have your cake and eat it too. 

    

2. 
   RMillard | May 28, 2008 12:13pm | #2

   Jack,

   The sun tan method scares me, especially with a card table and its unrestrained top.

   I used to seal the inlays and then dye the piece, but this wasn't easy and the results weren't always the best, plus the mahogany would continue to darken and in time could get too dark.

   I considered potassium dichromate, but decided against it, then I used lye, which worked well, but for many years now I have used hydrated lime. The blog link below describes the process.

   Rob Millard

   http://www.rlmillard.typepad.com

    

    

3. 
   PRAppd212Tb | May 28, 2008 05:34pm | #3

   I can't imagine building a Federal reproduction and sitting it out in the sun.  Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

   
   

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   Edited 5/28/2008 10:34 am ET by PRAppd212Tb

1. 
   MikeHennessy | May 28, 2008 06:53pm | #4

   "I can't imagine building a Federal reproduction and sitting it out in the sun."

   Why? Didn't they have the Sun back then?

   ;-)

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

1. 
   BG | May 29, 2008 03:49am | #5

   Mike,"Why? Didn't they have the Sun back then?"No, they didn't have Federal repoductions back then...:)

1. 
   MikeHennessy | May 29, 2008 02:23pm | #6

   " "Why? Didn't they have the Sun back then?"No, they didn't have Federal repoductions back then...:)"

   LOL! (Wish *I'd* said that!)

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

2. 
   user-211435 | May 29, 2008 10:49pm | #7

   Great answer!