Replies

1. 
   BG | Oct 28, 2003 12:51am | #1

   Spitfire,

   My Chief wanted a dark lateral draw file...and of course, all I had was birch wood.  Somewhere I had read you could put trans tint in shellac and apply that way to avoid blotching and even darkness.  Initially, is appeared to be a diaster...but after a hard rub out and successive coats it came out quite nice.  One of the things I did wrong was putting the TT right into the shellac...I think your supposed to mix it with something first...suggest you check Jeff Hewitts site.
2. 
   AlanTurner | Oct 28, 2003 01:11am | #2

   I use Transtints quite a bit.  There are at least three ways to use them.  First, cut with distilled water, and use as a water dye on raw wood.  Raise the grain first, and sand back out by hand.  This is less work than you think.

   Second, combine with alcohol, and use as a dye on raw wood.  This does not raise the grain, but unless you are spraying it, the lap marks are hard to avoid as the evaporation rate is very fast.

   Third, tint your shellac, and slowly build to the color you need.

   On cherry, I like to start with a honey amber water dye as a base.  Then bring up the color via tinted shellac, which I spray.  Jeff Jewitt's book covers this very thoroughly.  If you call and order from Homestead, you might even get a bit of advice along the way as it is usually Jeff Jewitt who answers the phone.

   Alan

3. 
   Paul_Snyder | Oct 28, 2003 05:28am | #3

   Are you using spray equipment or hand applied methods? Dark mission brown will blotch badly if you brush or wipe it onto bare cherry wood.

   Paul

1. 
   wgsdvm | Oct 29, 2003 07:38pm | #4

   I will be applying by hand.  I ussually use varnish not shellac? 

   Can I mix the TransTint with varnish???? 

   / 

1. 
   GeeSeaWhy | Oct 29, 2003 09:00pm | #5

   Maybe. Transtint will work with some oil-based products but not all. The more mineral spirits in the product, the lower your chances of success. If you already have the Transtint, test it with a few drops of dye in a little varnish first (the stuff is highly concentrated, you don't need much to see a difference).

   And Jeff's site (www.homesteadfinishing.com) has more info.

   HTH

   Graeme

1. 
   wgsdvm | Oct 29, 2003 09:04pm | #6

   Thank you for taking the time to help me out.

1. 
   BG | Oct 29, 2003 10:07pm | #7

   It may not work....but I put the Trans Tint in some BLO.  When it drys I'll apply Watco over that....using white oak...

2. 
   Paul_Snyder | Oct 30, 2003 12:23am | #8

   You can add TransTint to most varnishes. You can't add it to wiping varnish and danish oil finishes; they contain too much mineral spirits and TransTints is not compatible with mineral spirits (oil-base paint thinner).

   To add Transtints to oil-base varnish, first mix 1 part dye with 4 parts acetone. Then add up to 2 ounces of this mix per quart of varnish. Stir in well.

   Another option to color varnish is to add some oil-base stain to it. If you use a stain that contains dyes or gilsonite, you will color the varnish brown and retain its transparency. Minwax Penetrating stain and Benjamin Moore stains both contain a blend of dye and pigment. If you let the stain sit for a few days, you can dip some of the stain off the top of the can, leaving the pigments in the bottom of the can. First thin your varnish with mineral spirits 1:1. Then add 25% - 50% of the dye stain to your thinned varnish to color it. By thinning the varnish, each coat of colored varnish will be very thin and you can apply a number of coats before the finish starts to get thick. BTW - Jeff Jewitt's article on a Simple Arts & Crafts finish on this web site lists a couple brands of stain that are based on gilsonite (asphaltum). You can add one of these stains to your varnish as well. You can also get some fiber free asphaltum and add that to your varnish for various shades of brown, but that's another topic.

   When you add stain to your varnish, you are reducing the varnishes' durability. It will be closer to a danish oil than a straight varnish. If you need the durability of varnish, only use 1-3 coats of the colored finish and once its cured, use 1-2 coats regular varnish over it.

   When you use a colored finish, first seal the wood with a clear coat of finish. Sand it smooth once dry and apply the colored finish over the sealed wood. This will avoid blotching and keep the coloring even.

   Do VERY little sanding on your color coats or you can cut into it too much and create thin spots that look lighter.

   Paul