Replies

1. 
   byhammerandhand | Dec 11, 2006 04:49am | #1

   Here is an article with some more information.

   http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/ezine/archive/129/interview.cfm

   They are a pigment suspended in gycol ether.

1. 
   Yogi | Dec 11, 2006 04:59am | #2

   Thanks for the link-  Have you used them?  Liked them?

1. 
   mudman | Dec 11, 2006 08:55pm | #3

   I have some Mixol colours, they are very difficult to use. Well for me at least. I find it easier to pick a couple stains or paints that are close and mix them untill I get the match or colour I need. When you are mixing primary and secondary colours getting the browns, tans, and brown/ red colours we uae in wood working is difficult. Especially in small quantities. One drop of Mixol will make a difference in a quart. For mixing custom colours I prefer to use Analine Dyes. They come in powder form for water, oil, or alchohol based solvents. Trans tint is who I use. They come in common colours (Golden Oak, Cherry, mahogany) and in shtraight primary and secondary colours. The small containers of dye will make a LOT of stain. I use alchohol based dye, mixing it with pure alchohol for stain and sometimes use it in lacquer or shellac for shading.Pardon my spelling,

   Mike

   Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.

1. 
   Yogi | Dec 12, 2006 01:31am | #4

   Mike-  Thanks for your thoughts & experience-  Have you experienced any fading of color, which is, from what I understand, the dyes' biggest drawback?  Thanks-

1. 
   mudman | Dec 12, 2006 08:52pm | #6

   I have never had a problem...... but I have only been building furniture for 5 years so it is unlikely that anything could have happened yet.

   I never use dyes outside or in a patio/sunroom. The new dyes are suposed to be more colour fast. I dont apply stain so heavy that fading would be noticible. And another precaution is to use UV blocking Poly or I think that there are UV lacquers as well.

   Something to consider is that all the stains availible at the Big Box stores and most of the speciality stains rely heavily on dyes. They usually have an unknown mix of dyes and pigments. So using those products is not a garuntee against fading. In fact the deck/fence stain I usually use for outdoor projects fades after a couple of years. But I like in Texas where the Sun is brutal.

   Working with dyes is fun and pretty easy. ALWAYS TEST COLOUR ON SCRAP WOOD. We all know that we are suposed to, but I have had a bad habit of assuming I know what the finished product will look like. And in my haste to see the finished product I skip the testing step. Frequently after clear coating the coulour and intensity changes suprise me. In a bad way. Now I religiously test on on the same stock as the project.Pardon my spelling,

   Mike

   Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.

2. 
   Yogi | Dec 12, 2006 10:08pm | #7

   Mike-  I hear you, re knowing what to do but not taking the time to do it, as in test coloring wood-  I'll need to do some of that as a matter of course, since I've never used any dyes and have no idea of what to expect-  I understand the hue and intensity changes considerably after clear coating-

   Thanks for your input-  Most helpful-  Maybe the sun seems kinda strong here in N Idaho because we don't see quite as much of it?  Thanks again-  Yogi

2. 
   DonStephan | Dec 12, 2006 03:13am | #5

   It's my understanding that the Mixol products are designed for volume-based finish professionals and not convenient for occasional finishing. Transtint and Transfast products are designed for lower volume finishing.