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Dewayne Reding
01-04-2009, 7:55 AM
I am going to take the leap to waterbased dyes. Can anyone recommend a "starter set" of colors to purchase? (I am assumimg mixing dyes is normal). The finish colors I tend to gravitate toward are, golden oak, walnut and occasionally cherry. I like to use natural colored oils on oak and walnut, but I frequently use birch ply on the back of my wall clocks, so I need to mimic walnut and cherry. I was hoping to purchase about 5 colors to start, that would allow versatility as I step out of my box and try new shades.

Jim Becker
01-04-2009, 10:04 AM
Water soluble (not "based") dyes are very nice to work with. I use the TransFast dyes from Jeff Jewitt's Homesteadfinishing.com. There is a wide range of colors available and to-date, I've never used "just one" in a mixture. LOL I will play with it a bit on scraps until I find the right tone, including shooting some shellac from a spray bomb to insure I see what the color will be with the additional finishing steps.

As you'll find out, water soluble dyes look absolutely TERRIBLE by themselves...muddy. You need the clear coat on your test pieces to see what they will really look like. So apply the dye, let it dry, sweep of any "nubbies" from raised grain with some 320 or 400 grit paper, and spray on some shellac or other finish. You'll want to keep some de-waxed shellac around as a barrier coat between the dye and your next finishing steps. I use Zinsser SealCoat, which is both dewaxed and very light in color.

Dewayne Reding
01-04-2009, 10:51 AM
Thanks Jim, I have read your praises of water dyes in the past, and will follow your finishing material advice closely so I don't throw any variables in from the start.

I was unable to locate the Sealcoat locally so I guess I will be ordering that too. I have some shellac crystals, but find the wait time for mixing to be inconvenient. I have read that mix-it-yerself shellac is superior in theory. In practice , have you noticed any real difference between the Zinsser and crystal shellacs?

todd johnson
01-04-2009, 6:26 PM
I also use Transtint but I get mine from here: http://www.veneersupplies.com/default.php?cPath=42 for $12 a bottle. Here's some images of a couple of projects done with transtint:

Jim Becker
01-04-2009, 8:19 PM
Both Home Depot and Lowes generally carry Zinsser SealCoat in the paint department. The only reason I recommended it is that it's easy. Already mixed, dewaxed and relatively light in color. Shellac from flake is very nice...you just need to plan for the work since it can take a few days for shellac to fully disolve, even if you grind it up in a coffee grinder first.

Steve Schoene
01-04-2009, 9:12 PM
If you want to see a line with a much wider assortment of colors there is the W.D. Lockwood dyes. Tools for Working Wood Sells them, as does Woodworkers Supply, though under their own Moser house label. But TransFast is very good stuff. By the way, unless you spray, I don't much recommend TransTint. It's a high quality product, but since it is soluable in a range of solvents, it's harder to find a top coat that won't lift it somewhat when applied by hand. Sprayed on topcoats both dry quickly and don't have the mechanical forces that can disturb the dye. Also it makes more sense if you are spraying to add color to the topcoat and use the resulting toner.

Dewayne Reding
01-05-2009, 6:52 AM
Thanks to all. I have automotive spray equipment and have considered giving that a try. And I will try the Home Depot and Lowes again for Sealcoat. They must have been out of stock. They had other Zinsser shellac. My job is going to take me right by the Peoria Woodcraft tomorrow, so I can put my eyes on the actual colors.