transtint & pore-o-pac?

[dan sherman]

Does anyone know if transtint can be used in pore-o-pac(not the water based stuff)?

or to put it another way, "natural" pore-o-pac doesn't dry clear does it? I got a test bored in the garage,and it looks like it's going to dry white.

[mike holden]

Dan,
Cannot answer your question directly, but, re: the pore-o-pac - it may look white till a finish coat is applied.
Same thing with dyes, they look horrible till a finish coat is applied and then the grain comes shining through.
Finish your sample board before you decide against the dye (or pore-o-pac).
I have always used sample boards, and have always (so far) chosen a different finish schedule than I thought I would while building.
Let us know how things turn out.
Mike

[Tony Joyce]

From "Homestead Finishing" website-

"One of TransTint Dyes most unique features is their compatibility with a wide range of finishing mediums. Simply add the dye concentrate directly to shellac, water-base finishes, solvent lacquers, and catalyzed varnish or lacquers. Add any amount up to 1 oz. per quart. All 19 dye colors (10 wood tones & 9 accent colors) are intermixable to produce custom shades."

So I would say yes, it will work.

[dan sherman]

Finish your sample board before you decide against the dye (or pore-o-pac).


The test board was still white, even after a few coats of shellac. Thus I stopped by the local woodworkers supply today, and picked up a can of CrystaLac Grain Filler. It's supposed to dry clear, but i haven't seen much info on the web about it, so I'm a little skeptical. I'll make a follow up post once I've had a chance to try it out.

[Pete McMahon]

Dan,
A little late to the party but to answer your question;
Trans Tint will be difficult to mix into the oil based pore-o-pac, besides it's a dye. You will be far better served using an oil based pigment. Artist oil colors work extremely well for this purpose. If you want the filler to be light and not pronounced in the pores it would need to match the lightest color of the wood when it's finished. It would take a little practice and samples but you'll learn a lot by doing this.
Some of the colors that would be very helpful for a light filler color would be raw sienna and french yellow ochre.
For browns burnt umber a warm brown and raw umber a cool brown will do the trick. These two will help balance the yellows.
Pore-o-Pac by itself will not remain clear. Once you get a topcoat on, it will show as a very pale almost white pore.
BTW great dog. I had one named Beau that could have been it's brother.

[Jeff Nolan]

I would not use Transtint for this, go with oil based artist colors (as was previously mentioned) or Japan color, which can be picked up at any art supply shop or Woodcraft (I suppose Rockler has them as well).


Does anyone know if transtint can be used in pore-o-pac(not the water based stuff)?

or to put it another way, "natural" pore-o-pac doesn't dry clear does it? I got a test bored in the garage,and it looks like it's going to dry white.

[Pete McMahon]

Jeff,
Japans will fade in strong light fairly quickly. The artist colors are higher quality and more light fast.

The other option is an industrial colorant like the the 880 line.

[Jeff Nolan]

I definitely agree with you on that point, artist colors are my first choice and the color selection is much broader (and I'm fortunate to have a Utrecht Art Supply store as well as an independent shop close by me!).

Japan will work in a pinch if other factors like location, base color, and top coat are satisfactory for light resistance... either way I certainly would not use transtint with Pore-o-Pac.


Jeff,
Japans will fade in strong light fairly quickly. The artist colors are higher quality and more light fast.

The other option is an industrial colorant like the the 880 line.