Transtint streaking?

[alex grams]

I am doing a larger piece with transtint and am having some small areas where I see unevenness in the dye. What is the best way to blend these areas in? I would spray the job, but there are aspects of the project where I just can't fit a can in to spray, so I am wiping on the finish.

Is rubbing the area down with alcohol a good way to blend the finish some? I had read that suggestion in another thread on the subject of blotchiness/streaking.

[alex grams]

Buehler? Anyone?

The spots aren't that bad, and like most woodworkers, they are probably only really noticeable to myself. When I wet the wood down to see how it will look with topcoats, the differences are even more diminished, but is there a way to alleviate these prior to any topcoats?

[Prashun Patel]

I would try to rub with WATER. Alcohol may work too, but when applying dye by hand, I have better luck using water bkz it doesn't evaporate so quickly. If you lift out too much dye, you can always apply more. However, I'd use water as the carrier this time...

The fear about grain raising is (IN MY NONPROFESSIONAL OPINION) overrated. I think it was Scott Holmes who taught me (if I'm misquoting, I apologize) to just put a barrier coat of shellac over the dye - raised grain and all, and then sand off the roughness. The shellac will protect the color, but won't be so thick that you can't get those fibers off.

I just did this on a bowl this weekend, and it came out perfectly (turning skills notwithstanding).

[alex grams]

I am going to shellac before to topcoat anyways, so grain raising for me is not too much of a concern.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Use the transtint with water if you are applying by hand. I generally wipe on distilled water, let it dry, and lite swipe with sandpaper before dye, to raise the grain.

One of those 1-pint spray bottle thingies from the corner hardware works great - spray dye and wipe as you go.

Warning - padding or brushing shellac will lift the water-based dye. 2 options: let the dye sit for a looong time - number of days - to minimize this. Or, for first coat of shellac put down a lite coat of the Zinsser aerosol.

[alex grams]

I have done several test pieces with the dye in water, then shellac, then topcoat, and not had any problems with the dye lifting. I have it in a pretty dry/warm room, and it will have several days to dry before I get to putting on the shellac. Thanks for the heads up though.

[Prashun Patel]

Transtint dyes don't contain any binder. There's nothing to cure or keep it in the wood. I don't believe (although I've not tested it) that leaving it for a long time will reduce the ability of the shellac or water to lift out the dye.

When I say grain raising, I'm talking about after you've sanded your piece all nice and smooth, when you apply dye in water to it, it will dry rough to the touch (because the topmost wood fibers swell and then dry rough. The conventional wisdom is to gently sand those off before applying any kind of topcoat. I'm just saying if you apply a thin topcoat to the roughened surface it will protect the color more, but won't impede yr ability to sand smooth.

I'd be very wary of lifting out your dye if you wipe on your barrier coat of dw shellac. On a test board where you're just laying it down easy in a small area, you may not notice lifting. on a broad surface, or in tight corners, where you're forced to rub at all, you may notice it.

What is your topcoat? If it's oil based, you might be better off just applying that straight away - if you don't have access to spray equipment. Still, I'd apply it thinned so you can knock down the grain successfully.

[Scott Holmes]

Dye has no binder... the shellac can lift the dye if you're not careful. 4 hours to dry or 48 days to dry; doesn't matter the dye can still be lifted ... dye has no binder.

Gentle touch with a brush and shellac can be done. I ternd to spray the dye and then the shellac. No wiping issues when you spray the dye. I mix my TransTint in alcohol... No Grain Raising, no wiping. I like the latter, best.

[alex grams]

The shellac will be sprayed, not wiped on. Wiping on the dye was enough work already. With as much texture/moulding as there is in the project, to pad on shellac would be a nightmare, so it is getting sprayed on.

And prushan, the topcoat will be waterlox satin.

[Prashun Patel]

Can't wait to see it!!! Waterlox is a dream.

[alex grams]

Here is the desk i am finishing by the way. I originally had scheduled using shellac because I was going to do target USL for the topcoat, but that has changed to being waterlox. Being the case, with waterlox would shellac really help me any?

And I agree, waterlox is awesome.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/picture.php?albumid=405&pictureid=3852

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/picture.php?albumid=405&pictureid=3870

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/picture.php?albumid=405&pictureid=3893

[Prashun Patel]

It won't help you in protecting the dye from the topcoat; they're incompatible mostly, so no barrier is needed.

It won't help you to 'pop' the grain or to warm up the color. Waterlox has plenty of its own deep amber color that will eclipse most shades of shellac.

On the positive side, it will speed the build of your waterlox, which can save you some $$$...

But on the possible downside (and here I think you'd benefit from the pro's who've lived this, if my gut - and it's only a gut - is wrong): Your wood is highly figured; a wash coat of light shellac will actually seal the wood a little and will help achieve a more uniform tone. However, this might not be optimal to help pop the figure. You might be best served going straight to the Waterlox. I think this is splitting hairs, though. You'll likely be fine.

[alex grams]

I agree, I think I would be satisfied with both approaches, and the shellac would help me build a smooth layer of finish vs just wiping on a lot of coats of waterlox.

I have a gallon of shellac available, which will get me a lot further along in value and topcoat finishing than trying purely doing waterlox wipe-on.

[Scott Holmes]

Alex,

Remember that shellac is not to be built up in a thick coat. Thin is the RULE with shellac. Not just thin coats, thin total build. A perfect shellac finish is the thinest possible finish that is flawless.

Too thick a coat of shellac will cause the shellac to alligator. Think about old stuff that has alligatored, too thick a coat of shellac.

I agree that the Waterlox will pop the grain as much as the shellac; it should build as quickly as the shellac, too.