Dyes?

[Ron Stadler]

Ok , I know a lot of you use dyes out there but Iv'e been looking at some of them and it seems like 1oz. is size on most of these containers of dye they sell you, does this seem right and if it is do you mix it all at once?, does it last long?How do you store it? will you get more than one project out of it? Just seems like a lot of money if I'm only going to get one project out of it or if I have to plan all my pojects ahead of time to have them ready for the dye when I mix it.

Also there are different kinds of dyes out there, one that I can think of is Ana-line dye I believe, correct me if I'm wrong and others. So which ones do you prefer? thanks

[Lee Koepke]

wear gloves.
surprisingly enough it will stain your fingers ....

[Chip Sutherland]

I have used black analine dye for ebonizing. It was premixed in a can so it was easy to use. Good shelf life. I have also use Artisan dyes. I like them well enough. They are also premixed. I've had them for a couple of years and they still seem to work after a good shaking up. Artisan is not a strong dye in my opinion. I also have TransTint in both premixed and dry. I only use as much of the premix as I need. I thin it down with DNA to achieve the color intensity I need. If I go too far, I can add some dye back in. The dry dye I mix as much as I need for the project. I mix my TransTints, too. Although I mix the dry dye to liquid then mix them. TransTint is stronger dye than Artisan. I've used both brands on the same piece without any problems. Generally, if I want a soft/light color, I will start with Artisan. It is easy to sand back if I need to go lighter. It is easier to color correct if you start in the middle of the shade/hue spectrum. Once you go too dark....it's not easy to reverse it.

I also have some Mixol paint tints that I have mixed with DNA which worked out well enough. I use this more for paints and coloring epoxy or resins.

A little bit of premixed goes a long way. Dry will go even longer because I believe it is the most concentrated form.

I have not tried any of the spirit dyes and I don't really know what makes them different.

I store mine in plastic containers because that is what I have handy. I don't have a good answer on shelf life as stuff I mixed 6 months ago still seems to work for me with a good shaking. I just revived a purple mix that dried out by adding DNA. Worked great but it was a little harder to get the right shade as the original batch. My analine dye sat the longest at well over 4 yrs. Seems like it may have thickener/evaporated some but I didn't care much. It worked when I needed it.

[David DeCristoforo]

The "best" dyes IMMHO are Fiebings leather dyes. They are really strong, "clear" colors and much less costly than the dyes sold by woodworking specialty vendors (six bucks for a 4 oz bottle). Easier to find are "Lincoln" dyes and they are almost as good and just as cheap.

[Roger Chandler]

The "best" dyes IMMHO are Fiebings leather dyes. They are really strong, "clear" colors and much less costly than the dyes sold by woodworking specialty vendors (six bucks for a 4 oz bottle). Easier to find are "Lincoln" dyes and they are almost as good and just as cheap.

Ditto on the Fiebings leather dyes. I used black and brown in the last month and it did well. The ebonized finial on my cherry HF is done with Fiebings leather dye.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?160638-Southwest-pottery-inspired-hollow-form&highlight=

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use analine, leather dyes, Ritz clothing dyes and india ink. Leather and india ink work best for me.

[John Keeton]

The big issue is using dyes that are lightfast. All dyes will fade, but some much quicker than others. Reds and yellows fade the quickest. Black does fairly well with most dyes. I agree on the Fiebings for a good, quick black. You can order direct from them, and they actually have a wide range of colors. I also like the color of their brown.

There is much information out there, but metal acid dyes used by luthiers are some of the better ones for lightfastness. You may want to try Luthier Mercantile Inc. http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=Dyes&NameProdHeader=Dye+Concentrates I purchased their 5 bottle kit, but have not used them yet.

I am using Transtint for most applications, and they are reasonably lightfast, too. If you want to email me, I will send you a handout from a dye demo we had at our club by Jamie Donaldson - very informative. Jamie does a lot of dye work, and gets some very nice effects.

[Ron Stadler]

All great information, thanks guys for taking the time to respond with such detailed information. I will have to try these leather dyes your talking about, and will have to keep in mind the lightfastness of these products if I don't want them to fade I guess, but sounds good.
John I'll be sending you and email as soon as I figure out your email address, lol, I guess its in your profile.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Ron - I have used RIT clothing dye and TransTint dyes for all my coloring. In answer to your question on amounts - I mix everything with DNA and when using the TransTint I only add a few drops (3) into about 1/2 cup of DNA. You can make it stronger - or just apply additional coats to get to the level of color that you want.

I started off using RIT clothing dyes but was informed that they are not lightfast. Have since switched over to the TransTint dyes but seriously have no idea if they are any better.

Dying your turnings can be challenging.... just when you do it, understand that when you apply your finish (poly in my case) the final color will get darker. It is a huge experiment when it come to dyes - so just play with it and expect to be surprised!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Will these dyes work with epoxy? I was thinking of accenting cracks in some bowls, and thought that a solid colored epoxy of contrasting colors would be acceptable.

[John Keeton]

Kyle, I think you would do better with universal paint pigments (or artist oil paints) in doing epoxy.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Wow, that was fast. You mean just mix regular oil paints in with the epoxy?

[Edward Bartimmo]

Some time back I was researching ways to tint epoxy, and I stumbled upon some resources offered on West Systems Epoxy's website. THey have a great libray of articles relating to all aspects of epoxy from how to thin, adhesiveness to different woods, techiniques for applying, etc. http://www.westsystem.com/ss/techniques-materials/

There is a great one they did on different ways to tint the epoxy.
http://www.westsystem.com/ss/adding-pigments-to-epoxy/

[Ron Stadler]

Ron - I have used RIT clothing dye and TransTint dyes for all my coloring. In answer to your question on amounts - I mix everything with DNA and when using the TransTint I only add a few drops (3) into about 1/2 cup of DNA. You can make it stronger - or just apply additional coats to get to the level of color that you want.

I started off using RIT clothing dyes but was informed that they are not lightfast. Have since switched over to the TransTint dyes but seriously have no idea if they are any better.


Dying your turnings can be challenging.... just when you do it, understand that when you apply your finish (poly in my case) the final color will get darker. It is a huge experiment when it come to dyes - so just play with it and expect to be surprised!


Thanks Steve, I was actually at Woodcraft today and was chatting with the guy about these Transtint dyes today, he didn't really have a lot to say about them though cause his experience was with the Analine dyes.
But by what you said here is sounds like you don't need much to color your medium.

[Bob Bergstrom]

I spray my dyes with a touch up gun or for fading with a air brush. Get much more predictable even colors. It is very similar to what furniture factories do. Using Transtint or Solarlux. I use them mixed in alcohol, shellac, or lacquer. Controlling absorption can be a real problem. Water dyes absorb the deepest. Lacquer and dye mix is like a thin paint (very little absorption).