Dying... what do you use ?

[Joe Watson]

I need to pick a slow 8" grinder and im gonna get the one woodcraft has (gonna wait to see if "black friday" make it any cheaper), while at there site i thought i would load my cart with some wish items and see if they too go on sale, dye is on the list:

So what do you use ?
Was looking at: General Finishes, Water Based Dye, (pt's and qt's) is that good ?
Right now i do not want any thing complicated, mixing this and that - if the general mix - strait out of the can is not any good, then i can do with out.

Colors:
Black will be for sure, then probably a blue, Yellow, Red or Green.

Also, whats the shelf life of this stuff ?

Thanks for any info...

_

[Roger Chandler]

A lot of folks like the transtint dyes...........they are alcohol based and dry quickly, which is a good thing. They come in a variety of colors.

[John Keeton]

Joe, I have used the Transtint dyes, and have been pleased with them. They are mixed in DNA as a concentrate, but will also dilute in either DNA or water depending on the effect you want.

I recently purchased some Jaquard Procion MX dyes, which are powder form, and mix with water. I have not tried them yet. In addition, I have some Luthier dyes, which are water based, but I have not used them yet, either. Can you tell I am fascinated by dyes???;)

The big issue, of course, is light fastness, and the Transtint dyes should serve you well in that regard. I am not sure of the shelf life, though you could always call Jeff at Homestead Finishing - nice fellow and great to talk with. Their website, and a color chart on the dyes is here (http://www.homesteadfinishingproducts.com/htdocs/TransTint.htm). Have fun with it!

[Grant Wilkinson]

I've used both water and alcohol diluted powder dyes and much prefer the alcohol. The water based are good for even coverage because you have more time to wipe it and smooth it over, but the grain raising has frequently been a problem.

[terry mccammon]

That Woodcraft slow speed grinder is a good value, but open it up and turn it on in the store. I went through four before I found one that had two stones that passed the ring test (no cracks) and would run with little to no side to side eccentricity. I got mine through Amazon so was sending them back and getting new ones on their nickle.

[Bryan Morgan]

Cheap Rit powders. I saw some great work by someone on another forum who uses them and if they are good enough for him, they are good enough for me. When I obtain enough experience and quality of my work to move beyond them, I will consider the extra expense of the "nicer" dyes.

[John Spitters]

[QUOTE=John Keeton;1807909]Joe, I have used the Transtint dyes, and have been pleased with them. They are mixed in DNA as a concentrate, but will also dilute in either DNA or water depending on the effect you want.

I recently purchased some Jaquard Procion MX dyes, which are powder form, and mix with water. I have not tried them yet. In addition, I have some Luthier dyes, which are water based, but I have not used them yet, either. Can you tell I am fascinated by dyes???;)


John
You must have picked these up after I mentioned the name:), I'm really liking them.
I've been using them a fair bit lately and there are a few tricks I've learned along the way. Soon I'll post pics of the pieces I've done lately.
What I now do is mix up maybe several ounces of a high concentration in a smaller sqeeze bottle, from this you can now dispense into a disposable clear drinking cup and if you wish to dilute the mixture just add a bit of water. I use a smaller foam brush to apply.
Once you have applied the dye to the wood go over it asap with a wet paper towel to help even out the color, it will also help you pull off some of the color if you find that you applied it too heavy.
By using water as the carrier you are able to use a heat gun to quickly dry the piece, but make sure that you keep it at a distance and at a low setting. Once dry if you wish to apply other colors do your sanding back etc and repeat.
P.S. today I ordered an airbrush in order to try a few different techniques.

John

[John Keeton]

John, yes, in fact, it is YOUR FAULT I have yet another selection of dyes!!!:) The literature was impressive, and so was your work. I look forward to using them on the next piece I have in mind, and I appreciate your tips.

Now, I will pass on one given me by Steve Schlumpf - he (and now I) have begun using cosmetic sponges - the little wedges - for WOP application. I suspect they would work just as well for dye application. Ms. Keeton just picked up a package of 28 at the Dollar Store (for $1, obviously!) I was able to keep one in a zip loc for several days while finishing The Widow Maker piece I recently posted.

[Prashun Patel]

I suggest you start with the Transtint concentrates. The powders are more economical, but they can require a little more careful mixing and or filtering to avoid little dots of undissolved powder. The liquid concentrates don't have this problem. Further, the application dip makes it easy to meter out drops; I find it neater.

Black is actually a tricky color to get right. RIT has a bluish cast.

[John Spitters]

John, yes, in fact, it is YOUR FAULT I have yet another selection of dyes!!!:) The literature was impressive, and so was your work. I look forward to using them on the next piece I have in mind, and I appreciate your tips.

Now, I will pass on one given me by Steve Schlumpf - he (and now I) have begun using cosmetic sponges - the little wedges - for WOP application. I suspect they would work just as well for dye application. Ms. Keeton just picked up a package of 28 at the Dollar Store (for $1, obviously!) I was able to keep one in a zip loc for several days while finishing The Widow Maker piece I recently posted.

John
Just the other day i was talking with someone from our turning club that had started using the little sponges for the wipe on poly however he ran into a problem with different brands, some would tend to almost melt into the finsh and become very sticky leaving terrible results. what he now does is use clean cotton rags, ( old T shirts etc ) or he buys cotton baby diapers and puts a small folded bundle inside of a piece of panty hose to apply the finish, much like doing french polish, and he is "clearly impressed"

John

[Ralph Lindberg]

Since it's hard to turn wood when dead :eek:

As for Dyeing, I use TransTint Aniline dye

[Jim Burr]

I use the Artisan dye from CSUSA...ETOH based and have had great results to date...still convinced I can use the orange!!! The Jaquard brand that JK speaks of also makes Pearl Ex powder that we use in pen blank casting...a bit on the expensive side, but if you want to fill a void, mix some clear or black epoxy and add some Pearl Ex...Wow!!!!

[Joe Watson]

Ok, so i gather that water base "out of the can" dyes are not at the top of the list.

After you mix the dye (powder or liquid - water or alcohol) how long can you let that mixture sit around ?
If i was to make a small batch, seal it in a container, would it be still good a month down the road ?

_

[Bernie Weishapl]

Joe I also use Transtint dye and I just mix it as I need it. My wife saves her Activa containers that work well. I also use the general finishes Woodturners Finish. It has worked well. It drys very fast and with a hair dryer (not to hot) I can put on 4 to 6 coats in 20 to 30 minutes.

John when I apply dye I wipe it with a paper towel to get rid of the excess and then spritz it with a spray bottle containing DNA. It will blend and even out the dye also.