Transtint Question

[Noah Barfield]

Hi all,

I have a couple of quick questions to ask about Transtint dyes. I was planning on mixing Transtint with alcohol in a spray container, spray coating a maple salad bowl, and then applying Mahoney's Walnut Oil Finish on the top once the dye is dry. Would this work to provide even color coverage and a nice oil finish? Are Transtint dyes food safe?

Noah

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Noah,
Transtint dyes mix with either alcohol or water. I have successfully sprayed pre mixed alcohol stains but you need a very fine needle set up for your gun. Anything larger than 1mm will probably shoot too much dye. The trick is very light passes increasing the intensity of color with each one. Remember, the overspray is colored so watch where it lands.
faust

[Bob Bergstrom]

Srayed transtint won't penetrate deep enough. it will be dry and lie on the surface. To get penetration you will have to use a brush. applying oil over the dye will probably release some dye into the oil. if the bowl is going to be washed i would think the dye would also be release with water pentration. it might even be released into wet food such as lettice. It might be food safe, but may not look good enough to eat.

[Prashun Patel]

I also think dyeing a food-application bowl is asking for issues down the road. The oil finish will not properly 'seal' in the color over time, and the dye will release.

That being said, if this bowl will not get much water, your approach is fine. I might add a small bit of varnish to the oil, though, to help seal in the color.

I've sprayed Transtint in DNA before - and I have a very cheap sprayer. It's easy to spray. If you don't have a fine needle, dilute the dye and just do many coats. Beware of applying a thick coat; it runs easily.

I agree with Bob that deeper results are achieved by wiping or brushing on dye (in water; ethanol brushing gives me lap marks). However, I find that this really highlights the transitions from side to end grain on turned work in an undersireable way.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I also have found brushing lets the dye sink into the wood better. If you apply just a oil finish like walnut oil or mineral oil it will not hold well. I won't use dyes on utility bowls used for food. I have used dye with a film finish for bowls used to display fruit, popcorn bowls, candy dishes, etc.

[Noah Barfield]

Thanks everyone--looks like I'll skip the dyeing process. It would be gross if the dye leached out onto someone's salad. Does the same hold true for stains?

Noah

[Curt Harms]

I'm not sure I'd put anything on a vessel intended for food that I wasn't willing to drink out of the container.

[Richard Coers]

Thanks everyone--looks like I'll skip the dyeing process. It would be gross if the dye leached out onto someone's salad. Does the same hold true for stains?

Noah

Most stains have pigments and dyes. The pigments to settle in the pores of the wood, and dyes to color that hard sections of the wood. I wouldn't use that on food bowls either.