Dyeing Wood

[Roy Lindberry]

So I'm thinking about dyeing some wood black to use for bandings. I'm curious to know how deep the dye will penetrate into the wood. Can I dye a somewhat larger piece than I will be using and then cut strips from it, or do I need to pretty much get each strip to a finished dimension before dyeing?

Also, once the banding is made, if I cross cut or miter it, will there be a risk of the original wood showing, or will the dye penetrate deep enough for that? What about planing/scraping a few shavings of of the piece?

Any information will be helpful. Thank you.

[Prashun Patel]

A water or alcohol dye will not penetrate that deeply. Yes, there is a risk of the underlying color showing once cut.

[Chris Fournier]

I'm not sure of your banding profile but I would suggest using black dyded swiss pearwood veneer, I have used it for banding material for years and it really fits the bill. Google A&M Wood Specialty and you'll find it. I have also dyed my own maple through and through using a vacuum set up that I put together in my shop. Buy it or make it, you have choices!

[george wilson]

I seem to recall using a vinegar pre soak to soak the wood in to increase the penetration of the dye. But,I would not take my word for this,as it is a very old memory. Google dyeing wood and see what info comes up. Dyed veneers fully penetrated are sold regularly,so it is perfectly possible to do it. You just need to learn how to get the dye to penetrate.

There is also the possibility that you will not use the correct type of dye. It may bleed color unwantedly under lacquer,or other finish. It may fade soon. Why don't you just buy it already done properly?

[Sean Hughto]

Ebony lumber is super expensive, but little bits for accents are relatively affordable. Perhaps you could just use the real thing.

[Prashun Patel]

Another option is to use walnut. Dye the walnut black. Even if you cut through, on miters, the area exposed will be end-grain, and the contrast between that and the true black will be less.