Is this doable? Darken and maintain shimmer?

[David Ragan]

This is what my questions last couple days are finally distilled down to.

Please, gang, observe the pictures of harvested spalted maple, air cured over many years in shop.

Wife has requested a small table; milled all lumber this AM.

She wants the table to be dark. I would like to maintain the iridescent quality of the wood. Is this possible???

I have on hand Lockwood oil based dye powder, and TransFast and TransTint dyes, which are water based only.

If I did not have you all, I would experiment with the oil based Lockwood mixed in some polyurethane......

312697
312696

Given the major spalting (or whatever you call it w/ the contrasting biological process-it aint sapwood)...the dye will have to be pretty dark, right?

Editorial comment:

I really love the Shelix cutterhead on my DW735---great finish, huge diffo in noise
And-aren't early Saturday AM in shop the best:D?

[Scott Holmes]

TransTint is water and alcohol soluble. TransFast is water only. Either should work just fine. Oil soluble dyes are not as colorfast as the water only dye. Dye it as you see fit then, seal it with de-waxed shellac. Top coat as you please.