Mike Schwing
07-01-2003, 7:49 AM
Hello all,
As is the norm, I am seeking your advice on something I don't know much about - applying dye.
I have a fair degree of experience applying both water and alcohol based dyes and stains with brushes and rags/sponges. I have never been completely satisfied with the results and decided I'd experiment (on scrap first) with a spray on application. Last nights experiment has led me to this post/request.
I was dyeing curly maple sanded to 180 grit. I used a generic pump spray bottle as I saw them doing in this month's FWW to a mahogany table top. The dye was Behlen Solar Lux alcohol based dye slightly diluted. I had two main issues. Here's what happened....
1. The dye did not atomize out of the spray bottle nearly as well as I had hoped. Water sprayed through the same sprayer atomized perfectly well. I was surprised, but I suppose not shocked, when alcohol did not.
2. The dye did not lie on the work surface in an evenly distributed manner. Rather, it gathered in a spider web sort of pattern as would paint if you applied it to a surface full of oil/wax/grease. The wood was clean and dry for sure. I wound up spraying the dye on and then wiping it with a rag after all to even it out - quickly before the alcohol evaporated.
My spray on dye experiment wound up being no better than the brush/rag/sponge method. Thats why we use scrap! Mind you - results were fine - but I wound up ragging it off anyway!
Previously, I have much preferred using alcohol based dyes to water based, mainly as it seems to save time with grain raising issues.
I see several options - please comment and add more. I can switch to water based dye and continue using the spray bottle. I can purchase a small detail spray gun to use with my compressor and continue using alcohol, in the hopes of better atomization. (Or I could also use water based dye in the new spray gun). I could also simply move back to the brush/rag/sponge method!
I plan on adding some dye to the BLO that will go over the sprayed on dye as well. That may factor into your suggestions I suppose.
Thank you in advance for any comments/advice.
As is the norm, I am seeking your advice on something I don't know much about - applying dye.
I have a fair degree of experience applying both water and alcohol based dyes and stains with brushes and rags/sponges. I have never been completely satisfied with the results and decided I'd experiment (on scrap first) with a spray on application. Last nights experiment has led me to this post/request.
I was dyeing curly maple sanded to 180 grit. I used a generic pump spray bottle as I saw them doing in this month's FWW to a mahogany table top. The dye was Behlen Solar Lux alcohol based dye slightly diluted. I had two main issues. Here's what happened....
1. The dye did not atomize out of the spray bottle nearly as well as I had hoped. Water sprayed through the same sprayer atomized perfectly well. I was surprised, but I suppose not shocked, when alcohol did not.
2. The dye did not lie on the work surface in an evenly distributed manner. Rather, it gathered in a spider web sort of pattern as would paint if you applied it to a surface full of oil/wax/grease. The wood was clean and dry for sure. I wound up spraying the dye on and then wiping it with a rag after all to even it out - quickly before the alcohol evaporated.
My spray on dye experiment wound up being no better than the brush/rag/sponge method. Thats why we use scrap! Mind you - results were fine - but I wound up ragging it off anyway!
Previously, I have much preferred using alcohol based dyes to water based, mainly as it seems to save time with grain raising issues.
I see several options - please comment and add more. I can switch to water based dye and continue using the spray bottle. I can purchase a small detail spray gun to use with my compressor and continue using alcohol, in the hopes of better atomization. (Or I could also use water based dye in the new spray gun). I could also simply move back to the brush/rag/sponge method!
I plan on adding some dye to the BLO that will go over the sprayed on dye as well. That may factor into your suggestions I suppose.
Thank you in advance for any comments/advice.