How do you use Transtint as a toner?

[Michael Costa]

As usual, a general search seem to come up with conflicting methods, etc.

I'm looking to make pine black.

Thanks guys.

Ps... finger is finally healing nicely after I used my dremel with a sanding drum and ground off the big dead chunk of beef jerky that was there. Lol

[Prashun Patel]

Add transtint to shellac or lacquer. You'll get the best results (IMHO) spraying this. I prefer to thin the finish with an appropriate solvent so you are depositing more dye and less finish. There is no right way to do this. Just realize that if your finish is too thick, then you may end up putting on a thicker finish coat than you wish just to achieve the level of color depth you are after. You can use a toner as an air brush - if you mix the dye thin, or as a paint - if you mix the dye thick.

Transtint is pretty good at making ANY wood black. I'd apply it directly to the wood. You can sponge or brush it on. You can revert to toning the finish if you don't get the results you are after. The nice thing about trying to make pine black is that you really don't have grain to contend with, so you can keep applying the black dye - despite whatever blotch you get - until the whole surface is even. With a lighter colored dye, this is not always possible, as you risk darkening the color or making it deeper than you wish. Not a problem with black. Applying dye to pine directly will result in grain raising, so knock back the grain with 220 or 320.

[Ted Phillips]

I'd recommend adding the Transtint to a dilute shellac in denatured alcohol (about a 1# cut). Then, I would use a foam brush to saturate the wood. Do one coat at a time, the alcohol/shellac dries quickly, so you can see if you need to touch up any spots. Very easy to do, and the shellac acts as a grain sealer as well.

[John TenEyck]

If you want black black use India Ink. Nothing works better on bare wood. Just paint it on with a foam brush. You can apply any finish over it after it has dried.

John

[Michael Costa]

If you want black black use India Ink. Nothing works better on bare wood. Just paint it on with a foam brush. You can apply any finish over it after it has dried.

John

John, where can I get a sizable volume of india ink? I have a 1 oz bottle that I believe cost over $5. If I were to buy enough india ink for any project it would cost a fortune.

[John TenEyck]

John, where can I get a sizable volume of india ink? I have a 1 oz bottle that I believe cost over $5. If I were to buy enough india ink for any project it would cost a fortune.

How about a quart for $17. https://www.amazon.com/Speedball-Super-Black-India-Quart/dp/B07NDFPD8D/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1549751554&sr=8-4&keywords=speedball+india+ink+super+black

John

[Gordon Stump]

I used to sell a product that was what I called "ebonized oak". It consisted of a coat of Transtint in denatured alcohol followed by General Finishes Black Gel Stain. This was followed by 3 coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal. I wanted a very durable finish like sprayed-on semi-gloss black paint. It was a real PIA but it worked. I stopped spraying anything in my shop many years ago.

Pine will get blackish with india ink or Transtint but it will still look like pine stained black if that is what you are looking for.