Dyed ring box

[Sparky Paessler]

I haven’t turned in several years (or posted here) but started turning some small boxes. Here is one that I finished up today. I dyed the rough blank before turning it using a vacuum chamber and also finished using vacuum to infuse poly into the wood. Then buffed using the Beal system.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Beautiful! I love the form and the kaleidoscope of colors! If my wife sees this, maybe I can get a vacuum system and chamber! LOL! Well done, Sir!

[John Kananis]

That's pretty cool. I'd be interested in learning more about the vacuum process.


I haven’t turned in several years (or posted here) but started turning some small boxes. Here is one that I finished up today. I dyed the rough blank before turning it using a vacuum chamber and also finished using vacuum to infuse poly into the wood. Then buffed using the Beal system.

[Robert Hayward]

Very nice! I also would be interested in the vacuum process for the coloring. Looks like you started with spalted wood?

[Sparky Paessler]

As far as dyeing with vacuum I turn my blanks round an just a little bigger than what I want my finished product to be. I then put dye in a container lay the blank long ways in the dye. I use enough dye to reach a third to almost half way up on the blank. I then put the container into the vacuum chamber and pull a vacuum on it. I have a valve on my line to the chamber and when I get to as high as my pump will go I close that valve and turn off the pump. As it pumps down there will be a lot of bubbles as the air is pulled out of the wood. I usually leave it in vacuum for 15 to 30 minutes and then slowly release the vacuum. I go through this process about three times to get good penetration. I then let the blank dry overnight and the next day do the next color. The third day I do the third and final color. For each color I of course rotate the blank about a third of a turn. I do get some overlap of the colors. Once it drys overnight from the final color I turn it like normal. I have been using spalted Curley Ambrosia soft maple as it has soft and hard spots and takes the dye well. I have found that if you don’t let the dye dry between colors you will get dye being pulled out by the vacuum and tinting your next dye. You would probably ask me what type dye do i use and I hesitate to say as I have been using alcohol based dye and this can be a fire hazard from the vapors off the dye. I plan to experiment with trans tint dye in water and see how that works. That would be safer that alcohol. If you do use alcohol based dye be aware that if your vacuum is the kind with oil in it I understand that the fumes will interact with the oil and can mess up your pump. Hope that helps. I have done a lot of trail and error to get these results.

[Robert Hayward]

Thank you for that description/tutorial Sparky. Much appreciated.

[John Kananis]

Yes, thank you. What type of container and vacuum are you using? I'm hesitant to hook up to my veneer press pump but I'm really intrigued.

[Sparky Paessler]

Yes, thank you. What type of container and vacuum are you using? I'm hesitant to hook up to my veneer press pump but I'm really intrigued.

I have a Gast oil less vacuum pump that will pump down to about 25” (I’m at 1680’ above sea level). The vacuum chamber I have is an old industrial unit that is made up of 3/4” stainless steel. 11 1/2” in diameter and 22” deep.

[John Kananis]

Quote helpful, thank you for the additional information.


I have a Gast oil less vacuum pump that will pump down to about 25” (I’m at 1680’ above sea level). The vacuum chamber I have is an old industrial unit that is made up of 3/4” stainless steel. 11 1/2” in diameter and 22” deep.

[Sparky Paessler]

Here are what the blanks look like before and after dyeing.

[Jim Tobias]

Beautiful! Colors and execution of the finished product!
Vacuum chambers and pressure pots are interesting ways to occasionally do something a little different.
Jim

[Eugene Dixon]

I have a Gast oil less vacuum pump that will pump down to about 25” (I’m at 1680’ above sea level). The vacuum chamber I have is an old industrial unit that is made up of 3/4” stainless steel. 11 1/2” in diameter and 22” deep.

Curious about the lid. Glass or Plexi? Thickness?

[Sparky Paessler]

It is 3/4” plexiglass or lexan, I can’t remember. There are two O rings in grooves in the flange at the top of the chamber that the plexiglass sits on. Once it starts pumping down you’ll can’t budge it. I did a lot of calculations and from what I remember there are about 700 pounds of pressure on the lid at a full vacuum. It does bow a little as it pumps down. Takes my pump about 3 minutes to pump the chamber down to 25.

[John Kananis]

Sparky, if you don't mind, let us know how things turn out with the trans tint. This is a really cool effect without having to compromise the wood with epoxy and such.

[Sparky Paessler]

I am experimenting with transtint mixed with water on a blank now. I’m finding that the wood makes a huge difference on how the dye is adsorbed. The spalted wood seems to do the best. I will turn the blank today or tomorrow and post the results. I already did two maple blanks that were not spalted. One in water and one in alcohol and got almost no penetration. We will see you this new one does.

[Sparky Paessler]

Well I turned the blank that I used transtint dye mixed into water and then processed with vacuum. I only did blue on one side and green on the other. I did let the blank dry for several days. It did not seem wet at any point during turning. I first split the blank into base and lid. We seemed to get good penetration with the dye. The color did not seem as vibrant as the Artisan dye. While turning the wood seemed different than the other blanks I have done. Seemed fuzzer? Here are pic of the final product. Looks good but is not like the one done with the other dye. Next I need to do one with the transtint mixed in alcohol.

[John Kananis]

This looks great. I'll go as far as saying the muted colors produced here are more attractive than the vibrant colors in the first pic. Thank you for sharing.

[Sparky Paessler]

Sorry about the upside down pictures. Don’t know why three of them did that.
John. I think the muted color was also partly that the transtint dye was just not as bright as the Artisan dye. I want to do one with alcohol and compare. As far as the danger of using alcohol I think I might add a pipe to my pump from the exhaust and run it outside for this last one. That way if there was a fire it might be outside instead of in the basement also it would cut down on having to breath the fumes. Once again I do not recommend that anyone use an alcohol based product in their vacuum chamber as it is a fire hazard. That is why I am looking for a water based alternative!
Does anyone know if you can mix Transtint into paint thinner? That might work well. Another experiment to try!