Multi material veneer project question

[Dave Tinley]

I am planning a small (22" x 38") table top. It is going to have a large, curley maple diamond veneer centered on a field of mahogny veneer. I would like to dye the mohogny veneer a deep crimson color but leave the maple natural.
Can I layout and veneer the mohogny to the substrate, and after the glue dries, dye the veneer then veneer in the maple??? I plan to use a wash coat of shellac to seal the dye and help pop some of the curl in the maple. Then I plan to top coat with lacquer.

Thanks
Dave

[tod evans]

dave, i would dye the veneer before applying it to the substraight.....02 tod

[Jamie Buxton]

I've attempted to dye wood exactly -- that is, dye just up to some pencil line or the like. The attempt failed. The dye tends to wick along the grain lines in the wood.

Consider a slight design change: add a narrow contrasting stripe of wood between the maple and the mahogany. First glue the maple and the mahogany to the substrate. Then, with an edge-guided router, cut the dado which will accept the stripe. This shallow trench separates the mahogany from the maple, and will allow dye application without wicking. After the dye step, glue in the stripe.

The stripe can be fancy stuff you get from veneer places, or it can be a single-color stripe you cut yourself.

[Dave Avery]

Tod has it right..... dye before applying to the substrate

[John Timberlake]

I agree with Jamie. Use an thin ebony banding. After all is glued up, get the levels even by sanding, scraping or planing. Then dye the mahogany like you want. The only other option would be to use a chemical treatment on the mahogany that will not affect the maple color.

[Steve Wargo]

I too would dye the veneer first. Use a water based dye, so you get good penetration into the veneer. Then reflatten the veneer if need be. Then cut out your pieces and tape them together. Finally press the whole thing. I understand the whole idea of the dado for a piece of stringing, but the fact is... You're probably going to drip some of the dye onto the center piece. It is Murphy's Law. Even if you cover the center field of maple with 7 layers of wax paper, and baseball field tarp, somehow dye is going to find it's way onto the maple. It just happens. So you might as well play is safe and elimate that possibility for error from the equation.

[Dave Tinley]

I had thought about the dye first idea but was worried about introducing moisture to the veneer, ie-veneer curling up and also potential adhesion problems.
I guess if I just dye the "show" face it should work.

Thanks
Dave

[tod evans]

I had thought about the dye first idea but was worried about introducing moisture to the veneer, ie-veneer curling up and also potential adhesion problems.
I guess if I just dye the "show" face it should work.

Thanks
Dave

dave, dye it all the way through, then press the veneer in your press untill it`s dry.....02 tod

[Rob Millard]

I do a lot of work featuring contrasting veneers. I would veneer then, dye.

There are two ways to accomplish this. The first is to seal the maple with brushed on shellac or preferably lacquer ( due to it being thicker, and easier to control). The other is to brush the dye on the mahogany being careful to not get it on the maple. The surface tension of the dye, will keep it from migrating across the joint between the two different veneers.
You can see a photo of me doing this to an inlay at, http://home.woh.rr.com/federalfurniture/finishing.htm

Of the two, the brushing on lacquer is the best.
Rob Millard