I'm looking for advice in applying dye to some yarn bowls made from very plain maple. My first attempt gave a fairly light/ faint color, see picture below. I'd like to get a darker, more intense color.
Here's what I did:
1. Sanded inside and out to 320 grit.
2. Put a couple of coats of shellac (sanding sealer) on the inside and on the rim to protect against dye.
3. Raised the grain on the outside with water and sanded back to 320 grit.
4. Mixed up transtint dye in water and applied while the bowl was spinning slowly on the lathe. If I remember correctly, I put on two coats.
5. Let it dry and sanded very lightly.
6. Applied 2 coats of Minwax Antique Oil which is my usual finish. The bowl still needs more finish. I'm thinking about using wipe on poly to get a glossy look. But I don't expect that will deepen the color.
I guess the obvious things to try are making a stronger dye solution and maybe to apply more coats. But are there other things I should try, like stopping sanding at a lower grit, using DNA instead of water, spraying the dye instead of brushing it on, dyeing with black before using the red? Or maybe just give up on dye and use milk paint?
I'd appreciate hearing any suggestions you all can offer. I have 4 more bowls in waiting....
Dave