Wood Dye

[Buggs]

Anybody know a good source for aniline dyes that come in natural wood tone colors?

[Roy from Pa]

https://woodworker.com/water-soluble-lt-gold-oak-aniline-dye-mssu-843-924.asp

They carry water and alcohol soluble.

[Buggs]

Holy cow! Thats a lot of colors

I had some German dyes that I bought, probably 20yrs ago. Finally used them up. Now I have to figure out how the colors compare, co. to co.

[Roy from Pa]

I mix it with denatured alcohol and can get any shade of darkness I want and it dries super fast and can be touched up easily.. Plus the more coats you apply the darker it gets and I can also hit it with steel wool to lighten it up.

[Kirkll]

So what are you guys using the wood dye for? I always had a rough time using a water base stain getting any consistency to it... Does this dye work differently?

I hate using stain on risers. i always seem to sand through the stain while clear coating and have to touch it up with mixed success. I've got to the point where i just wont stain risers any more.    Kirk

[Buggs]

Stains can get blotchy real easy. Dye's are very consistent in color saturation. Aniline's are the oldest synthetic and most common. It's the same stuff used for high high end tanning. It  can really change the look of wood. I used to use it on White Pine window sash to match the Alder trim, which was popular for a while back in the 90's

[Roy from Pa]

So what are you guys using the wood dye for? I always had a rough time using a water base stain getting any consistency to it... Does this dye work differently?

Kirk I use the alcohol soluble dye and the alcohol dries in a few seconds when you apply it and it does not raise the wood grain at all.

[Buggs]

Thats a nice looking bow Roy
That dye job is very natural looking. That Bamboo rind is hard to color. I have only had luck spraying toner on Bamboo. What color did you use?

[Roy from Pa]

Alcohol Soluble Silver Gray Aniline Dye (1 Oz) | 847-179

I scrape the rind off the boo before staining. The rind is very waxy and stain will not penetrate it.

This one is old and number must have changed.

I have several colors.

[Buemaker]

Is anybody using this to color limb lams under clear glass?

[4 point]

I've been wanting to build myself a bow using grey action wood in the riser with grey stained birdseye maple or red elm limbs. Hopefully this winter.

[Mad Max]

Yep, water base but the same brand Roy used.

[Roy from Pa]

Nice Mark..

[Buemaker]

Looks very good Max. Does the wood grain raise much when using this water based color and will the thin lams buckle by the moisture add. Do you sand it after? I wonder if using the alcohol based one would interfere with epoxy glue

[Roy from Pa]

I am wondering that too, Bue.

I would use the alcohol based dye, Mark.

But they look great, what wood are they?.

[Mad Max]

Water base works better and goes deeper into the lam (Troy Breading told me that, he dyed lots of lams). For bamboo like Roy I would use alcohol based.

I think the wood is curly Myrtle but its way to heavy.
I did not worry about grain raising.
I use paper towels in between the lams to dry them
pull off 36", fold it long ways 2 times ( do this for all 4 lams), stack all 4 of them up with the towels in between with a weight (long piece of bow wood) on top so they don't warp.
I have a dehumidifier in my bow shop.
I weight my lams before and after so they would be dry, only took a couple days in my bow shop or you can glue them to your core lams before the dye is put on.

[Buggs]

Alcohol Soluble Silver Gray Aniline Dye (1 Oz) | 847-179

Thats crazy the way the Silver Grey gave a dark honey tone to the Bamboo

Max, any extra prep before glueing up the dyed lams?

[Mad Max]

No buggs

Here is one I did years ago, I watched a fiddle back starburst video on youtube.
a lot of mixing the colors on the lam (rubbing the 2 colors together on the lam with a wet cloth ball with a rubber band ).

I got full penetration to the other side.
Curly Maple




I had to mask off the core lams

[Roy from Pa]

Ok I give up, what's this?

[Buggs]

I think its a rubber, like for French Polishing

That starburst is awesome