Earth pigment in alcohol base dyes in laminations?

[dbeaver]

I believe I have seen some veneer dyed under clear glass.  I'm wondering if the core lams can be dyed to better match riser woods etc.

The wipe on rare earth pigment dyes in alcohol seem to impregnate the wood grain and then dry completely.  I'm not sure if the surface is contaminated for glueup but I have seen dyed curly veneer under clear glass before.

[Jon Lipovac]

I e only done it once but had success with using Keda die stain in acetone. I stained the curly maple on this riser to compliment the Bootee. I then stained the bamboo laminations on the limbs to give them a darker, amber tone. I did this right before applying finish and not before assembly of the limb. The acetone dries so fast I’m not sure how far it will soak in. In my case I did not want it to go deep as I didn’t want it to bleed into the edges of these veneers.
I have experimented with wiping it on veneers before layup before and I don’t hunk you would have a problem with adhesion as long as it is fully dry. That’s one reason I prefer the acetone over alcohol. I do not have a pic of the side of them unfortunately.

[Buemaker]

Bingham used to sell waterbased colors for laminations. It was a powder that you mixed with water. Bought some, but never used it

[onetone]

Hey, fine looking bow Jon 

[dbeaver]

Good info guys. So we have acetone that works, water seemingly works because it was being sold for this specific purpose. I believe you're right Jon as long as it is dry it should work out. 

And yeah Jon that a sweet lookin bow, I bet is shoots as nice too

[Longcruise]

As the recipient of Jon's 2024 Swap Bow,  I can tell you that his bows perform beyond their aesthetics!  I've shot a lot of recurves over the years and his surpasses them all.

[Jon Lipovac]

Thanks guys, appreciate the kind words.

[Bryan Adolphe]

Great looking bow Jon, and a Happy Birthday also !

[Buemaker]

Great looking bow Jon.

[derekdiruz]

I've used General Finishes Dye stains with good success. They're alcohol based, come in a red label can. The names of the colors are basic as heck, "light brown" and "dark brown" for instance, versus their water or oil base stains that are descriptive names like "silk grey" and stuff.

when I've used them I wiped on lightly after final sanding to thickness, then wiped off. If your veneers or core lams are too thin or figured, they'll curl when they dry. I then let them sit 48 hours prior to gluing so I know it's dry. I think the oldest bow I've done with that method is 1.5 yr and probably 15,000 shots? The guy that has it shoots a TON.

[dbeaver]

That sounds good enough to me I'll be giving this a shot.   I like what I see with my maple and actionboo cores but sometimes my maple is almost a little pink in hue what seen in contrast with the bamboo and various other veneers.  It's not a big deal but a like a nice accent stripe so here's for nothin on the next bow