Replies

1. 
   Jed_C. | May 18, 2000 03:22pm | #1

   *
   Now that you've checked in to see the replies, the answer is either yes or no.

1. 
   Sean_Thompson | May 18, 2000 03:25pm | #2

   *Having just learned about aniline dye for use on Birch plywood, my whole hearted recommendation (I am a beginner) would be to check out Bob Flexner's book on finishing. The dye reacts differently with wood than a stain does, allowing for darker colors among other things. Flexner's book really explains things well, from how to affect the color of the wood to how to finish the finish. I felt a lot more comfortable with what I was doing after reading it.

1. 
   Steven_P._Thomas | May 18, 2000 10:24pm | #3

   *Hahahaha! Now that's funny, and I see your point. I posted a mssg a few days ago asking essentially how to stain ash to a darker color, because ash doesn't seem to take traditional stains well. That's what I was getting at. It sometimes frustrates me when I can't get a response from mssgs posted, thus the "Danger Will Robinson" title. I've never used dyes, but assume the wood takes the color better with a dye rather than with a stain. Now that the info given is not quite so limited, can I get a less limited answer? ;-)Thanks!

1. 
   Jed_C. | May 23, 2000 04:32pm | #4

   *Sure thing. I checked your original post to try to understand this better. I don't often stain ash either because I prefer that golden honey color it develops with a clear finish. But when I have stained ash, my experience differs from yours--I find that it takes stain very well.I don't know what you mean by "traditional stains." I'm guessing that you used an oil-based pigment stain on flat-sawn ash, and it deposited more of the pigment in the open pores. If so, those open pores would end up looking darker. A dye stain (water or alcohol-based) would solve that problem, leaving a more even color throughout. But if you've never used dye stains before, you should practice applying it on some scraps. It penetrates faster than oil-based pigment stains, and you can end up with dark patches where you overlap the same area.

1. 
   Steven_P._Thomas | May 23, 2000 11:34pm | #5

   *Jed,You hit it on the head. The open pores take stain better than the rest,etc. I'll give dye a try. It may be just what I'm looking for. Thanks!

2. 
   Don_Stephan | Jun 21, 2000 04:33am | #6

   *You might also find Jeff Jewitt's new book helpful. Regarding light and dark patches when using analine dye, I found that it is necessary to apply a very wet coat of dye (so the wood has access to more dye than it can absorb) to avoid the uneven darkening.