Replies

1. 
   jvs | Oct 17, 2003 12:25am | #1

   I have a half-dozen transtint colors and some cocobolo off-cuts and would be happy to try and let you know--what colors are the customers looking for?

   [Only slightly] less seriously, if your clients want to dye cocobolo, are you sure you can't steer them towards "paint?" Comes in even more colors....

   /jvs

1. 
   PlaneWood | Oct 17, 2003 03:45am | #2

   Medium brown.  He wants to mute the tones of the flambouyant cocobolo!

   What are transtint colors????

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood

1. 
   Tao | Oct 17, 2003 04:11am | #3

   Transtint colors are a dye stain concentrate that mixes with water, alcohol, acetone, shellac, lacquer, waterborne finishes, and catalyzed finishes.  They have excellent light fastness and the colors don't shift in different finishes.  They are about the only dye stain I have used in years.

   Woodcraft carries them, or you can buy direct from Jeff Jewitt at http://www.homesteadfinishing.com.

   Michael R

1. 
   jvs | Oct 17, 2003 04:18am | #4

   Michael nailed it.  Non-grain raising is a bit of a stretch, but true relative to water-based dyes.  Great stuff.

   Has the customer seen aged/oiled cocobolo?  As I'm sure you know, it mellows a bit on its own.

    

   /jvs

   edit--I'll try some "mission brown" in the next day or so and let you know.

   Edited 10/16/2003 9:25:28 PM ET by jvs

1. 
   PlaneWood | Oct 17, 2003 04:54am | #5

   John (now I know your name!)  :)

   Where can I get these dyes?  Would they mix with denatured alcohol?

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood

2. 
   PlaneWood | Oct 17, 2003 05:09am | #6

   Found them on Jeff's site.  I'm going to order some tomorrow.

   Thanks everyone!!!!!!!

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood

2. 
   Kevin | Oct 20, 2003 02:32am | #13

   Sherwin Williams has a complete line of dye stains (ready to use and concentrates) that perfectly match your description of Transtint dyes. I use the S-W dye concentrates quite a bit and am very pleased with their performance.

   Regards,

   Kevin

2. 
   jazzdogg | Oct 17, 2003 05:26am | #7

   Planewood,

   Three different kinds of aniline dyes are available:
   Water-soluable
   Oil-soluable
   Alcohol-soluable

   You might want to also read about mordants, which can dramatically effect the way dyes and stains impact wood color. Mordants can also be used by themselves.

   There are countless finishing books available, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend "Wood Finishing with George Frank" published by Sterling.

   Good luck,
   Paul

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
1. 
   Tao | Oct 18, 2003 03:17am | #8

   Paul,

   Aniline dyes are fugitive, that is to say not light fast.

   TransTint colors are much more light fast and mix with water, alcohol, and lacquers as I mentioned above.  You can even mix them with oils if you dilute them with acetone first.  Plus, the colors are much more stable and don't shift under different finishes.  Other manufacturers make similar products, but TransTints perform best for me.

   Try 'em, you'll like 'em.  It's a wonder to me why anyone still uses "aniline" colors.

   Michael R.

   Edited 10/17/2003 8:19:23 PM ET by Woodwiz

3. 
   Crunk | Oct 18, 2003 04:07am | #9

   You'd better learn about them because there is nothing that comes close in practically every category that makes a difference in stains.

1. 
   PlaneWood | Oct 18, 2003 04:27am | #10

   Boss - are you talking about aneline or transtint dyes??

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood

1. 
   Crunk | Oct 18, 2003 04:50pm | #11

   Aniline dyes specifically.  I use the water soluble kind almost exclusively as they are supposed to be the most light-fast of the anilines.  I don't know much about the Trans Tint dyes, but I think a lot of people like them.  They may very well be an aniline dye based product; I don't know.

1. 
   Tao | Oct 18, 2003 06:18pm | #12

   Boss,

   According to Jeff Jewitt, who makes Trans-Tints, they are a metallized acid dye dissolved in glycol ethers, which are compatible with a fairly wide range of solvents.

   It sounds to me like they are similar to a lot of modern fabric dyes, but that's just a guess on my part.  I've used them in custom finshes for what seems like a long time now, and I've never found anything better.  They are definitely much more light fast than any anilines, and they are very easy to work with.   

   1 ounce of concentrate makes a quart of "standard strength" stain, and they come in a dropper tip bottle, so that when making up samples it is really easy to keep track of your mix just by counting drops or measuring with spoons or a graduate.  About 30 drops to a milliliter, about 30 milliliters to an ounce, etc.

   Microton stains from M.L. Campbell are similar, but teir colors aren't as stable under catalyzed finishes.  Mohawk's Ultra Penetrating stain concentrates also appear to be similar, but not as easy to work with, in my opinion.

   Michael R