I just started experimenting with wood dye, and my god, what an awesome product….I don’t know why I wasted so much time with stains. The colours are so nice and dark and really eaven. Am using pine for interior trim, but don’t want it to look like pine and the dye really takes out the “tiger stipe” look (as my wife calls it) that stained pine has.
Anyway, my question is do you normally do more than one coat of dye? I am just mixing it with water, and it seems pretty nice after just one coat. Does a second coat make it darker, is it needed? If so, I think I need to thin my dye so the colour doesn’t come out too dark. Experiance, thoughts, suggestions?
Replies
Cut some sample pieces and experiment with it.
Experimentation is good as Dave said. But one coat is the typical method with the darkness adjusted by tinkering with the concentration of the dye when you make test boards. To get a darker color the best way is to mix a more concentrated dye since applying second coats makes control a little more difficult since the new application may redissolve some of the first application. (You can also lighten--at least a little--a dye that is too dark by wiping with water.) Overdying can also be used to shift a color that isn't quite right.
Also, be sure that you judge the effect of the dye with a top coat, not just by itself. You can get a pretty good estimate by wiping with naptha.
Dye doesn't really form "coats" in the traditional sense. You may get a deeper color with multiple applications, but you can also get this by mixing the dye stronger. You should try out the entire finishing process (dye and topcoat) to see what the final color will be.
Check out the articles section on http://www.homesteadfinishing.com for more information.
Reminds me - I gotta go check my test board for my latest project.
Pete
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