Aaronmcc

I recently found a piece of mahogany with some tiger stripe curl on it. I was wondering if I could make it pop out more than it already is. I heard you can use wood dye and sand it a little but is that the same as wood stain?

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Daren

Here is one way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWCptCxNx4I

Here is another from the same woodworker and Woodworking Talk member Charles Neil. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH4hW...eature=related

Here is another, just do the first step. 2 tone dying wood

Those are for maple, but may give you some ideas for other woods.

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steck

Aaronmcc

Does wood stain = wood dye?

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Daren

Here is a quote from a website I came across one time looking for something else, it explains it better than I can. It actually cleared it up for me even though I have been using both for years without defining the difference to myself.
(this is the site http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp , the author Alan Noel) Some may not agree with his comments on not using stain on figured wood. I have seen some nice results, but tend to agree, I don't really like stain and don't use it much . In fact I don't remember the last time I used stain on a new piece of wood, it's been a long time (and I'm sure it was by request from a customer, not my choice) I do restoration work that requires staining, that's the only reason I keep it around the shop.

"Dyes
Dyes are colorants that are usually mixed in an oil such as mineral spirits, or in water or alcohol as a carrier. The dyes used in woodworking are actually very similar to those used for dying cloth and other materials. Dyes are characterized as transparent, as they bring about color changes in wood without obscuring the figure. The molecular size of the dye particles is so small they allow light to pass through virtually unhindered.
In my experience water-based dyes seem to be more lightfast than alcohol-based dyes, while oil-based dyes fade the fastest. I use alcohol-based dyes to make shaders by adding them to lacquer or shellac. By then gently spraying on very thin layers, I can blend unlike areas together or change the overall hue while retaining as much clarity as possible. There's nothing like the shimmer of a highly prized timber!
Stains
Stains are really nothing more than very thin oil or water-based paints. Whereas dye stains are typically comprised of only dye and a carrier, stains are comprised of pigment, a carrier and a binder. Using a thin varnish (oil-based) or acrylic latex (water-based) as a binder, ground particles of natural and synthetic minerals are added to make stains. Stains should be stirred often to insure an even dispersion of pigment because the particles tend to settle on the bottom.....don't you just hate gravity?!
In many of my finishing schedules I combine both stains and dyes for adding depth in carvings, hiding veneer lines and blending unlike woods together. I will say however, I can't imagine why anyone would use a pigmented stain on any highly figured wood - with more than one application, the grain will be so obscured that the piece may as well be painted."

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steck

i'd really like to see some 'side by side' comparisons on the same side of wood.....but i guess every piece of wood will be different and would respond differently to dye/stains.

Aaronmcc

Good info. Nice to know that water based seem to be the most light fast.

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jerry

The easy explanation is pigment lodges in the pores of the wood and dye is absorbed by the wood at the molecular level.

Jerry

mattclara

Hate to revive an old thread, but I'm interested in popping the grain in some myrtle. If the above quote is true, couldn't one stain the wood, and then lightly sand the stain away, leaving it in the soft pores of the grain while removing it from the open stretches between grains? Then one could simply seal it, or apply a lighter stain...?

Brian_Hinther

You might want to use an initial coat of dye followed by a coat of pigmented stain. You might even want to try sealing the dye with a light coat of shellac before applying the stain.

Dye changes the color of the entire piece of wood while stain tends to lodge in the pores, creating more contrast. Anything more than a light coat of stain may obscure the grain.

Test on scrap pieces before doing your project.

Julian the woodnut

I recently built a mahogany dresser that I used red dye followed by stain. This was to match the color of the existing furniture that had a deep red antique color to it. The quartersawn ribbon stripe really is pronounced due to the dye.