Please tell me about Aniline Dye Powders (Water Soluble)

Get Charles Neil’s A-z finishing beyond the books or it’s all about color. or e mail him

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

David – these are a stacking shelves that I built a few years ago, using water soluble aniline dye on poplar and birch. The shelves and back panels are birch plywood, and the uprights and rails are poplar.

After several years they have not faded or otherwise discolored. The unmixed dye as an indefinite shelf life and can be combined to create the exact color desired. I mixed way more than I needed, and kept the mixture in a plastic container for future use. I made a quilt rack for a lady a few months ago, and the premixed dye worked just as well as it did when first mixed. I can dig those pictures up if you want to see them.

It’s a lot of extra work compared to just using a wood’s natural color, but you have a lot of flexibility. If you don’t like what you get, you can keep miessing with it to find the look.

PS – I used Transfast dye powder. Also experimented with RIT (fabric dye) and while I didn’t use it, I think it would work just as well.

-- Joe

I was very impressed with the results achieved by Tim Pursell in using some ( alcohol based ) aniline dye on some QSWO . . It really struck me as something I would like to try in the future .

I’ve Moser’s, Transtint (powder and liquid), LEE Valley’s private brand. Among the powders I can’t tell the difference, and once mixed I can’t tell the powders and liquids from each other (performance wise). The shelf life of them once mixed is fairly unlimited (at least when mixed in water) so I mix them in a one quart jar for storage (using warm water) and then dilute that as I use them. (They do need to be stored out of direct sunlight) If I color wood, dyes are my favorite way to do it since I’m fairly adept at screwing things up with stains.

-- I long for the days when Coke was a cola, and a joint was a bad place to be (Merle Haggard)

I’ve only used Lee Valley’s brand of water soluble. Used it on QSWO and the effects were spectacular.
The 3/4 of a quart I have left is still good to use after 4 years on the shelf. Plus, two unopened packs of the powder are still good, too.
Someday, I may find a use for it all.

-- Gene 'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

My brother used RIT fabric dye some years ago on some small carvings he did out of hickory and it worked just fine. Lately I’ve been thinking about trying it just to do something different.
MIKE

-- See pictures on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/44216106@N07/ And visit my Facebook page - facebook.com/MTEnterprises

I used the Transfast. Bought a dozen 1/2 pint canning jars so I have a variety of colors mixed. They are easy to use and mix.

-- Don't rollerskate in a buffalo herd

Here is a vid on how to do it…...

http://www.finewoodworking.com/skillsandtechniques/skillsandtechniquesarticle.aspx?id=30182

Now that I have given you that, I have to say I tried it, but, as it was my first time with water based dyes, I was less than successful. Good thing I experimented on scrap first. I got my dyes from LV.

-- I still have all my fingers

JimDaddyO,
Great vid. Thanks. I’ve saved it for future use.
Bill

-- bill@magraphics.us