2 Questions for Experienced Dye Users

All you are waiting for is the water to evaporate, at that point it’s dry. So you can usually start yor top cpats fairly quickly. I usually put on one or two coats of the topcoat and then sand the “whiskers” (from the raised grain). This allows the finish to lock them in, and one sanding and your done with the raised grain problem. I’ve never wet sanded with dye, can’t think of a reason I would do so…not to say there isn’t one, it’s just one I haven’t encountered.

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

Because I pre-wet with plain water before staining, I usually wait overnight to allow for complete drying. Then rub down with maroon scotchbrite before the first coat of lacquer, followed by another rub down if there’s any grain raised. Then it’s a s many coats as necessary to get the build I’m happy with, completing with a rubbing out with 0000 steel wool lubed with Butcher’s or Johnson paste wax, and a rag polishing.

-- Clint Searl.............We deserve what we tolerate

Thanks for the help. You can see the results of the dyed chair seat here.

I put a fan on the piece to dry it and started the lacquer about 30 minutes after dyeing. Worked beautifully. 4 coats of lacquer and it was done.

Kindly,

Lee

Clint, you said “staining” and I wonder if you mean dyeing as well as staining?

-- "...in his brain, which is as dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage, he hath strange places cramm'd with observation, the which he vents in mangled forms." --Shakespeare, "As You Like It"

Lee, I was referring to water soluble dye stain.

-- Clint Searl.............We deserve what we tolerate