# Using Lee Valley Aniline Dye for the first time...



## Willeh (Dec 30, 2011)

I'm trying out the Lee Valley Aniline Dye mixture for the first time on a project. I'm building a Dartboard cabinet out of some nicely aged Cherry, and am planning to use the Antique Cherry dye to give it a bit more aged look. This project is the first time i've tryed to do all of the surface prep by handplane only, no sand paper involved, and am very happy with the result. The surfaces are all smooth like glass and look great.

Last night, I pulled out the instructions from the dye packet and started to read them through. The instructions indicate as follows:

"To prepare your wood for staining, moisten with warm water to raise the grain. When it dries, sand with fine paper. You will get better results if you use new garnet paper and sand at a slight angle to the grain. This will cut off the fibers instead of just pressing them back down. Finish with strokes along the grain. Repeat the wetting and sanding as often as necessary to remove the fuzz, then clean the wood."

The instructions go on to say:
"The stain dries for recoating in twelve hours. You may find the grain will still lift after applying the stain. A thin wash of shellac or lacquer applied after the stain has dried will make the fibers stiff and brittle so they can be sanded more readily. It will also help prevent cutting the stain on the edges and harder parts of the wood. Ammonia, bichromate of potash, or acetic acid (vinegar) is sometimes added to a stain solution to stiffen the fibers, but this is not necessary. Successively finer grits of sandpaper should be used with each sanding."

Question is, this negates the idea of having a no-sandpaper finish, which was my main purpose in doing this project as a skill builder. Am I ok to just paint the stuff on without doing all this sanding, or will i ruin my project? I've never used a water based dye before, so i'm not sure where i'm heading.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Grain raising is normal with water based coloring agents. Remember that wood had/has water in it.
It is not as prevalent with alcohol based dyes.
I know of no way to eliminate sanding to reduce grain rasing.
Bill


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## live4ever (Feb 27, 2010)

Water-based anything will lift the grain and require sanding. If you've not dealt with raised grain before, it's annoying, and it will certainly make your glass smooth finish rough.

If you really want to try avoiding sandpaper as a skill-building exercise, you might be able to use a card scraper to smooth things out after the dye.

Another option would be to seal the wood with shellac prior to using the dye. Of course, then you may not get the penetration you want from the dye and it would act as more of a toner/glaze than a stain.

Try some options on a sample board:
dye + scraper
shellac + dye


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## MichaelR (Oct 1, 2011)

I use water based aniline dyes on a lot of my projects and after reading your instructions I have been doing something close to that for years. I do the water wash to raise the grain then lightly rub it down with #320 grit. After I apply the dye, I give it a full 12 or more hours to fully set then wipe/burnish it down with a clean cotton cloth. I feel this adds a little rubbed down look without the risk of sanding into the colors. I do NOT use a water based stain or top coat over the dye. I've had it lift and wash out the dye colors. I will use an alchohol or oil based stain over the dye. I use shellac, poly or lacquer as a top coat depending on final use. That is when I'll use 400 grit or 3m pads to knock off any remaining nibs. The dry cloth rub earlier knocks most of them off.

As an afterthought, to get an aged cherry look I use a light wash coat of mission brown dye, followed by a dark or brown mahogany stain. I feel it gives the piece a little more aged depth.


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

The stuff I like the best is:
*
Trans Tint

*
It is very versatile… can be mixed with Water, Shellac, etc. (read details).
It is very powerful and goes a LONG ways! (USE protective gloves!)

If you decide on using water, which is the way I use it, expect the grain to be raised… to be very lightly sanded off.

It's great stuff… I just wipe it on with a Rag T-shirt material… if some areas become darker, because you got more liquid into an area than another, you can rub more into the lighter areas to get things balanced. Very easy to work with. I love it!

I've also found that *Woodcraft* always seems to have the better prices on it… It's not cheap… BUT goes a LONG way!

... and you can mix other tints with it to get exactly what you're looking for…

When good & dry, I rub it down with a clean rag… and usually go to Shellac as the first coat after using it.

*Edit:*
I used *"Golden Brown"* on my *Magazine-Book Case.*


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## newwoodbutcher (Aug 6, 2010)

I have learned the hard way one should never, ever apply a coat of anything to their finished project that hasn't been completely tested on a sample board from the same material all the way to the final top coat. 
When you have invested your time money and gorgeous material up to the final finishing stage, you always test. Never practice with live ammunition here. If you're lucky you might like it, if not??? 
My recommendation is to make yourself one or sample boards as you are milling material in the beginning of the project. I like to make them 4-5 inches wide and about 20" long. Using a ¼" dado blade on my table saw and using my niter gauge I cross cut shallow grooves ¼' deep about the same distance apart as the board is wide on both sides ( so I end up with about eight 4"x4" sample boards all attached), sometimes I make two. Then I apply the dye on one of the 4×4 test board at half or less the recommended strength, apply more coats to achieve the color you want after it dries apply a first (and thin) top coat, de-waxed shellac is my choice here once it's thoroughly dried try knocking down the stand up slivers with a piece of burlap or perhaps even a paper towel. Sometimes just running your hand or a soft cotton rag over the surface will break them off. Then continue adding topcoats of tour chosen finish till you achieve the results you want. On the edge of each test I write the recipe so I can duplicate that exact finish. If when you get to the last coat you just love it, you're done and you have recorded the recipe. If not move over to the next sample and try something else. I often have 3-4 samples going at the same time.
On finishes I'm practiced at applying I may just do one or two coats to get the color right.


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## Willeh (Dec 30, 2011)

Thanks for the great advise guys! Newwood butcher. I do have some scraps leftover so I will do as you say with the sample boards to see how it works out.


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

Is it normal to leave the dye to dry for 12 hours before the next coat? I built an entertainment center out of maple, using TransTint dies, and I would flood the surface, let it sit for a couple minutes, then wipe off. Once the wood felt dry (couple hours), I sanded back down to help make the grain stand out. Did a couple coats like this and it turned out great. Is LV's dye different?


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

*BinghamtonEd,*
For your application, the wait time you used was probably adequate. I don't know if 12 hours is over kill or not. I plan to stain towards the end of the shop day, usually. And, it's often more than 12 hours before I get back to it. 
at any rate, it's always dry, which is the goal for me.


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## shipwright (Sep 27, 2010)

I use ColorFX aniline dyes from Wood Essence. They must be about the same as TransTint because you can mix them with alcohol or water. It can also be used with shellac and several other finishes. They sell a 12 color starter pack that is a very good intro to dying.


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## EPJartisan (Nov 4, 2009)

I understand this fear of dyes… I was anti stain for many years, exploring the depths of the wood and it's various colors within, but then I saw Blakes jelly fish table and decided to try colors.. then I saw Trifern's vases and his blog on dyes... and fell in love.

So I am heading on that road as well, but already I have discovered different woods stain completely differently, so I am testing everything and documenting everything. Trying dyes in water, alcohol, naptha, danish oil, and a veneer softener… which actually seems to work the best on a variety of woods. I went with the best review i could find and decided to invest in a selection of types and colors of J.E. Moser's from Woodcraft.


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

I'm not trying to threadjack, I feel like this is sort of relevant to this conversation, so I'll keep this brief :

If you apply a water-based dye, and try to topcoat directly over with a water-based finish, such as WB poly, I would expect the finish to absorb some of the dye, is this correct? When I used dye, I went over with shellac, no issues. But what would happen, or how would it look, with a WB finish over WB dye?

I used a dark walnut dye on hard maple, sanding it back after each of the 3 applications, and was amazed at how great the grain looked afterwards.


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## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

I'm curious as to why it's a skill builder to not use sand paper?


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

Joe,
there is a perception that using sand paper takes no skill.


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

I think all he was implying by the sandpaper comment was that being able to do this without paper, such as using a scraper instead, is learning one more way to do it. I don't think he was saying that he wanted to avoid sandpaper because he has anything against it. There's more than one way to skin a cat, and if you find yourself in a situation where you need to skin a cat, and you don't have a belt sander, you'll be glad you learned how to skin it with a scraper. Or something.


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## TexasJim (Jul 16, 2009)

Check out this article by Steve Mickley http://www.hardwoodlumberandmore.com/Articles/ArticleViewPage/tabid/75/ArticleId/28/Pre-Raising-The-Grain.aspx Mickley has several more articles on that website about finishing. Lots of good info there.

I think trying to get through a finishing regimen with no sanding is not going to happen. I think you can get to the finishing stage using scrapers and planes (I can't but some can) but most finishes require some sanding between coats to remove dust nibs and to provide a "tooth" for the next coat if you're using poly.

I agree with the comment that you should try your finish on a scrap piece that you take completely through the process of scraping or sanding, dye, and final coat. I prepared a sample board like this for my first dye experience and put several different formulas (colors) on it all the way through the final coat so my wife could select what she wanted. Keep good records of your dye mixture measurements.


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## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

Whew, what a relief. Thought I was going to have to unlearn all my sanding knowledge and throw all my sanding toys and sand paper away.


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