Thread: Dye -What to use

The water based dyes are easier to use. All dyes will fade with exposure to direct sunlight, but the current technology and chemistry is pretty good. The most fade resistant water based dyes are the relatively new metal complex dyes – some of them are also soluble in alcohol.

Originally Posted by Strungout

Hi,

What is the best Aniline dye to use - Water Soluble or Spirt Solubale ...

I read that the water soluble is more Colour fast and soaks in to the timber better ??

Thanks in advance.

Depends what you're using it under. Water dye for under almost anything except water based products and spirit dye for the rest except for under a spirit based finish like shellac.

The dye is best if it is incompatible with the finish, then it won't pull out into the finish.

My preference is for water dye although you may have to do a bit more preparation work before using it. like wetting down the surface allowing it to dry then sanding finely to get rid of raised grain. Water based dye will raise grain.

Using our Sanding Sealer instead of water to raise the grain will help with this problem and will still allow the water dye to penetrate into the timber. But it won't work with an alcohol dye as the SS is alcohol based and will become messy when the dye is applied.

Alcohol dyes can also be a bit blotchy on some timbers, but can be used in shellac and some lacquers to colour the finish.

Confused yet? I am.....

Cheers - Neil

Thanks guys for the info,

What is the difference between the the Ubeaut Dyes and Aniline dyes ,or are they the same devils.

Yes Neil ,I am confused !but the forum always fixes that

I've had success with Ubeaut's water dyes and products - prepare timber, sanding sealer coat (or a thin coat of diluted white shellac if I've run out of sanding sealer), dye, finish with Shellac

I've also used Leatherwork Dyes on timber as well - prepare timber, sanding sealer, dye but finish with minwax wipe on poly instead.

Both dyes were on bunnies pine. both the sanding sealer and a thin coat of white shellac worked a treat in reducing the pine blotchiness.

cheers
Wendy

Our dyes are vegetable based, analine dyes (are in the simplest terms) petro chemical based.

Analine is more colour fast than vegetable and can be used to colour many finishes as well as a dye, where our water dyes, can colour water based products.

Thanks again for the helpfull info.....

The Leather dye sounds interesting Wendy!

I used it as I just wasn't good enough of a colour chemist to get the right shade using the Water Dyes, so I raided my leather stains and had fun (just gotta remember to wear gloves)

And you can raid the pantry or the supermarket for food colouring. For instance I've used violet food colouring to make timber into ersatz purpleheart.
And there's coffee and tea readily available to make colour changes to your timber.

If you're going down the alternative route, then you could also try Dylon fabric dyes available in supermarkets and chemists'.