Using
Dyes .
Using
Dyes .
Below are series of pictures demonstrating the use of NGR dye stains as a first step, followed by a penetrating oil stain. In this case the oil stain is a Benjamin Moore stain which is itself an oil based dye blended with pigment color. After viewing these, please take a look at this page link to more examples how dyes are useful, in particular at replicating a cherry color on maple or birch.
For those of you unfamiliar, dye color particles are microscopic in size as opposed to pigment color particles which are much larger. Dyes color wood with more transparency which is generally considered an advantage. A lot of pigment color tends to obscure or hide wood grain and is usually considered a negative. Dyes have a difficult time coloring the open pore areas of woods like Oak, hence for this reason among others, Benjamin Moore and Minwax both add some pigment to the stain. I much prefer these blended stains to most other brands which are mainly pigment base. Too much pigment in a color generally results in flat, muddy appearance.
The question often arises how to use dyes and there are many ways to use them. I rarely use a dye stain without at least applying a clear oil over it. I find that even though the oil adds little or no color, it helps distribute the dye application into the wood and enhances the grain. Now in my situation I am spraying the dyes on and when I do this it is best not to spray them too wet. Hence, they penetrate into the wood very little by spraying alone. Without the oil application over it, the appearance of the grain may be "cold" or lack depth (or if these fancy finisher terms mean nothing to you, lets just say it looks better with the oil..Hey that was easy!)
Dyes are most useful in building strength of color without losing clarity. This comes into play frequently for us when coloring woods like poplar to match a darker mahogany or walnut. Much furniture made since 1900 is made using poplar for the framework or other less viewed parts, and a premium wood veneer such as Walnut or Mahogany on the main show surfaces. When these were finished at the factory, dyes were used to make the poplar match better. When these items are refinished, people often have great difficulty getting the poplar to match well with the common wiping stains (Ben Moore and Minwax included). They just are not strong enough by themselves usually to do the job. Often the hobbyist may try to compensate with multiple coats of stain but this is usually not very successful.
The first example shown is a desk of exactly this construction I described. Walnut on the top and on the drawer faces. All the rest is poplar. The original side panels were all damaged beyond repair in a fire/water damage event. They have been replaced with new birch plywood. Birch suffices well as a substitute for the original poplar faced plywood that was there, and is easily obtained. Starting out, this seems like an impossible matching situation because the new panels are so much lighter to begin with than all the original existing wood. Dyes come to the rescue here, letting us build to almost any degree of darkness on the new panels without sacrificing clarity. In this example a reddish brown dye is sprayed first. After applying this color, I determine a darker brown is needed so I spray this color right over the first. The next step is application of the Benjamin Moore oil wiping stain, in a medium brown. We spray it on heavy and then wipe it off. It is not necessary to spray the wiping stain. We only spray it on because it is faster in our production setting.
The home finisher without spray equipment can do this same 2 step coloring procedure using water based dyes. These are powders or concentrates sold through mail order. They are mixed with water and are wiped onto the wood. Quite honestly, I have never used these so I would refer the user to the excellent instructional material available in print and on the net. See my "Refinishing Help" page for links.
As always, experimentation should be done on sample wood. This is the golden rule of finishing. This is particularly important with dyes. Mistakes with dyes can be difficult to remedy.
1. Desk before staining
2. Application of reddish brown NGR dye
3. Application of Darker Brown dye
4. Application of Medium Brown Benjamin Moore Oil based wiping stain
5. Wiping off the oil stain
6. Completed stain. Appearance is somewhat flat because no finish has been applied yet. When finish is applied depth and clarity of the color will show. Between coats of lacquer, I will likely do a little fine tuning or spot coloring where needed using toners (color mixed in lacquer, then sprayed). Toners would be another subject. At any rate, these are used only for fine tuning of the color. Basically, the color here is acceptable.
