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Dye Project any good Water Based dyes you can recommend?

ZGOZZ

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KD126A.JPG

Got it on ebay, to practice on before I build my guitar this top on it. .

Dye Project any good Water Based dyes you can recommend?
 
I've used the water-based dyes from LMII with good luck. I think all aniline dyes are pretty much similar, there's very little difference chemically between fountain pen ink, RIT and the wood dyes. The really intense PRS-style wood finishes come from MEK-based dyes - M.E.K. = Methyl Ethyl Ketone = smelly solvent.

http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/Secondproducthead.asp?CategoryName=Dyes
http://www.woodfinishsupply.com/DyeConcentrateFormulas.html

I think I read somewhere that they also pressure-cook in some of the zippier finishes, ummm, boiling MEK sounds fun. You can make a good finish with water, but I'd bet that example is solvent-based.
 
These dyes:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=5522

can be diluted/mixed in lacquer thinner or M.E.K. for application; if you can develop a friend at a Sherman Williams store, their Universal Dye Concentrates work well in the same solvents.

Having worked with both types of dyes, I'd agree that you are going to get more intense color using solvents rather than water based dyes, and it's a lot easier to thin/apply and won't raise the grain anywhere near as much.
 
ZGOZZ said:
KD126A.JPG

Got it on ebay, to practice on before I build my guitar this top on it. .

Dye Project any good Water Based dyes you can recommend?
Nice piece of flame there Ron, you going to practice on that or did you get another piece to practice on? :icon_scratch:
 
DangerousR6 said:
ZGOZZ said:
KD126A.JPG

Got it on ebay, to practice on before I build my guitar this top on it. .

Dye Project any good Water Based dyes you can recommend?
Nice piece of flame there Ron, you going to practice on that or did you get another piece to practice on? :icon_scratch:

Practice on that...... So I can sand it down try again and again LOL
 
If that's the wood you're going to use for the actual guitar top, I wouldn't practice on that, I'd find some other wood to practice on and have that puppy ripped in half for a bookmatched top...if indeed it's big enough for a bookmatched top, what are the dim on it? 
 
ZGOZZ said:
PREM FLAME FIGURED MAPLE LUMBER 22,7/8x7x2
Well with it being 2" thick, you could have a piece sliced off of it. Say about 3/8" to practice on and it would still be thick enough to rip in half for a lam top...
 
DangerousR6 said:
ZGOZZ said:
PREM FLAME FIGURED MAPLE LUMBER 22,7/8x7x2
Well with it being 2" thick, you could have a piece sliced off of it. Say about 3/8" to practice on and it would still be thick enough to rip in half for a lam top...

Really?
 
I got some 1/4" thick pieces when I wanted some practice pieces.  Trust me, they will stand up to a helluva lot of sanding.  I used Reranch Alcohol based dyes.  They are a powder you dissolve yourself to what ever concentration you like.  I found that you could blend them with acetone on a paper towel pretty easily.  MEK is one methylene group away for acetone so it should behave in a similar fashion.  I found that the un blended dyes were much more vibrant, but the down side of that is no gradual blends from black to color for instance.  Also, the dyes really change when you put finish on them, reds really stand out quite a bit more, and there is a lot of depth that makes things look much more interesting.  It is something that once you try it you will get a feeling for it.  I know that Reranch sells water based dyes as well, but I have not tried them.
Patrick

 
ZGOZZ said:
Found it, so you would use the MEK and add the dye to that and then stain the wood?

Yes.  For my project I found that one teaspoon (black) or one tablespoon (red or yellow) to one cup of solvent gave me nice bright (or dark) colors.  Mix it up, dissolve the gritty dye stuff, and then apply it to the wood.  Wipe off the excess and wait for it to dry...
Patrick

 
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