Popular Woodworking 2006-06 № 155, страница 95

Popular Woodworking 2006-06 № 155, страница 95

Water-, Alcohol- and Oil-soluble Dyes

These dyes are packaged in powder form, which makes them easy to identify. You have to dissolve them in the proper solvent.

Of the three, the most useful is water-soluble dye because it provides more time for wiping off the excess and there's no exposure to irritating solvents. (Handle grain raising and fast drying the same as with water-based stains, described earlier.) Alcohol-soluble dye is sometimes used by touch-up specialists precisely because of its very fast drying. Oil-soluble dye is rarely used anymore (except in oil stains). It's been replaced by NGR dye.

Choose a water-soluble dye if you want deeper or more even coloring than can be achieved with pigment. PW

MOST IMPORTANT PROPERTY

WHEN TO USE

COMMENT

■Dries slowly so provides plenty of time to wipe off excess

■1 Under any finish except water base You don't need a special property of another stain

■Allow overnight drying before coating over with a finish

■ Dries hard so doesn't need a topcoat when coating over a stained and finished surface

■1 On small surfaces ■lYou want to leave excess to build ■When coating over an already stained and finished surface

■1 If wiping off excess, work rapidly or have a second person help

■1 Reduces exposure to solvents

■1 Under a water-based finish ■1 To avoid exposure to solvents ■lYou want easy water cleanup

■1 If wiping off excess, work rapidly or have a second person help

■1 Eliminates blotching on softwoods such as pine

■1 Staining pine or similar softwood

■Compared to a liquid stain, gel stain reduces depth on many hardwoods

■1 Dries very rapidly

■1 For very fast drying

■1 To make a toner with lacquer

■lYou have to wipe off the excess within a minute or two, so it helps to work with a second person

■1 Colors more uniformly and intensely than pigment

■1 For very fast drying ■1 For deeper and more even coloring than can be achieved with pigment ■1 To make a toner with lacquer

■1 Spray the stain evenly and leave it, or work with a second person if wiping off excess

■1 Colors more uniformly and intensely than pigment

■1 For deeper and more even coloring than can be achieved with pigment ■1 To avoid exposure to solvents

■1 Brushing a water-based finish over the dye may dissolve and smear it ■Apply a barrier coat of shellac or varnish (a "washcoat") in between

COLOR INTENSITY

All types of stain can vary in color intensity depending on the ratio of colorant (pigment, dye or chemical) to liquid (oil, varnish, solvent, thinner, etc.). The higher the ratio of colorant to liquid, the darker the stain colors the wood. You can change the ratio in any stain by adding pigment, dye or thinner.

Sometimes you hear that you can make wood darker by leaving a stain on the surface longer before wiping off the excess. The explanation given is that the stain penetrates deeper. This is not true. What happens is that more thinner evaporates increasing the ratio of colorant to liquid. — BF

The color intensity of a stain is determined by the ratio of colorant to l iqu id. A full-strength commercial oil stain darkens wood more (left) than the same stain thinned 50 percent with mineral spirits (right).

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