Dyed maple shaft

Mike81

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I bought a nice cue butt that has an aged yellow gold-ish colored Birdseye forearm. I’m going to fit a new shaft to it. The new shaft is very white and does not match the old color of the maple. Is it possible or feasible to use an aniline dye on the shaft to match? Thanks
 

Ssonerai

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As a pro woodwhacker, i'd say you are on the right track; aniline dyes (as you probably know from asking :) ) can be diluted and built up to get an effect, and they won't muddy the grain.

That said, there is a saying in high end woodworking more or less to the effect "don't practice a new finish on finished work". IOW can you find a suitable similar piece of maple scrap? Doesn't have to be a shaft, but for instance it could be one of the bent shafts they put in cue cases to hold the case shape while in shipping.

On similar scrap/reject shaft blank i'd sand it to the same quality of the new shaft, then try different aniline dyes in different sections, then based on that, (when dry!) Maybe try layering a couple if indicated. Always mask off a baseline in order to keep track of what is working, and have some baseline to go back and try a different approach. Like developing any finish card.

If you find a color you like, try it under a couple coats of cue-sealer to be sure.

If you have any interest in playing around with seriously unhealthy chemicals, potassium dichromate was used in the past to bring out the figure in maple stocked guns ("Kentucky long rifles") and fine furniture. It makes a beautiful clear contrast on figured maple and really brings out and sharpens up the figure from examples i've seen. I've never used it as my limit of toxins, liver killers, and carcingens was use up long ago.

I have used dilute lye on mahogany but never tried it on maple. Needs neutralized and thorough rinsing. So this is not a recommendation.

https://www.banjohangout.org/archive/200833

smt
 
Last edited:
Top