Staining butts

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olsonsview

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Anyone out there have any ideas how to stain selected areas of butts? I want to stain parts of a birdseye forearm and butt sleeve without making the phenolic rings or hardwood splices change color. I have considered using an artist brush and sealing the areas I want protected with maybe CA or a clear sealer. Just thought to ask before I venture forth. I am concerned with making the wood look blotchy. Would dye, water or alcohol based, be a better bet? I want to bring out the maple figure and get a warm honey tone.
Any ideas are always appreciated.
 
I use a fine artist brush and a steady hand. I also use all alcohol based stains. They don't raise the grain as much as water based.
 
ratcues said:
I use a fine artist brush and a steady hand. I also use all alcohol based stains. They don't raise the grain as much as water based.
Click to expand...

I have a refillable plastic bottle with an artist brush sticking out of one end. It looks like a pen with a brush attached. I got it from an art store. To use you just give it a little squeeze to release more stain unto the brush. As you say, you must have a steady hand. What I believe would be the nut is to be able to find some empty felt marker pens that could be filled with stain and applied much more steadily. I've found some on the Internet that says refillable but they already have stuff in them.

Dick
 
On a couple coversions I am working on I have used a couple layers of masking tape. I can mask off right up to the points and stain ( not getting to much on the tape ) and then just pull the tape off as soon as I am done with the staining.....It has worked very well for me....also If you are worried about the tape leaving residue or such, there are different kinds of tape that keep that very thing from happening!

Has anyone tried this? Did you have good or bad results with it? I am very new to cue making so Maybe I am missing something....but as I said it has worked well for me so far. :)

HOPE THIS HELPS :)
 
I've used masking tape to protect the points and such but I still use the brush. The stain can still get under the tape.
 
dye vs stain

any preferences? does one affect the figure more than the base wood, or any other peculiarities?
I will try an artist brush, I was just concerned that the staining may look blotchty from using a brush and slowly painting in the area that requires color. Using tape may be good for normal points, but these are butterfly points. The rounded points may be tough to protect. The rings will be a good candidate for tape though!
 
olsonsview said:
any preferences? does one affect the figure more than the base wood, or any other peculiarities?
I will try an artist brush, I was just concerned that the staining may look blotchty from using a brush and slowly painting in the area that requires color. Using tape may be good for normal points, but these are butterfly points. The rounded points may be tough to protect. The rings will be a good candidate for tape though!
Click to expand...


THE cues I did were half butterflies as well, and I used an exacto knife and cut the tape, dead fit....I also put the stain on with a paper towel and run it into the cue as I go. Of course I have carved wood for years with those little knives making cartoon characters and wood spirits, so you would need to be careful not to cut into the wood. I didnt get any splotching so to speak, but I never use a brush to stain any of my wood working....due to the fact that by using a brush I cant control the amount of stain I put on a piece of wood, but by using the paper towel, I can rub in pretty close to the same amount of stain over the entire cue I am staining.....But again I am new to making cues and may be missing something. But I have stain a few hundred different wood pieces of other things and never had a problem with the splotching

HOPE THIS HELPS :)
 
olsonsview said:
Anyone out there have any ideas how to stain selected areas of butts? I want to stain parts of a birdseye forearm and butt sleeve without making the phenolic rings or hardwood splices change color. I have considered using an artist brush and sealing the areas I want protected with maybe CA or a clear sealer. Just thought to ask before I venture forth. I am concerned with making the wood look blotchy. Would dye, water or alcohol based, be a better bet? I want to bring out the maple figure and get a warm honey tone.
Any ideas are always appreciated.
Click to expand...

To bring out the figure in Maple, I wipe the wood down with a damp cloth, and apply the following to get a warm Honey tone.

Watco.jpg

By wiping the wood down with a damp (not wet) cloth the pores will open up and allow the Oil finish to penetrate very deeply into the wood. Then wipe the surface clean and seal with CA. The Ca will stick to this finish very well with no problems.

Good luck
 
olsonsview said:
any preferences? does one affect the figure more than the base wood, or any other peculiarities?
I will try an artist brush, I was just concerned that the staining may look blotchty from using a brush and slowly painting in the area that requires color. Using tape may be good for normal points, but these are butterfly points. The rounded points may be tough to protect. The rings will be a good candidate for tape though!
Click to expand...

When applying the stain with the brush, do not stroke in a straight line. I swirl around like the grain of the wood. Dip the brush in the stain then tap it to a paper towel to remove excess. Then swirl. Too much will spread out of control and into the areas where you do not want it.

Also, I sand the wood down to 1200 grit then laterally scuff it to open the grain. It gives a rich looking finish.
 
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