What stain to use?
- Thread starter bkkpool
- Start date
If you want to spend almost nothing. Just mix up some tea (as in iced tea) but no ice. It makes a great light brown stain. The more you steep the tea bag the darker the color. If you want to be able to buy another color go to home depot and get some water based stains. Do not get oil based. Let dry over night after wiping on the cue. Seal the cue with a light coat of epoxy before putting on flow out coats of finish to stop any bleeding of color. Good luck.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
stains??
Cool trick Chris,
I have also had success with Analine dyes available from Woocraft.com ....water-based of course.
It will raise the grain, let it dry, then sand and recoat, no grain after second coat.
I've never had good luck with stains, but then I don't that I ever tried water based...I don;t stain or dye cues often at all.
Hope that helps,
Mike
Cool trick Chris,
I have also had success with Analine dyes available from Woocraft.com ....water-based of course.
It will raise the grain, let it dry, then sand and recoat, no grain after second coat.
I've never had good luck with stains, but then I don't that I ever tried water based...I don;t stain or dye cues often at all.
Hope that helps,
Mike
I'd lean toward dye over stains as they will leave pigment on the wood that looks like dark bits of dirt...I have a custumer that wants a curly maple cue with royal blue dye...
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Craig Fales said:I'd lean toward dye over stains as they will leave pigment on the wood that looks like dark bits of dirt...I have a custumer that wants a curly maple cue with royal blue dye...
That is hilarious, I just got done with a curly front and back, no inlays, black butt cap and joint and black w/white speck wrap........DYED BLUE
Water and alcohol stains are basically dyes. Oil based stains do exactly what you are talking about and should be avoided.Craig Fales said:I'd lean toward dye over stains as they will leave pigment on the wood that looks like dark bits of dirt...I have a custumer that wants a curly maple cue with royal blue dye...
Food Coloring
I did the maple body of my guitar, with blue food coloring. It didn't come out exactly blue, it is more like a greenish blue.
Tracy
I did the maple body of my guitar, with blue food coloring. It didn't come out exactly blue, it is more like a greenish blue.
Tracy
bkkpool said:
Brian, I use a Danish oil based finish made by Watco as a stain. I apply it in the in the following manner.
After I finish sand I spin the cue in the lathe, I dampen a cloth lightly with water and wipe down the area's to be stained, which will open up the pours of the wood and allow the stain to penetrate.
This process will also enhance the figure of the wood, along with high lighting areas where any addition sanding may required, because the oil finish will high light any imperfections as dark areas.
Watco has many different colors of oil based finish, to lightly stain something, I would use clear or Fruit-wood which is also light.
After I apply the Danish Oil finish, I spin the cue and wipe off the excess with a clean rag or paper towel.
I then allow the oil finish to absorb for 24 hour's before applying anything on top.
Hope this helps!!!!
Manwon
Potassium Permanganate (KMnO4) dissolved in water will "antique" maple beautifully. It is an oxidant that does to the maple sugars what cutting an apple does to the sugars in the apple -- only much, much faster (seconds). Don't be concerned with the vivid purple color of the solution -- it is NOT a dye, it is an oxidant. It will only leave carmel tones behind. You get the beautiful, natural colors of the wood, and it REALLY brings the grain out (particularly birdseyes), without clogging the figuration with dye.
You can get KMnO4 from water softener suppliers, and it's dirt cheap.
You can get KMnO4 from water softener suppliers, and it's dirt cheap.
That is interesting. Is the solution dangerous? I heard of darkening wood with amonia fumes. Does anyone know if amonia fumes work on maple?cuetique said:
Tracy
RSB-Refugee said:
I think that is for ebonizing Oak as Oak has a lot of tanic acid that reacts with the ammonia. In years past there were many different home-brews for changing the colors and looks of wood. As cheap as stains and dyes are now why would anyone bother though.
There are three basic carriers or solvents for dyes and stains. Water based is probably the most common. it penetrates the wood the deepest and usually is vibrant. Drawbacks are that it takes a day or two to dry before the finish can be applied and raises the grain. Alcohol based doesn't soak in as deep as water based but dries quickly ( about 15 min. or so ) and doesn't raise the grain. Oil base penetrates the least amount and takes the longest to dry. It doesn't raise the grain but often is difficult to get a good finish over. Oil based are usually only used with hand rubbed oil finishes instead of film finishes that you see on most cues today.
I, myself, use Aniline dyes with an alcohol carrier. I've never had a problem with them. I seldom use stains except maybe a little fruitwood or golden oak that I sand right back off just to pop the eyes in Birdseye or Curly Maple. Once in awhile I may stain a Maple cue emerald green or bloodwood or such just to be different. Back when I was building cues just to sell I would make up a Emerald green Curly or Birdseye in the batch I was doing. Nine out of ten people would not like it but it would usually be one of the first cues I would sell as green really turns some people on.
Dick
I've tried the oil based before, and the trick to it I found was a pre-stain conditioner. Still it was a slow method, because it still required many coats for a darker color, and long drying time. also I question the durability of it long term under any finish that's not oil based, because I would worry about oils pushing to the top over time. The conditioner By It'self makes the figure pop out in birdseye, and other maples, but does'nt really change the color By It'self, other then sort of carmelizing It somewhat.
The aniline Is what I've been wanting to try. Something with alcohol that dries quickly.
The aniline Is what I've been wanting to try. Something with alcohol that dries quickly.
You wouldn't want to breathe the crystaline dust, or allow the solution to sit on your skin for too long. I'd say it's slightly less harsh the good old chlorine bleach.RSB-Refugee said:
Anhydrous ammonia (not grocery store grade) is used for coloring Mission style quartersawn white oak, and the effect is stunning. The stuff is brutal though, and it's best if you make a sheet plastic tent outdoors to treat pieces in -- it's 24-48 hours to get full effect. Helps it it's warm weather too.
How it might work on maple I'm not sure.
Interesting, can you also use this on stabilized boxed elder Burl? I am looking to make it look more amber / caramel tones with exaggerated grain than the yellowish unfinished look. What is the water to oxidizer mix ratio?
Thanks,
Scott
To ebonize woods such as oak, and some others, what you were thinking of is a solution of vinegar and some steel wool. Just take a qt canning jar, add some fine steel wool, and let sit for a few days. Steel wool will dissolve, then you need to filter it by pouring through some paper towel or similar. You need to get all the left over steel particles out. Then flood the wood surface and let sit till its almost the tone you desire. It's a pain to use, raises grain like crazy, but a fun thing to try sometime.
While I'm not a cue builder, I would use either an aniline dye, or possibly some form of an oil stain such as Danish oil, or gel stain, but if I used a oil based stain I would probably wait 5 days or so for it to fully dry first. It will not fully dry in 24 hrs, takes days. You can actually smell when it drys. Much better I guess to just use aniline dyes.
While I'm not a cue builder, I would use either an aniline dye, or possibly some form of an oil stain such as Danish oil, or gel stain, but if I used a oil based stain I would probably wait 5 days or so for it to fully dry first. It will not fully dry in 24 hrs, takes days. You can actually smell when it drys. Much better I guess to just use aniline dyes.
