Trans tint dyes

[ray vile]

I've been readiing up on the different types of dyes and stains that are available to put a finish on different types of wood.

Has anyone had any experience with the dyes made by Trans Tint? They seem to me to be just about the easiest way to go about making your own custom stains.

[KregRep]

Trans Tint dyes--and other aniline dyes--are great for making custom stains. I've used them on multiple occasions. I like the concentrated format of the Trans Tint because it makes it easy to get the exact tone you want by adding a drop or two at a time and doing samples until you get what you want. It can also be added to topcoats to give a bit of tone.

Be sure you keep track of how many drops you use if you want to be able to hit that same color again in the future.

The dyes are also economical because you get a lot out f each concentrated bottle. On the downside, if you end up buying a color you don't like, you pay a lot for something you don't want.

Remember that water-based dyes perform completely differently from stain--there are no solid pigment particles to sit on the wood. That can be good or bad, depending on what you're after. Water-based will raise the grain, too, which you need to take care of before you add a topcoat. Experiment on samples before you dive into dying an actual project.

For me, if I want to add color to the wood (instead of just a clear finish) I tend to use dyes on highly figured woods and stains on most others.

KregRep