Some months ago, I decided to try dyes in lieu of stains.  I do a lot with soft woods (supposedly, dye is better on them) and water based finishes.  After my first experiment, which went well, I realized that I had no basis of formulation, other than the manufacturer's instructions for 1# dye/ 4 gallons or 1# / 8 gallons.  My ambitions were much smaller.  The manufacturer warns that not all powders are the same density (i.e., a Tablespoon of powder doesn't always weigh the same), but from what I've tried thus far, they're pretty close.  So, my summary guidance:

 

mfr:  W.D.Lockwood (NY)

2 square feet of surface require 1 oz water  plus  0.014 oz powder/dye which is 0.12 teaspoons (1/8 tsp) dye.  This is the WDL equivalent of an 8-gallon "cut" (1# powder in 8 gallons water)

you can plan project needs from that starting place

the mixed solution dyes appear "happy" in plastic juice bottles:  after 2 months, the plastic isn't stained, and hasn't melted

 

Your results may vary.  One thing that (pleasantly) surprised me was just how far a fluid ounce of water/dye mix can go.  At first I tried measuring the dye powder by weight, but my food scale* doesn't repeatedly measure in the 0.1 oz range.  So I took a 1-oz-weight sample pack** and measured its volume at a bit short of 3 Tablespoons.  The rest is math (part of which is 1 T = 3 t).  Also watch for the confusion that a fluid ounce isn't the same as a weight ounce.

 

Although I'd seen instructions for boiling water, I found that 1--2 minutes in the microwave gives water warm enough to thoroughly absorb the dye, and you're in business.  In our (AZ) climate, the dye is dry in less than an hour.  It does raise the grain, so a grain-raising/sanding step prior to dyeing is worth doing.

 

I don't anticipate ever needing oil-based stains again, although I suspect the gel stains would be good for a top-coat glaze accent.

 

Best wishes in the new year!

 

*which for me is default set at tons

**WDL sells 1-oz (weight) sample packs for about $8 each.  It doesn't look like much until you run the math to about 150+ square feet of surface for that sample of 1-oz-wt

Edited January 1, 20188 yr by PeteM
clarity

Thanks for the info.   Pictures of results?

Thanks for this information! Seems like lots of turners are using dyes to accent their pieces, with great results.

The one on the left (Mk2) is done with dye.  The one on the right was originally stained, but also has seen about a year of use (soap dish).  Also, the left is poplar, the right maple.  Gloss poly topping.

Both look good. The dyed one seems to have a more vibrant color.

13 hours ago, lew said:

Both look good. The dyed one seems to have a more vibrant color.

I agree.  Part of the reason may be that the stain (right) one has been in use continuously for 18 months, with a rather sloppy bar of facial soap/goop on it.  Maybe the soap penetrated some depth?  Or, it's maple and the tighter grain reduces penetration?  The mk3 will be all maple with dye, and we'll see.