Color infusion in wood

[PostalTom]

I am interested in finding out how to infuse color into wood pieces, maybe 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick.  Looking for ideas or references to accomplish this.  Do I soak the pieces in aniline dye?  If so, which is more effective in getting the color as deep into the wood as possible, alcohol or water?  Should I use a pressure pot system, or maybe some kind of vacuum system?  This won't be natural wood tones, but rather bright blues, reds, greens, etc.  Any ideas will be appreciated.

[lew]

I think you’ll need to use a vacuum chamber. Check out procedures for stabilizing wood. That process pulls the stabilizing fluids pretty deep into the wood. Lots of videos on YouTube. 

[Gerald]

Like Lew I believe you will need high pressure to accomplish a thru color. Colorply and Spectra ply are done this way but that is in commercial operation and I have never seen any apparatus to do this in the home shop.

 

Why do you need color thru the entire piece? We may be able to give you alternatives.

[Smallpatch]

 

 Why do you need the color in so deep. Most folks can only see the surface. Show us what colors you are wanting and on what kind of wood. I use those colors and am very happy with the results..Some woods will only let the stain soak in so far.

 

Edited July 29, 2019 by Smallpatch

[Smallpatch]

Try some printers ink on most woods except oak. Hard wood like maple, cherry, birch, walnut, mesquite,hickory all work great with printers ink.  And most all soft woods except yellow pine for only part of that wood stains good. I want to see what it is you are stumped on...….

[PostalTom]

2 hours ago, lew said:

I think you’ll need to use a vacuum chamber.

 

1 hour ago, Gerald said:

Like Lew I believe you will need high pressure to accomplish a thru color.

Aren't  vacuum and high pressure complete opposites? I guess maybe I am a little confused on that.

 

I want the color deep because I have a couple of ideas for turning projects.  If the color is just on the surface, once I start turning it will disappear.  I am looking for color infusion like you see in some stabilized pen blanks, but on a larger scale, not necessarily thicker but longer and wider. 

[Gunny]

My solution is rather time consuming.  I glue up thin pieces of colored woods, i.e. purpleheart, maple, paduak, redheart, yellowheart etc etc.  Now I have wood that has color through and through that is layered.  You can go as thin as you can slice.  Now you have layered multicolored wood blank.  

 

This an example I have pictures of this method.  You can make stripes, change angles, intersect etc etc.

 

 

[Smallpatch]

PostalTom maybe something this.

[Gerald]

Tom is there any reason that you cannot dye the wood after turning? I have used a airbrush with very good results for applying alcohol based dyes. Also blot on with rag , paper towel, or cosmetic applicator.

        

Yes pressure and vacuum are different and I think pressure is the correct procedure to infuse color into wood. Vacuum is used to remove bubbles from castings or to draw a bag tight when doing veneer work

This color was applied with paper towel by blotting.

 

Below are airbrushed.

Edited July 29, 2019 by Gerald

[PostalTom]

I want to laminate different colored woods together to turn striped bowls, pens, etc.  Dyeing probably would not work in this case because I never learned how to color between the lines.

[Gerald]

Tom if you want colored veneer they do make that . I bought some at the Symposium in 2016 and still have not used it. Just do a search for dyed wood veneer. Even Woodcraft has some. Kinda pricey at 22 to 28 but the accents are worth it. Other than that Color ply or Spectraply are your best choices. This is one source Spectraply

[lew]

Couple of articles about stabilizing-

https://www.turntex.com/help-center/cactus-juice-stabilizing-resources/61-vacuum-explanation

 

https://www.turntex.com/component/content/article?id=60:using-mesquitemans-cactus-juice&catid=35

 

I used to work for a fellow that did cold cast porcelain. We would vacuum the mixtures to pull the air bubbles out of the liquids. Then pour the liquids into the mold. Next place the mold/liquid into a pressure chamber and pressurize until set.

 

The articles referenced above explain why the vacuum only process is better for use with wood.

[FlGatorwood]

Woodbutcher, Gerald and Smallpatch, really nice work in your pictures.  

[Gunny]

9 hours ago, Gerald said:

I have used a airbrush with very good results for applying alcohol based dyes. Also blot on with rag , paper towel, or cosmetic applicator.

Interesting idea, going to give this a try when winter comes and I can get back to the lathe.

[PostalTom]

On 7/29/2019 at 1:32 PM, lew said:

Couple of articles about stabilizing-

https://www.turntex.com/help-center/cactus-juice-stabilizing-resources/61-vacuum-explanation

 

https://www.turntex.com/component/content/article?id=60:using-mesquitemans-cactus-juice&catid=35

Lew, I think that is the information I needed.  Might be a little expensive to get started, but I think it would make for some interesting turnings.  Thanks.

 

Not to ignore everybody else's contributions.  Thanks a heap for the suggestions.  But I think that this, so far, comes closest to what I am trying to achieve.

Edited July 30, 2019 by PostalTom
Added thanks for all help.