The look of a dye on wood is hard to beat — the color is rich and vibrant without obscuring the figure. Although I’ve always had good results from powdered dyes, their big drawback is that mixing them can be a pain. So when I heard about easy-to-use dye concentrates, I was anxious to give them a try. Concentrates have several advantages over powdered dyes. The foremost is their versatility. These dyes are dissolved in what could be loosely described as a universal solvent. This means that the concentrate can be diluted by mixing it with water, alcohol, or lacquer thinner. Furthermore, because of this wide compatibility, the dye can be added to water-based finishes, shellac or lacquer to make a tinted finish.
As I mentioned, the concentrates can be mixed with several types of solvent. And each has its advantages. The easiest way to use a dye concentrate on bare wood is to simply mix it with water. You wipe or brush on the dye, flooding the surface, and then wipe off the excess. The moderate drying time of a water mix is the key to an even, streak-free color and deep penetration of the dye into the wood. Of course, water on wood will raise the grain — on some woods more than others. You can solve this problem by pre-wetting and sanding the wood or sanding lightly after applying the dye. My mix started with five drops of Antique Maple dye added to four ounces of water. The color was too light.
Adding 10 more drops of concentrate gave me the dark, amber base color that I was after.
With the addition of a few drops of reddish-brown dye, I had the perfect warm color for my maple project. Dye concentrate mixes are compatible with all types of topcoats. But you have to keep in mind that, unlike oil stains, dyes don’t have a binder that locks them in the wood. So to avoid any lifting or bleeding of the dye into the finish, make sure it’s thoroughly dry before applying the topcoat. Then try to avoid heavy brushing or wiping when applying the first coat. Spraying on a light seal coat is an easy way to avoid any problems.
