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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Mark,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Cool stuff! :-) I'm not =
sure it's
exactly what I was after, though. Can the TransTint dyes make the =
wood
completely black? When I said I wanted to "show the grain," I was
referring more to the thickness of the finish (i.e. texture) than the =
depth of
the stain (i.e. color). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Someone suggested an "ebony" stain, =
made by
Olympic, that is apparently quite black -- or perhaps an =
off-black. That
might work too. Any thoughts about fading with this
product???</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And yes, I *am* concerned about
lightfastness. This stain will be used on a new "standard" frame =
stock
that I am developing for my photography. (Sorry, it's not a =
piano!
<blush>) I don't know where my customers will be hanging =
these
things or how they'll be treating them. I go through great pains =
to make
sure my printed images are as lightfast as possible (lasting a =
century or
more in normal interior lighting without any noticeable fade. I =
need to
take the same measures with the frame stock.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks for indulging me me on this =
general wood
finishing question, especially since I'm not applying this technique to =
a
piano. </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Then again, I have a =
very large,
very ugly brown piano that will soon get refinished in black lacquer, so =
I'll be
asking some more piano-related refinishing advice then.
;-)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peace,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sarah</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=bases-loaded76@sbcglobal.net
href="mailto:bases-loaded76@sbcglobal.net">Mark Potter</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, July 12, 2005 =
4:48
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: black finishing
techniques</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial =
size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Hi Sarah -</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>First, you seem to be worried about fading quite a bit.... is =
this
because the finished pieces will be exposed to direct sunlight on a =
regular
basis? If this IS the case, I think your options certainly =
become
very limited, very quickly.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>If instead these finished pieces will live a somewhat normal =
indoor life,
my first impulse would be to use black Transtint Dyes, a metallic dye =
that is
very lightfast and extremely easy to use. You buy it super =
concentrated,
and can dissolve it in practically anything - water, alcohol, lacquer =
thinner,
mineral spirits(I think), etc... I would be inclined to play around =
with the
solution strength until I got the proper balance of =
color/transparency, which
should be simple enough, then spray or wipe a water-based finish on to =
achieve
the build and lustre you are seeking. </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Transtint Dyes are available at wood hobby shops, and in my area =
(central
Ohio) they can be found at Woodcraft and Rockler (who just merged with =
Wood
Werks Supply). They can also be ordered directly from Homestead
Finishing.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>One way to go...</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Mark Potter<BR><BR><B><I>Sarah Fox
<sarah@graphic-fusion.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dear wood finishing =
gurus,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm hoping y'all can give me a bit =
of
advice. I am wanting to use a tight-grained wood, such as =
poplar, and
placing a thin, black, satin finish on it that shows the =
grain. I'll
be doing a lot of this work, so it would be great to avoid highly =
volatile
lacquers and such, insofar as possible. A local paint products =
manufacturer suggested an acrylic paint which I tried =
(skeptically).
As carefully as I apply it, it is still appears just a bit too
"paint-ish."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Another tech on this list once =
suggested using
black shoe dye on wood (for touching up the keysticks on the =
sharps), but
I'm leary of dyes, considering the possibility that they might =
fade.
(Of course paint will do that too.) Even so, one likely =
solution might
be to dye the wood black and then use a wipe-on clear finish of some =
sort
(water-based polyacrylic?), to achieve the right luster. =
Potential
problems include the dye absorbing deeper into the wood over time, =
leaving a
lighter color and, as I said, a fading of the dye from light
exposure.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Another possibility might be using =
India ink to
color the wood. India ink is pigment (soot/carbon) based and =
is
probably therefore more immune to fade. Unfortunately it's =
also rather
expensive.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Do any of you know of a =
pigment-based colorant,
perhaps carbon-based? Have any of you made such a
substance?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Any thoughts? =
Suggestions? Favorite
products?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks for your =
advice!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peace,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sarah</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>PS The table saw and the dado set =
are working
great. I'm really putting together a nice looking product, =
after a lot
of trial and =
error.</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>