<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2668" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Sarah,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What is it you are trying to = refinish?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <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> </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> </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> </DIV> <DIV>One way to go...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mark Potter<BR><BR><B><I>Sarah Fox <sarah@graphic-fusion.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px = solid"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2668" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> <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>