Do not use this product!

[JohnJohn]

A while ago Litchfield custom posted about a way to make dyes,(good info too-was that ever pinned?),and the topic came up about using black food colouring.

I wrote about a black food colouring that I had found by Wilton Enterprises.

DO NOT USE IT.

I just finished drying,(air) some scrap maple I had soaking in it for ebonizing,the dye turned the wood a blue colour,(kinda cool looking really).

The liquid looked as black as black can be.Maybe it oxidized in the air or maybe it needs a stabalizer added to it for long term.Whatever the case do not use it for transparent black dyes.

I truly apologize for posting any info about this without doing all of the background first.

John

[Brian]

Might want to test india ink although I think you'll end up with the same results unless you coat it twice letting it dry between coats

[rhoads56]

Food dyes are an extremely bad bad idea. They are not designed for use on wood, or in lacquer, and certainly arent designed to last a long time, or be UV resistant.

And, i bet if you worked out the cost comparison, they are more expensive in the long run.

[RAI6]

Most "black" inks/colors aren't really black.

They are a really dark, dark purple.

Just take a black Sharpie and stick it in a jar of some light solvent.

It will turn purple......

[guitar_ed]

Howdy,

Also do not forget that the wood has an impact on the color that you end up with. After all, it is all chemistry.

Guitar Ed

[JohnJohn]

Update-used some water based acrylic paint and a standard brush and drew lines along the piece.

The brush lines and the colour contrast made it look like natural grain.The blue was dark enough that I didn't have to go thick on the paint so it didn't produce any raised surfaces with the clear.

[GEdwardJones]

Food dyes are an extremely bad bad idea. They are not designed for use on wood, or in lacquer, and certainly arent designed to last a long time, or be UV resistant.

And, i bet if you worked out the cost comparison, they are more expensive in the long run.

I painted some helmets for my nephew not to long ago. When buying the paints I asked "What's the difference between $15/pint and $50/pint?" The answer was the $50 paints had better UV resistance, but if you used a high quality clear you could get away with using a cheaper color. Which is exactly what I did.

Only time will tell if he was truthful, but it's something to keep in mind.

[ansil]

hmmm i have had good luck with food dyes. but i did like the above mentioned i used a top of the line clear coat that was recomened by a luthier friend of mine which he actually put the stuf fin a mason jar for me from his own shop.. still hasn't faded yet according to the guy i sold it too

[JohnJohn]

Litchfield did a thread about making dyes and he was infusing right into the clear,(looked good too).

There is an airbrush paint called Createx,(avail at most art stores). that has several different lines,but it's mostly water based.Part of the product line-up is a product called extender.This is added when mixing the paints,(the colours aren't true so you can get muddy colours),and as a surface prep and sealer.

It dries clear and isn't very expensive for a large bottle.I wonder if adding some extender would help boost the dyes UV resistance.

[Jehle]

Might want to test india ink although I think you'll end up with the same results unless you coat it twice letting it dry between coats

I've had great luck with India Ink so far. It's really easy to work with and is black as pitch.

Time for a photo op...

The back and sides of this guitar were coated with black india ink to stain the wood. That was covered with gloss polyeurethane (sp!).