Jump to content

Do not use this product!


Recommended Posts

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 :D

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... B)

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

cjelly2.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...