I am so sick of this notion that dying figured wood directly is the only way. The light refractive qualities of figured grain are greatly diminished when apply dye directly to wood, because the end grain areas soak up way more than the flat grain areas of figure, which destroys the light refraction.
If you want to preserve the true 3D shimmering luster of figured grain, you have to do all the steps above, but need to seal the wood entirely with crystal clear lacquer, epoxy, or your clear of choice. Then after sufficient filling and flatness, you then add dye to your clear top coat like spraying a candy finish. You then spray you transparent color coat, then top with clearcoat. This way you eliminate the dye from excessively darkening the end grain portions of the figure, because you are not pouring dye into those "straw ends".
Enhancing 3D Figured Maple
in Finishing/Refinishing
Posted
I am so sick of this notion that dying figured wood directly is the only way. The light refractive qualities of figured grain are greatly diminished when apply dye directly to wood, because the end grain areas soak up way more than the flat grain areas of figure, which destroys the light refraction.
If you want to preserve the true 3D shimmering luster of figured grain, you have to do all the steps above, but need to seal the wood entirely with crystal clear lacquer, epoxy, or your clear of choice. Then after sufficient filling and flatness, you then add dye to your clear top coat like spraying a candy finish. You then spray you transparent color coat, then top with clearcoat. This way you eliminate the dye from excessively darkening the end grain portions of the figure, because you are not pouring dye into those "straw ends".