Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
Trolling for ideas
Bud Gabaree
>Hey all,
I've been working a lot lately with soft maple and wild cherry. I'm getting pretty bored with the same natural finish on every piece. Can someone give me some specific ideas on dyes or other options that they know looks good on these woods?
Also, I've often heard mention of "witch's brew", and have seen a reference to it as being in Russ' Corner. I've gone thorugh and not found it there. Where can I read about it?
Thanks all in advance.
bud
Try dyes
John Trant (Baltimore/DC area)
>Try some transparent dyes. I like the medium brown mohogany and cheastnut colors of Solarlux brand of transparent dyes (Woodcraft) on cherry. The grain/figure is still fully visible (if not enhanced) but you get a different tone. The same is true for walnut but the change in tone is more subtle. Maple, especially soft maple, will absorb a lot of the dye so you can dilute it if you don't want the drastic change. Personally I go with a very deep tone with maple. You can use any finish you want on top of these dyes.
John
Witch's Brew unmasked.
Dave Smith, Longview, WA
>Hi Bub,
I used the term Witch's Brew a long time ago on Badger Pond to refer to a finishing concoction that Chico(a.k.a. H.C. Sakman) recommended. I make a flippant remark about the finish being a special, secrete concoction that Chico let me in on, by calling it Witch's Brew. When Chico told me about it he said it was an old recipe that had been used by craftsmen for many years.
There is no set combination for the ingredients for Witch's Brew. I generally use equal parts of boiled linseed oil(BLO), gloss polyurethane and a thinner of choice. For lighter wood you can substitute tung oil for BLO. Some people use both oils and vary the proportions to suit them.
I have found that mineral spirits made me sick. And I avoid using it in my shop. I found a substitute called t.r.p.s. It is a strange name but it doesn't bother me like mineral spirits and works very well in a wiping finish. Gary Hern recommends real turpentine which he believes increases the chatoyants of the wood. Chico adds a little Japan dryer even though the polyurethane and BLO have properties that induce polymerizing.
My usual blends is:
1/3 BLO
1/3 Gloss polyurethane
1/6 trps
1/6 naphtha
A word of caution. Improper disposal of oily rags has caused more wood shop and home fires than I care to know about. Any rags must be disposed of properly to prevent a tragedy. I put my used rags out side on a concrete side walk until they are dry. You can tell because the rag will be stiff. Some people hang the on a line with close pins.
Dave Smith
Wondering what the original question was in Longview, WA.
Re: Try dyes
John Lucas
>Try bleaching before dyeing on some pieces. That opens up a whole new ball game. I just finished bleaching a walnut piece. Haven't had time to go any further but I'll post photos when I get it done.
Re: Trolling for ideas
JL work
>Try a white filler with some dyes. You will be amazed at the strange looks. Glance through a copy of Jeff Jewitt's books on finishing. You will get some ideas there.
Read all about it at *LINK*
Russ Fairfield
>Call it whatever you want, it is a very old "finish" that still works.
http://www.woodcentral.com/russ/finish7.shtml
Re: Trolling for ideas
jim
>Wood burning a pattern.
Cutting out a pattern.
Cut out a pattern like leave on a lg. dia bowl edge, dip the edge in 212deg water, bend the leaves to shapes.
jim
