Dyed pen blanks

[Tim K]

I was playing with some colors yesterday and this was the end result. I turned them round between centers so you could see the colors. These are stabilized Spalted maple blanks that will work with Wall Street/Sierra kits.

 

[SDB777]

Did you use vaccuum to get this result? Soaking? Pressure?

How long did the process take?





Scott (nice tones) B

 

[Tim K]

Scott,

I dye them durning the stabilization process in my vacuum chamber for about 1 1/2 hr.
It really does a nice job on really dry punky wood!

 

[Tim'sTurnings]

CB&D, I see some voids in the blanks. What are you going to use to fill them. I have some spalted Box Elder I was going to stabilize but they have voids as well and I don't know for sure how to fill the worm holes and other voids as I see in yours. If you would let me know how you are going to fill them I would appreciate it.
Tim.

 

[Tim K]

That's the part I love !! The holes and voids....

I fill the with turquoise powder, magenta powder, some people even grind coffee and fill the holes.

Example below.
Do you have any Box elder up for grabs......please...lol

 

[Tim K]

By the way those blanks are not turned to finish, just to show color and grain. No holes drilled for the tube....

 

[mmtnsage]

I can tell from the photo that these blanks have a single color and the wood absorbs the color differently in different areas. How would one dye a blank with two colors? I've seen a few on ebay I and don't understand how to make a two color blank.

Thanks,
Tina

 

[airborne_r6]

Has anyone tried dying first under vacuum and then stabilizing? The biggest down side I see would be moisture, as the dying process would introduce significant moisture into the wood that would have to be removed before proceeding. I don't think that dying first should affect the stabilization process otherwise.

Thoughts and especially experiences?

 

[MesquiteMan]

Yes, I have dyed with alcohol based dye before stabilzing many times. The only problem is that when you run it through the vacuum process, it is going to re-wet the dye and cause the stabilizing resin to turn the same color as your dye. This may not be an issue but since this happens, it kind of defeats the purpose of dying first, then stabilizing. In my experience, I have no real need to go that extra step.

 

[airborne_r6]

Yes, I have dyed with alcohol based dye before stabilzing many times. The only problem is that when you run it through the vacuum process, it is going to re-wet the dye and cause the stabilizing resin to turn the same color as your dye. This may not be an issue but since this happens, it kind of defeats the purpose of dying first, then stabilizing. In my experience, I have no real need to go that extra step.

That's what I was wondering, if it was just a longer way to arrive at the same end or if it gave any different result, e.g. better dying of the wood.

 

[Tim K]

I had the same experience that Curtis just described as far as dying first and them stabilizing. Next I will go through the process of of stabilizing twice with two different colors.