Starting to dye and stabilize and could use some guidance

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Schroedc

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Joined
Dec 17, 2013
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47
Location
Rushford MN
I'm going to be dyeing and stabilizing wood myself later today as soon as UPS shows up with my resin order and could use some guidance on dye to resin ratios. Using Cactus Juice resin and alumilite dye, trying for a nice mid to dark blue in Hemlock wood (Pine/Fir type wood)

Any advice on a good starting point for dye to resin mix to start with or guidance on how to go about figuring it out?

Thanks in advance!
 
The thing to remember is that each species of wood will dye differently than the next. It all has to do with the concentration of resin you are able to get into the wood. Myself, I don't try to count drops or anything like that. I simply start with a quantity that I think will be enough to do the blanks I want to do. I then start adding dye and stirring. I add enough dye that, for blue, it looks black when I look into it. Keep in mind that your dyed Juice needs to be much darker than the finished blank. I then run a small test batch to completion and cut one blank down the center to see what the color looks like. If it is too dark, I add some virgin Juice. If it is not dark enough, I add more dye.

I am sorry I don't know of a better way to get more precise results but it is just impossible since each takes things differently. For example, spalted Pecan, which I can usually triple in weight, will take a less concentrated mix than hard maple.
 
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