# A Little Bit of Color



## cdwrrtx (Apr 22, 2019)

Here are some that I used food coloring for dye.  Concerned that even with the CA finish, there will be some fading over time.  What are some other alternatives to food coloring that aren't too expensive?

The modified Slimline is curly maple and the Executives are birdseye maple.


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## gtriever (Apr 22, 2019)

Exotic Blanks carries Chestnut Rainbow Spirit Stains. $12.95 per 8.4 ounce bottle, but a little bit goes a long way.


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## leehljp (Apr 22, 2019)

Beautiful work Cliff! Those colors bring the beauty of the wood out too! WOW!


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## LouCee (Apr 22, 2019)

Very nice work, they look great!


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## mrjinx007 (Apr 25, 2019)

You might be able to use water base acrylic paint.


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## carlmorrell (Apr 24, 2020)

cdwrrtx said:


> Here are some that I used food coloring for dye.  Concerned that even with the CA finish, there will be some fading over time.  What are some other alternatives to food coloring that aren't too expensive?
> 
> The modified Slimline is curly maple and the Executives are birdseye maple.



Do you still have either of these pens?  Have you seen any fading, now that they are close to a year old? I did a food dye experiment last night, and was about to try it on a blank.


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## KenB259 (Apr 24, 2020)

You can buy cheap oil based paint in the artist area of any craft store, many colors to choose from. Just dilute it with a little dna and it works perfectly. Have done it many times apply a CA finish over it after it dries and I’ve never seen it fade. Looks great on something like curly maple. Of course, you have to turn to size before staining. 


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app


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## mick (Apr 24, 2020)

I've made quite a few using food coloring and still have a couple around here somewhere. I've never noticed any fading.
BTW those are gorgeous!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## cdwrrtx (Apr 26, 2020)

No fading. Still looking good. Have now gone to alcohol ink. Picked some alcohol ink markers for cheap.


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