# Help with using Transtint dye



## Hiramwoodworks (May 8, 2017)

Hello fellow Penturners,

I have some guitar off cuts I got from a luthier and am working on a pen for a friend from some curly Maple. He is a great guitar player and I want to try and make the pen look like a guitar finish when it's done. 

I bought some bright red transtint dye and am trying to figure out the best way to apply it to get that color and the figure to pop. My plan is to finish it with a CA finish to give it that high gloss guitar look to the finished product. 

Just wondering if anyone has played with dying the wood while finishing. 

Thanks. 


Thanks,

Chris Jacobsen
Instagram: Hiramwoodworking


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## KenV (May 8, 2017)

Chris, head over to Stewart MacDonald - also called StewMac - and watch a video or more on guitar finishing.  I suspect you will get some good ideas and alter your expectations a bit.  StewMac sells guitar parts, pieces, tools, and all other thing related.  They have tools and ideas that are transferable to pens.

Using waste pieces of the same species, test, compare, and retest the dye processes you pick.   Trans tint comes very concentrated.  I dilute in alcohol, but some use water.  Water raises grain and the raised grain needs to be removed with abrasives.  

Test different concentrations and top with a finish to compare.  You can get light red to intense dark red.

I tend to use walnut oil and CA which does well to pop the grain.  Lacquer does well also.

Have fun (and not too much expense) at StewMac!!


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## luckyscroller788 (May 8, 2017)

When I use dye, I generally sand the blank down to the point of where I would begin finishing, and if just using one color, and not mixing two or three for another color, I wet a folded up paper towel with the dye, or use a cheap foam brush, and quickly, liberally slobber the dye on. Then,grab a dry rag or towel, and buff the snot out of the blank with the lathe running. After that, if your finishing with CA, make sure your first couple coats are put on thin and have a little extra time to dry, before really building up the finish.


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## law_kid (May 15, 2017)

luckyscroller788 said:


> When I use dye, I generally sand the blank down to the point of where I would begin finishing, and if just using one color, and not mixing two or three for another color, I wet a folded up paper towel with the dye, or use a cheap foam brush, and quickly, liberally slobber the dye on. Then,grab a dry rag or towel, and buff the snot out of the blank with the lathe running. After that, if your finishing with CA, make sure your first couple coats are put on thin and have a little extra time to dry, before really building up the finish.



My technique is similar.  I get through my final sanding on the lathe (to the grit you'd use right before applying finish).   I mix the Transtint in alcohol and I dab my rag in the dye. Then, lathe turning, spread on a liberal amount.  Then for good measure, I turn off the lathe and add more, rubbing everything down fully  (I am usually using tiger maple which tends to soak in the dye like crazy).  I then wait about five minutes, then apply my first two coats of CA.  I usually get some dye bleeding back onto the paper towel.  After two coats, I hit the CA with accelerator, and the dye is normally sealed in after that point.  Then I add another 6-8 coats of CA, following the usual process from there.

I have had great luck with the honey amber shade, although the red mahogany shade tends to look a little blotchy.


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## TLTHW (May 15, 2017)

We use a wood conditioner when using water based dyes and stains. Either General Finishes Wood Conditioner or a mixture of 1 part wood glue to 9 parts water. Both minimize grain raising and blotching. Use 2 coats if you use the wood glue/water.


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## RogerC (May 22, 2017)

I build custom guitars and just got into pen turning, and I've used Transtint numerous times. I've never had any luck using it under CA, though.  The CA acts as a solvent and moves the dye around.

To use Transtint, combine it with denatured alcohol to get the color you want and then apply to the pen until you build the depth you're looking for.  Then shoot some lacquer over it.  DO NOT use Deft lacquer.  It's too soft and never cures hard.  There are a few other rattle can lacquers available (ReRanch.com is a very good source).  

The problem with lacquer is the cure time.  Once you get your top coats done, it'll need to sit for at least a week to harden.  then you can begin the process of wet sanding and polishing.


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