# 1st post... How to color a birch pen green



## Jasonw (Mar 29, 2012)

I have a friend that wants a pen colored green. I tried to use a permenent marker but it turned out way too dark, almost black. The second pen had a chemical reaction as I thinned the marker ink with paint thinner and as soon as I applied the CA it turned out a nasty purple/greenish mix. I know there is a way to stain wood different colors but I don't want to waste a lot of more time on this since it is basically a freebe... Where do I get the stain from?


Thanks!
Jason


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## Silverado (Mar 29, 2012)

You can use food colour from your local grocery store.

Thanks
Tim


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## The Penguin (Mar 29, 2012)

several guys in my local club use RIT clothing dye.


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## aerosupra (Mar 29, 2012)

Yep, I've used both, either will work...I recommend hitting your pen with Mineral Spirits before applying either. Mix RIT with DNA.  Use light coats and darken as needed with multiple passes.  Check for grain pop before you finish.


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## Jasonw (Mar 29, 2012)

Thanks, will do. I should have thought of food dye, great idea!

j


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## vtwoballer (Mar 30, 2012)

Hi Jason, for best results you need to buy alcohol based dyes because these do not raise the grain where as water based dyes do.  Good quality Non Grain Raising dyes can be obtained from a company called Axminster a pack consists of several bottles and the great thing is you can mix them together and create your own unique shades, hope this helps.


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## Jim Burr (Mar 30, 2012)

Food color and RIT will fad quickly when exposed to UV...like taking it outside or by a window. Seen them last as little as two weeks. Alcohol based dyes are more colorfast.


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## Jasonw (Mar 30, 2012)

Well, I did the food coloring and it worked our pretty good. He likes it and will give to his girlfriend this weekend. I also engraved it and filled it in with a crayon. The engraving I do as a side business in my home.

The darker one is one I used with a permanent marker and the super glue had a reaction making it a lot darker, almost black. 

*Thanks* for the suggestions and I will look at the other coloring processes as well.

Jason

Sorry the pictures a kinda dark but had to do it in a hurry...


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## snyiper (Mar 30, 2012)

I forget the food coloring I use but I know it is not Mcormik. It is used for cakes and it is a gel consistancy. I ordered it online, seems to color very well of course depends on the woods grain as well.


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## leehljp (Mar 30, 2012)

aerosupra said:


> Yep, I've used both, either will work...I recommend hitting your pen with Mineral Spirits before applying either. Mix RIT with DNA.  Use light coats and darken as needed with multiple passes.  Check for grain pop before you finish.



While not On Topic to the Original Post, I did want to make a comment about the use of "Grain Pop". I grew up using "grain pop" in the same way - meaning that the grain would raise up when wet (usually done intentionally) and then sand it down to make it very smooth. Carpenters, cabinet makers and construction people in the South and those that that I grew up with, used it like this. 

But in a discussion some years ago with Russ Fairfield, (since passed on) he and many use the words to mean "increase contrast" and cause highlight of the grain pattern. I have come to accept this use and still do use it in this context at times.

I wanted to comment on this so that if you, or others, see that same term used in different situations, it has two different meanings. :wink:


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## TerryDowning (Mar 30, 2012)

I agree and it's a good point
there is a distinct difference between "Making the grain "Pop"" (Highlighting the differences in the grain so it is more appealing)

and "Raining the Grain (grain pop)"

Raising the grain is a result of excess moisture (usually water) on bare wood and is the result of the different densities of the grain absorbing the moisture at different rates and therefore swelling differently. Food coloring or RIT mixed with water will do this. light sanding is advised.


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## joefrog (Mar 30, 2012)

I usually see colored stains in the finishing section of Lowes and Home Depot -- would any of those work?  My wife also wants a green wood pen!


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## joefrog (Apr 3, 2012)

joefrog said:


> I usually see colored stains in the finishing section of Lowes and Home Depot -- would any of those work?  My wife also wants a green wood pen!



I bought a tube of green gel stain today -- we'll see how that turns out and let you know!


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## Jasonw (Apr 4, 2012)

I would like to see the results and know what stain you purchased.. Did you buy from Lowes or Home Depot?


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## NotURMailman (Oct 30, 2012)

I used minwax water based clear stain and tinted it with Rit foor color, liquid food coloring, and gel food coloring for a project I made with my wife. The Rit works great if you can find the color you want. The liquid food color also worked fairly well. I had fading, wicking, and absorbency issues with the gel food color.

Just my experience. You definately want to finish over it to help slow fading, but I'm pretty sure the tinted minwax will last better than plain Rit or food color.


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