# Dying olivewood



## JPW062 (Dec 30, 2017)

Google says a thread here from about ten years ago is the definitive source of information.  That thread has no information.

I assume it doesn't go well.

I made a few ornaments this year and did OK with them.  Going to try to make some fancier ones  for next year.  Accent strip are an option, but gluing also an issue.

Of course, other woods could work, but people seem to love the Bethlehem Olivewood for Christmas ornaments.


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## Wildman (Dec 31, 2017)

Not sure how big a blank you are working with or size of ornaments you turn.  Depending upon where that olive wood came from tree or size of the tree might affect how grain runs.  That should not affect drying if blanks are end sealed. Of course have no idea of the MC of the wood you buy.

I would have no problem turning an olive wood ornaments a little wet or dry.  By time finished turning & hollowing  a little wet one wood should be at EMC.  Gluing something to oily olive wood might be a problem if don’t use little acetone before applying glue. 

Have not had a problem turning 2 1/2” or larger ornament green if hollowed the inside after turning shapes I wanted. Have a three piece set of small hollowing HSS tools no longer sold by Sorby. Before buying that hollowing set used allen wrenches.

I would not buy this set due to cost, would rather use allen wrenches.

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Sorby...93&sr=8-1&keywords=small+sorby+hollowing+tool

My set came unhandled and 1/4” round but very similar to this PSI set.

https://www.amazon.com/PSI-Woodwork...8-1-fkmr1&keywords=small+sorby+hollowing+tool


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## robutacion (Dec 31, 2017)

JPW062 said:


> Google says a thread here from about ten years ago is the definitive source of information.  That thread has no information.
> 
> I assume it doesn't go well.
> 
> ...



Could you show us what thread you are talking about...?

Dying Olive wood is not impossible, however, not all pieces of Olive are suitable and those that are will need to go through some very preparation steps, one would be fan oven "roasting" for at least 3 full days.

Most of the "common" Olive wood grain and colours, regardless where it grew is too dense and oily to dye or stabilise or both, however, I would question the principle of dying "TRUE" Bethlehem Olive wood and the very reason why people love this particular Holy wood (if it has grown in Bethlehem), changing its natural colours would be changing its significance among those that like it as always, and that is natural, a matt, semi-gloss or gloss finishes can be tolerable but not dying the wood, in my view.

Olive wood does grow all around the world, including Australia, I always gave "special attention" to that type of wood, I have plenty of Olive wood and plenty of experience with it, including testing the wood with all sorts of solutions, finishes and approaches but what I have is simply Olive tree wood, the Mediterranean variety, the wood is not Holy and has nothing to do with Bethlehem or Jerusalem so, if I and anyone else decide to dye it (change its natural colours) I'm OK with it, in fact I may have done it myself, not sure, I recall stabilising it but not sure if I ever dyed any when, I dye lots of other woods I have, all the time, dying wood sometimes works other time doesn't but when "mentioning" Olive wood, particularly true Bethehem Olive wood, I could never contemplate it unless in natural colours.

So, the question needs to be asked, why would you want to dye Olive wood...? 

Cheers
George


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## JPW062 (Jan 1, 2018)

Not sure what fan oven roasting is.  I WILL HAVE TO LOOK UP LATER.  
Why dye olive wood?  Because I already sold someone a few natural colored ornaments.  To put morw on their tree I am going to need to change it up a little.  For this I would pribably be dunking in general finishes water based dyes. 
 This wood is very oily.  I teated one with acetone wipe and it helped, but still felt a little oily.  Like smearing oil around.
Bethlehem or not it isnt blessed or otherwise special.


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## robutacion (Jan 1, 2018)

JPW062 said:


> *Not sure what fan oven roasting is*.  I WILL HAVE TO LOOK UP LATER.
> Why dye olive wood?  Because I already sold someone a few natural colored ornaments.  To put morw on their tree I am going to need to change it up a little.  For this I would pribably be dunking in general finishes water based dyes.
> This wood is very oily.  I teated one with acetone wipe and it helped, but still felt a little oily.  Like smearing oil around.
> Bethlehem or not it isnt blessed or otherwise special.



This is the term I use when I put the wood to dry in my fan forced oven, which works much better than without the fan.  The roasting is the term I use to describe the transition/transformation of liquid oil into solid oil crystals, this will require many hours in the oven but at low temps (70 Celsius).

For colouring those tree ornaments, you only need to use surface dyes some of which come mixed with some sort of varnish.

The confusion may have been from your mention of wood dying, in our pen turning world, this would mean to saturate the wood completely with a colour/dye, reason to my observations.

How dry is your Olive wood..? I know that is almost impossible to tell without an instrument that can read wood moisture content, I'm not saying that you need one but, you can get one for under $20.00 on eBay (wood moisture meter), they are a great help to check the MC (moisture content) in wood.

Olive wood, and its natural oils, I call it dry when it reaches 16%MC, other woods ould not be dry until it reaches 8%MC.

I hope this helps.

PS: Wiping the Olivewood with acetone before applying any coating is a good thing.

Cheers
George


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## KenV (Jan 1, 2018)

Translation

Forced fan oven = convection oven.

Some counter top ovens are available in convection format.  Watch counter top (toaster) oven carefully as many have crude thermal controls.

Heat is used to set resins in resin/oil rich woods.

Your odds of success will go up using alcohol soluble dye and shellac with oil rich woods.  When the coloration is what you want, go to your final finish or just finish with shellac.


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