Little Dyed Sycamore Bowl

Vaughn McMillan

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
36,054
Location
ABQ NM
I finished this one up a few months ago, but I don't think I've posted any pics of it. This is more of my neighbor's plain-looking sycamore, with another dye job. It was the inside core of a pair of bowls...the outer bowl didn't survive the ride during finish turning. This one is about 6" around and about 5" tall", Finish is buffed rattle can lacquer, with Antique Oil as the first coat on the inside of the bowl.

Bowl 057 - 02 800.jpg Bowl 057 - 04 800.jpg Bowl 057 - 01 800.jpg

As always, comments and critiques are appreciated -
 
I really like this dye treatment. I think it is just a wonderful way to embellish the "plainer" woods and provide visual interest.

I have been experimenting with dyes on plain woods such as silver maple, box elder etc. Depending on the amount of dye that is allowed to penetrate you can mimic other woods and change the appearance of these rather mundane woods significantly.
 
Thanks for the comments, guys. :wave:

Royall, I'm using an Asturo mini HVLP gun spraying TransTint dyes thinned with DNA. I do the dye work after all the turning and sanding is done, and the foot is completed. I also spritz the piece with water to raise the grain, then re-sand it with 400 and 600 grit to knock the bumps off. I put the piece face down on a lazy susan made of scrap particle board. I spray the light color first, usually as a base coat over the whole piece. Then I work my way through darker and darker shades and colors, using pretty unscientific methods for determining the dye /DNA mix. (Usually between 5 and 15 drops of dye per ounce of DNA.) If I spray a layer and it's not dark enough, I'll add a few more drops of dye to the paint cup and swish it around. (If it's too dark...oh well.) I had one bowl that I didn't like the original outcome, so I mounted the bowl on the vacuum chuck and power sanded most of the color off, then started over with the dye. Didn't like the second attempt either, so I sanded that one off too. Third time was a charm, though. Here's a pic of that one.

http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?t=12289&highlight=sycamore

The Asturo gun has a very consistent spray pattern. I tried an airbrush but didn't like the results I got. (Could have been my inexperience with airbrushes, too.) I also STRONGLY recommend a good respirator, designed for organic vapors, if you're spraying anything with a DNA base. I came real close to landing in the hospital learning that lesson. :rolleyes:
 
Top