This is the box I was asked to make as a gift for a knitter who has everything. I built the box from Elm and stained it with walnut aniline dye suspended in wood alcohol. Typically the stain is mixed with water, but I didn't like the way it raised the grain so I tried alcohol. The stain sets slightly darker than in water and very, very fast. Since the stain sets quickly it is a fast finish, also not too bad to touch up. Given the speed that the stain sets and how deeply it soaks in I may but a sealer coat on the wood next time.
On top of the stain I put "wipe on poly", another time I will try my typical shellac finish but a paid project with a dead line is not the time to experiment. I was afraid that more alcohol would lift the stain and I would get blotches everywhere.
Looks nice, Ian. I would be interested to see more of this box (as I have a knitter who has everything).
ReplyDeleteI've tried analyne dyes a few times - they work particularly well with hardwoods like maple where traditional stains are blotchy or do not penetrate well. I've always mixed them with water - spraying the project down in advance, letting it dry and then sanding - before applying the dye. Works well.