Stand Build #7

Potawatomi13

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Made a move. I decided that if I want a dark brown walnut colored stand, then I would make a stand using dark walnut or other rosewood or ebony type wood. In this case, if I’m going to go through the trouble of changing the woods color, I’d go with something a bit more bold. @penumbra @LanceMac10 this may not be exactly what you were envisioning, but you may appreciate the finish none the less.

I used a two part gel stain process. A deep red then a dark brown to darken the red a bit and add character to the grain of the hickory. I was initially worried that the poly may mess with the gel stain so I did a sample first.

if I were to do this finish again I’d do things a bit different as I had a few technical difficulties I dealt with and a few things didn’t come out exactly as planned. But overall I’m happy with the look. I’m going to post this on Bonsai Auctions tomorrow evening.
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Excellent fitting of pieces. Always amazes me. Would be interesting to see one such with half circle legs.
 

Ruddigger

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That turned out nice. Your issues with the stain are why I prefer to use dyes.
 

Hartinez

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That turned out nice. Your issues with the stain are why I prefer to use dyes.
Thanks! I’ve never used them but I read from several other people online the same sentiment. Do you make your own dye or do you have a favorite product?
 

Pitoon

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Thanks! I’ve never used them but I read from several other people online the same sentiment. Do you make your own dye or do you have a favorite product?
Lee Valley has a a good selection of aniline dyes that you mix yourself to the desired tint. The only bad thing I could say about them is that when mixed they have a shelf life. So it's imperative to use a jewelry scale to weigh out the dye to make consistent batches if you do multiple projects over time and want them to have the same color.


 

Ruddigger

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Thanks! I’ve never used them but I read from several other people online the same sentiment. Do you make your own dye or do you have a favorite product?

I rarely do it, but I’ve used general finishes dyes and mixed them to get custom colors. Perfect results even on soft woods like pine and poplar.

As to what Pitoon said, I used an old scoop out of some protein powder or something to measure out for consistent results.
 

Hartinez

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I rarely do it, but I’ve used general finishes dyes and mixed them to get custom colors. Perfect results even on soft woods like pine and poplar.

As to what Pitoon said, I used an old scoop out of some protein powder or something to measure out for consistent results.
Yeah I’m generally not a big on changing the woods color, but it’s a part of my repertoire I need to improve.
 
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