Adding Color

[Dave Fritz]

It seems most add color if the piece of wood is not very interesting. I've noticed some of my bowls have gotten darker or in the case of walnut lighter in time. Some of the figure is diminished and not as nice as it once was. I'm using oil finishes-tung oil and walnut oil. I wonder if I would be better off adding some color and use a spray on finish to keep the figure? Some Harry Nohr's bowls still look almost new, while he didn't use color, he used a baked in epoxy finish. https://www.etsy.com/listing/764638357/harry-nohr-one-of-americas-most Maybe that's the solution?

 

[Richard Coers]

Any film finish will maintain the original look longer than oil. Oil needs maintenance and recoating over the years, especially walnut oil. I consider walnut oil to be a great utensil finish. but needs monthly maintenance to keep it bright. A baked on epoxy finish is the last finish I would put on wood. I hate a plastic look on wood, plus baking can have lots of repercussions with wood that is not completely dry.

 

[Bill Blasic]

I use colors (dyes) to enhance figure in the wood. You can make bland wood a little more exciting with dyes by first dyeing from the inside out before putting the dye on the outside. This usually leads to two shades of the color you are using to dye the piece.

 

[Tim Tucker]

FIlm finishes will also "amber" with time and exposure to light- which will darken the appearance of the wood.

 

[Dave Fritz]

Thank you Bill. Would you then finish that with a spray lacquer or some other finish? I suppose the same question for pieces that are fumed would apply.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

FIlm finishes will also "amber" with time and exposure to light- which will darken the appearance of the wood.

Glad you mentioned that I have seen that many times especially with walnut.

Oil needs maintenance and recoating over the years, especially walnut oil. I consider walnut oil to be a great utensil finish. but needs monthly maintenance to keep it bright.

I have found over many years time that Danish Oil will maintain the rich natural color of walnut and yes over time it may need a reapplication of the oil but that is easily accomplished and does not require stripping like a film finish. The DO does not seem to work the same on cherry, since it does not seam like there is any finish that will stop the darkening.

 

[Bill Blasic]

Thank you Bill. Would you then finish that with a spray lacquer or some other finish? I suppose the same question for pieces that are fumed would apply.

My go to finish has always been lacquer but I'm now trying Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane per Steve Sinner. Steve's finishes are spectacular and he has a great video on the process he uses on YouTube.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVQEJf7KkoQ

 

[Dave Fritz]

Thanks Bill. I suppose you have to have a dry stable color before finishing in this manner.

 

[Randy Heinemann]

I have used Chroma-Gilt mixed with a beeswax/mineral oil finish I use and the result was that the Chroma-Gilt coloring ended up highlighting the grain in an ash bowl I turned. It was a really unique effect. I've tried it on other pieces but it doesn't always work out well. Mostly, though, when a piece of wood has impressive grain, even imperfections, I like to let the wood put on its own show and I just use other finishes like spray paint or dyes for those pieces which seem to need something beyond their own gra

There is a picture in my pictures in the Forum Photo Gallery from December, 2021.

 

[Bill Blasic]

Thanks Bill. I suppose you have to have a dry stable color before finishing in this manner.

Dave I use acetone as my carrier of the dye so when the smell is gone the dye is set. I move kinda quickly from there to finish and have had no problems.

 

[Dave Fritz]

I have used Chroma-Gilt mixed with a beeswax/mineral oil finish I use and the result was that the Chroma-Gilt coloring ended up highlighting the grain in an ash bowl I turned. It was a really unique effect. I've tried it on other pieces but it doesn't always work out well. Mostly, though, when a piece of wood has impressive grain, even imperfections, I like to let the wood put on its own show and I just use other finishes like spray paint or dyes for those pieces which seem to need something beyond their own gra

There is a picture in my pictures in the Forum Photo Gallery from December, 2021.

Randy, ash is my favorite wood to dye as well. The variance between growth rings is pretty great.

 

[Jerry Levy]

My go to finish has always been lacquer but I'm now trying Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane per Steve Sinner. Steve's finishes are spectacular and he has a great video on the process he uses on YouTube.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVQEJf7KkoQ

do you use water based or oil based spar urethane. California has made it difficult to get oil based finishes.

 

[Bill Blasic]

Oil based. My experience with water based finishes has not been great.

 

[Bill T Tucker]

I have used Chroma-Gilt mixed with a beeswax/mineral oil finish I use and the result was that the Chroma-Gilt coloring ended up highlighting the grain in an ash bowl I turned. It was a really unique effect. I've tried it on other pieces but it doesn't always work out well. Mostly, though, when a piece of wood has impressive grain, even imperfections, I like to let the wood put on its own show and I just use other finishes like spray paint or dyes for those pieces which seem to need something beyond their own gra

There is a picture in my pictures in the Forum Photo Gallery from December, 2021.

sure would like to hear a bit more on your process...mix the "gilt" on a blob of wax/oil and apply??
thanks

 

[Randy Heinemann]

It was more of an experiment than a process, but what you said is about it. It doesn't take too much wax/oil and takes only a tiny amount of the Chroma-Gilt. I just mixed the two together until I thought the color was evenly mixed in. The amount of Chroma-Gilt was just a tiny dab. It goes a long way. I think the wax/oil acted to distribute the color over the whole bowl. Sometimes it's hard to get the Chroma-Gilt evenly distributed on its own. Mixing a tiny bit in wipe-on or gel poly might also work. I haven't tried that yet. There is another piece in my pictures on the Forum, an elm hollow form where I used Chroma-Gilt also. On that one, I burned the top with a butane torch, brushed off the ash, and applied Chroma-Gilt. The Chroma-Gilt tends to come off the finger on the hig spots. It can be spread around for a short time with brisk finger movement but you have to be careful you don't put much on your finger. USE NITRILE GLOVES THOUGH. It doesn't come orr your hands easily. I also did another, larger bowl similarly, but it didn't turn out well. I wasn't real happ and so don't show it. I want to do more but just haven't had time.

 

[Marc Banka]

Going back to Dave’s original post and query.
You didn’t say how the faded and darkened pieces are used. Are they used, or just for display? I ask because the walnut pieces that I’ve made and still own show no fading, and might be darker than when new. Are you sure your walnut isn’t simply dry?
My pieces that I’m referring to were finished with wax over walnut oil or BLO. One of them is 40 years old.
Have you re-oiled the walnut, and did that make a difference?
I really love the look of a well used and cared for bowl. The repeated oiling riches the wood and brings out more magic!

My aesthetic, at least presently, is to not interfere with the natural look of the wood, and embrace the changes that will naturally occur. I think Richard Raffen has commented on how ALL of your bowls will eventually turn brown. The colors will fade. Only the shape will remain. Happens to people too. Wish we could stay 25 forever, but we don’t, and that’s ok. Unless good looks is all you have.
I feel it’s important that one get Jazzed about their piece while it’s spinning; that you would love it made of figured wood, plain wood, ceramic, or any other material.
The excitement and delight of the beautiful figure and colors should be a bonus, not a necessity.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

My go to finish has always been lacquer but I'm now trying Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane per Steve Sinner. Steve's finishes are spectacular and he has a great video on the process he uses on YouTube.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVQEJf7KkoQ

I watched the video which I believe I had seen before and still don't understand why he thinks that is a higher gloss than lacquer and you also have the aging problem.
The run prevention method of rotating as the finish dries/cures has been solved by many turners and has been covered in previous threads and it does not involve tying up the lathe to do it.
Here are 5 Keepsake Urns that I applied the 4th heavy coat of lacquer yesterday morning ( the lids were finished with CA and yes they could have used some more coats).

 

[Bill Blasic]

Don that is a great representation of a very good lacquer finish (like I have used for over 20 years), but if I could put one of Steve's finished pieces in your mix you would definitely see a difference. As I have been getting ready for the fall shows I have not had the time to actually use Steve's finishing setup so I'm still using lacquer, but all I need for the process is now on hand to start when my shows are done. I do not know if it will be cost effective for the stuff I sell at these shows and what I get for them to use Steve's process but I know that on my really high priced pieces that finish will help. I don't think I will ever stop using lacquer as there isn't a quicker glossy finish to be found.