In the Vactioner build, the stringers are cut from 2X stock (1-1/2" thick). Id like to use mahogany, but that will be cost prohibitive. i think I know the answer, but can I dye some straight-grained Douglas fir stringers using a non grain-raising wood dye to simulate mahogany and expect epoxy glue to hold well? I dont see a problem. I dyed my tabernacle (made of doug fir) and glassed it with no apparent problems.
Dave
I sort of thought somebody would have responded to this by now. I was wondering what you ended up doing?
Sometimes a little experimentation goes a long way towards knowledge.
Hi Dave, this "dieing" wood thing, was recently covered in another thread. Generally, you don't die wood, but stain it. Wood can be stained before epoxy, but it's important to use a compatible stain. Many big box stores sell a "all in one" type of stain, which stains, seals and offers a modest finish too. This isn't the stuff to use, as it seals the wood's pores and epoxy has a tough time sticking to the waxes, they use in it. You want real stain, typically available at real paint stores. Water based is better then oil based, but if both are permitted to fully dry (a week), then both will work, with only a slight lose in peel strength (about 3% for oil 1.5% for water based).
Personally, I mix up my own stains. These are dry pigments (also available in real paint stores) and I mix them with water or mineral spirits, depending on the type. This way I can get a perfect match when making repairs. Ever try to match a faded 50 year old Chris Craft stain? Well, I could just buy an exact match Chris Craft stain, but it will not match the faded stuff, so I mix up my own. Most don't need to do this, unless they're after a specific color.
For what it's worth, water based stains do tend to open the grain. This is actually a good thing for epoxy, as it allows the goo to get down into the fibers of the wood. This is probably why water based stains let epoxy "grip" better than oils.
Paul: I'm a woodworker and I dye wood all the time. Usually water based dyes that raise the grain. I "pre-raise" the grain with some water then sand with very fine paper. That said, I plan to use Solarlux stain for my douglas fir. It is actually more like a dye and doesn't raise the grain. It is also UV resistant.
http://www.woodfinishsupply.com/SolarLux.html
Dave
Dave,
Huge leap trying to make Douglas Fir look like Mahogany. I too use the same dyes for specific projects and with hardwoods the dyes tend give pretty good results, on soft woods not so much so as there is too great a difference between the anular growth rings for the dye to absorb evenly enough.Â
I've had better results with softwoods using a wood conditioner first (so that the dye is absorbed more evenly). Then mixing up a combination of gel stains (which can be controlled to a greater degree during application), to approximate the color I'm looking for. Then applying a coat of shellac to seal. From there epoxy works just fine for assembly. I mask off those areas that I want a consistent finish to be visible. Final finishing can be your finish of choice once it has all cured and stabilized for a couple of days. Any High UV content finish can be applied and worked to any degree of finish you would like.Â
I've never had any softwood other than vertical grain, old growth, Douglas Fir with extremely close grain begin to resemble mahogany. Quarter sawn or Vertical grain old growth with tight close grain is hard to find, but I've had good luck with recycled material yards finding it. None of the second or later growth Doug Fir will have that tight, straight grain pattern.Â
I've used some reclaimed stock that had come from old stores, library shelves etc. that had some incredibly tight growth rings with good results making it look like other straight fine grained woods as far as color and grain patterns to some degree.
Barry: I don't really expect to duplicate mahogany by staining (dying?) doug fir. I just want it to blend in a bit better with the mahogany and okuome in the boat. The growth rings would give the fir away no matter how perfectly the stain maches true mahogany color.
Dave