Re: Staining

Posted by Dave Houser on Dec 21, 2004

Oil based stains will interfere with the bond of the epoxy so water based dyes are the only option. Aniline dyes are the most colorfast and are preferred by woodworkers. Some guys have use Ritz vegetable household fabric dyes but are known to fade in sunlight. The trick with using dyes is they must be applied before any epoxy is used on the plywood because they do not color the epoxy sealed wood. The dyed plywood must be sealed with epoxy before any work is done on them because any scuffing will show in the final product. Cut, trim, drill and stitch the panels after the seal coat cures.

Strip boats can only be dyed after all sanding. The dye bleeds so masking sharp edges is out

The other option is to add Japan color to the first coat or two of the varnish, which is more straightforward, but not as permanent. The colored varnish can be stripped or sanded off if one wishes a change.

In Response to: Staining by Lloyd on Dec 20, 2004

Replies:

• Staining Strips First by Lloyd on Dec 21, 2004
  • Re: Staining Strips First by Doug Judd on Dec 21, 2004