What wood dyes do you use with airbrushes for decorating bowls/hollowforms?

[Randy Heinemann]

One of the types of dyes I saw at Nick Agars' demo in Northbrook (around Chicago) last summer was the ChromaCraft dyes. I'm not experienced with dyes and feel as if Nick always give great advice. I now have an airbrush set with a small compressor, a small shelter for spraying, and am gettit together various accessories susc as quick release connections.

Is Nick Agar's dye (ChromaCraft) good quality? Are there oather dyes out therer (preferably premixed for now to get started) which are also good for coverage and color.

Any other accessories/items besides the brushes, compressor, dyes, and a shelter to keep the overspray in check?

 

[Bill Blasic]

My go to dyes for any type of use are TransTint dyes. I have used the Chroma Craft dyes and they are OK. I mix my TransTint dyes with Acetone (when the smell is gone the dye is set). I seldom use an airbrush unless I'm using stencils. For hollow forms and such I use artists brushes. Chroma Craft dyes are premixed and alcohol based. The TransTint dye comes in 2oz bottles and I could probably make at least a half gallon of dye, I normally use about 2 oz of Acetone and add 2 or 3 drops of TransTint and that is usually more than enough to paint a quart sized hollowform. I have had Nick here in my shop and we used dyes and airbrushes for a hands on class but that was before he was associated with Chroma Craft.

 

[Steve Bonny]

I use Chestnut spirit stains quite a bit. I like them although they are quite stinky.

You will "need":
Airbrush stand
Quick disconnect
Airbrush hose - not your regular shop hose
Air pressure regulator near the brush
Vapour mask

 

[hockenbery]

@Steve Bonny described my set up. I mounted the coupling to the compressor, regulator, water filter, airbrush hose with quick connect on a 2 ft long 1x2 which I clamped on one end of my work bench. While it could be move any where in the shop I think I last moved it about 10yrs ago when I wanted to airbrush something still on the lathe.

I’ve airbrushed chestnut stains and fielding black leather dyes. I got good results but much prefer brushing on stains.
The airbrush is less pleasant to use unless you have a spray booth that evacuates the mist.
the golden transparent paints and opaque paints let me get the effects similar to those I can get with stains.
I wear a nitrile glove on my left for holding or moving the piece.

You don’t want to breath in anything coming out of an airbrush.

 

[Steve Bonny]

Here is my answer to Hockenberry's concerns. It might look like a cardboard box, but is actually a very unsophisticated spray booth for my lathe
There is a high flow explosion proof 12" fan attached to the back of the box. A 12" duct sends the vapours and overspray out the window. I can open/close the window behind the duct flange too without removing the duct. I sometimes tape a filter over the fan inlet, depending on what I'm spraying. It works very well but is a little noisy.

 

[Randy Heinemann]

My go to dyes for any type of use are TransTint dyes. I have used the Chroma Craft dyes and they are OK. I mix my TransTint dyes with Acetone (when the smell is gone the dye is set). I seldom use an airbrush unless I'm using stencils. For hollow forms and such I use artists brushes. Chroma Craft dyes are premixed and alcohol based. The TransTint dye comes in 2oz bottles and I could probably make at least a half gallon of dye, I normally use about 2 oz of Acetone and add 2 or 3 drops of TransTint and that is usually more than enough to paint a quart sized hollowform. I have had Nick here in my shop and we used dyes and airbrushes for a hands on class but that was before he was associated with Chroma Craft.

I don't have many questions about brushing on dyes or using dye markers for decoration. I've experiemented with that enough to know how to do that for my purposes. However, I don't understand adding acetone. For airbrushing, I think this would complicate the process. One of the reasons I have begun to investigate airbrushing is the flexibiliy of designs and shading of colors. I don't know what acetone does in terms of improving the final product. It only seems to create other venitlation issuse, which airbrushing water based dyes wouldn't create. I have used TransTint dyes and don't feel they're any better or worse than other brands. When brushing them on, I've always used either alcohol or water with equal success.

So, what's the advantage to adding acetone to your dyes? Also, if you feel there is an advantage, why? Better saturation of color? Drying faster (although dyes dry quickly anyway)? Any other explanations?

 

[John K Jordan]

Randy,

You might contact Joe Flemming of Airbrushing Wood for advice. I’ve talked to him many times at turning symposiums and found him pleasant and helpful - not the least bit a pushy salesman. He has good knowledge of the equipment, dyes, paints, and everything needed to color wood (or almost anything). And look under his “Education” tab for a wealth of information.

Grex Airbrush and Air Tool products

Grex airbrushes and accessories, Private Stock airbrush paints, and Grex air tools.

www.airbrushingwood.com

I bought a Grex Genesis airbrush, compressor, regulator, and all the fixin’s from him including a good supply of different types of colors to experiment with. You might also want to get a large pad of good artist’s paper to practice using the air brush. Hey, just for fun, maybe make an ugly tee shirt with intentionally horribly sloppy text with overspray, drips, and runs announcing “I jest gots me a airbrsh!!”

JKJ

 

[Bill Blasic]

I don't have many questions about brushing on dyes or using dye markers for decoration. I've experiemented with that enough to know how to do that for my purposes. However, I don't understand adding acetone. For airbrushing, I think this would complicate the process. One of the reasons I have begun to investigate airbrushing is the flexibiliy of designs and shading of colors. I don't know what acetone does in terms of improving the final product. It only seems to create other venitlation issuse, which airbrushing water based dyes wouldn't create. I have used TransTint dyes and don't feel they're any better or worse than other brands. When brushing them on, I've always used either alcohol or water with equal success.

So, what's the advantage to adding acetone to your dyes? Also, if you feel there is an advantage, why? Better saturation of color? Drying faster (although dyes dry quickly anyway)? Any other explanations?

The majority of what I know about dyeing came from my friend Chris Pytlik (in my opinion Chris' dyed pieces are the best I have ever seen). He taught me to use Acetone as my carrier and as stated when the smell is gone the dye is set. Also I like the smell of it better than alcohols smell. Plus the fact that it doesn't raise the grain like water based dyes. TransTint dyes are the most light fast dyes available and there are probably no dye brands that I have not tried or tested. Any metal acid dye would b a good choice as they are the most light fast dyes available. Metal acid dyes that I'm familiar with are Trans Tint, Lakewood, Keystone and I believe that Chestnut is a metal acid dye but I could not find proof of that. So my answer is basically acetone is what I know, when the smell is gone (very fast) the dye is set (meaning its not going to rub off onto my hands or anything that touches it), and of course I prefer the aroma of acetone

 

[Russ Braun]

Here is my answer to Hockenberry's concerns. It might look like a cardboard box, but is actually a very unsophisticated spray booth for my lathe
There is a high flow explosion proof 12" fan attached to the back of the box. A 12" duct sends the vapours and overspray out the window. I can open/close the window behind the duct flange too without removing the duct. I sometimes tape a filter over the fan inlet, depending on what I'm spraying. It works very well but is a little noisy.

View attachment 74763

Do you manufacture and sell these spray booths Steve??

 

[Steve Bonny]

Do you manufacture and sell these spray booths Steve??

I do as it happens. They come free of charge when you buy a refrigerator from me.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

I have noted that the main difference between Chromacraft stains and Chestnut stains is that if used full strength the chromacraft is capable of obscuring wood grain and not so much with the lighter colors of Chestnut (red,green,blue,yellow,orange) . This is part of the reason I use Chestnut mainly. I have some other bands in dropper bottles but cannot tell you the names offhand.