# Staining maple with dye stain?



## Moorewoodwork (Jan 2, 2012)

Hello, new to the forum. I have been working on building a les Paul style guitar and the top is flame maple. I really love the finish on a another guitar I seen. It is a PRS guitar with eriza verde finish on it . It looks like a florescent green with the flame picking up some darker green colors. Once I figure how to add a picture I will. Any advice on using dye stains would help.

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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

Moorewoodwork said:


> Hello, new to the forum. I have been working on building a les Paul style guitar and the top is flame maple. I really love the finish on a another guitar I seen. It is a PRS guitar with eriza verde finish on it . It looks like a florescent green with the flame picking up some darker green colors. Once I figure how to add a picture I will. Any advice on using dye stains would help.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Wood Forum


Cant wait, i was finsher for Lashbrook guitars for awhile.


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## Moorewoodwork (Jan 2, 2012)

Nice to meet you, might need your expertise before I am done with this project. Going to be trying some sample boards soon. I think they used a green dye stain then sanded it down leaving the flame in the maple green, then I think they used a yellow dye stain over that.

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## wildwood (Jan 25, 2011)

Have you been to TRANS TINT DYE website?


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

Moorewoodwork said:


> Nice to meet you, might need your expertise before I am done with this project. Going to be trying some sample boards soon. I think they used a green dye stain then sanded it down leaving the flame in the maple green, then I think they used a yellow dye stain over that.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Wood Forum


Could well be, click on my photos below my name and look at the green guitar neck there tell me if its anything like what your looking for and if not then we will go from there. page two left hand side. past work album.


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## Moorewoodwork (Jan 2, 2012)

Can't find a spot to see your photos under your name

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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

Moorewoodwork said:


> Can't find a spot to see your photos under your name
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Wood Forum


All the way to the bottom just above the red exclamation point

chemmy 
Senior Member

Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 136 
 My Photos <--------------------------


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## Moorewoodwork (Jan 2, 2012)

Similar in color, but the color is more see thru if that makes sense. Working on figuring out pics now.

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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

Moorewoodwork said:


> Similar in color, but the color is more see thru if that makes sense. Working on figuring out pics now.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Wood Forum


Yes, unfortunately i had to add some of the green pigmented lacquer used on the body to tie it in perfectly, that opaqued the color a little. kept it light as possible,. Originally it was just dye and a mordant of Ferrous sulfate before the dye to pop the figure, only about 1/3 of the figure you see is natural, the rest was faux work to make it appear as if it was highy figured, that was dye work over the sealer.


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## Moorewoodwork (Jan 2, 2012)

Think I got it









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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

Moorewoodwork said:


> Think I got it
> 
> View attachment 34779
> 
> ...


Yeah, much more yellow. royal blue dye and yellow g from keystone should do it.


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## Moorewoodwork (Jan 2, 2012)

So you would use royal blue dye stain first, sand down. Then yellow? I'm assuming the place you named has a website?

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## Moorewoodwork (Jan 2, 2012)

Did a search for keystone, is there a place I can buy their products retail?

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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

Moorewoodwork said:


> So you would use royal blue dye stain first, sand down. Then yellow? I'm assuming the place you named has a website?
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Wood Forum


Personally, i would mix the two first and get the green as close as possible before application, and use that as a toner. then i would proceed to do as you say. what your telling me i cant see in the pic, but it it looks like yellow was applied secondly over the blue then use scraps to check first ok? start out with weak solutions and build slowly with multi applications instead of trying to hit it dead on ok?

www.dyes.com Nuresol dyes, liquid concentrates.


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## Moorewoodwork (Jan 2, 2012)

chemmy said:


> Personally, i would mix the two first and get the green as close as possible before application, and use that as a toner. then i would proceed to do as you say. what your telling me i cant see in the pic, but it it looks like yellow was applied secondly over the blue then use scraps to check first ok? start out with weak solutions and build slowly with multi applications instead of trying to hit it dead on ok?
> 
> www.dyes.com Nuresol dyes, liquid concentrates.


Sounds good,will give it a try. Only question I have is are you sure keystone is going to sell me any products on such a small scale? Could I get similar results with a transtint or transfast?

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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

Moorewoodwork said:


> Sounds good,will give it a try. Only question I have is are you sure keystone is going to sell me any products on such a small scale? Could I get similar results with a transtint or transfast?
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Wood Forum


ask them to send you samples of the colors along with thier standard blue/red/and yellow, if your not doing this much that will get you through at least a few guitars ok? you can use transtint but your only buying the same thing at a much more expensive cost.


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## Moorewoodwork (Jan 2, 2012)

I have gotten some stain and have started doing test pieces. Have the color very close to what I want. I started applying varnish to get an idea of the finished guitar would look like. Never worked with flame maple before, but it seems like the varnish is not applying the same in the flame( seems dry compared to the rest) was wondering if this was normal? I'm assuming that it will build up the more coats I add?

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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

Moorewoodwork said:


> I have gotten some stain and have started doing test pieces. Have the color very close to what I want. I started applying varnish to get an idea of the finished guitar would look like. Never worked with flame maple before, but it seems like the varnish is not applying the same in the flame( seems dry compared to the rest) was wondering if this was normal? I'm assuming that it will build up the more coats I add?
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Wood Forum


YES, that is normal on highly figured woods. what your seeing is the interlocking grain i spoke of which in part is end-grain and end-grain always soaks the finish and stain/dye up, more than the flat grain areas. just so you understand - the dark areas are the partial end-grain areas and the light areas are mostly flat grain or wavy grain, the differences between the two is what creates the wavy flame look or curly/quilted/ribbon/and other looks also. It gives the dimensional look that people talk of. :yes: 

The amount of end grain varies from area to area and board to board but still keeps the flame or other affects that are common. So you will see very dark, fairly dark somewhat dark areas not only in the main flame area but other areas as well, just depending on the waviness of how the tree grows and also how the wood is cut. Flame throughout a whole log as well as other figure is rarely consistent, that's why so many "grades of figured wood the best being collectors/reserve/aaa, etc..


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

out of here for a couple of weeks or so moving see ya when im settled :thumbsup:


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## Moorewoodwork (Jan 2, 2012)

Good luck with the move. Thanks for the help

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