# Finishing Bubinga - 3 Questions



## ourwhitehouse (Dec 21, 2011)

I'm working with bubinga for the first time finishing a table and have 3 questions:

(1) I plan on darkening the wood and muting some of the red with a TransTint NGR (TT) die stain. Do I need to worry about splotching on Bubinga?

(2) I like to spray and wipe TT die. I normally mix with water. If I use alcohol instead (I'm concerned about the wood swelling and stressing joints), how can I slow the evaporation?

(3) I'm told Bubinga should be wiped down with lacquer thinner to remove oils prior to sealing (I was going to apply a 1 lb cut of shellac before pore filling). If I do that, that will remove some of the die stain. Any suggestions?

Thanks


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## bigcouger (Jan 4, 2012)

Do you have a picture of the bubinga ive worked with it a lot but most was waterfall so why you want to die it, is here sap wood there ????

Here is picture not a good one tho


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## ourwhitehouse (Dec 21, 2011)

I"m dying it because my wife wants it darker and to modestly tone down some of the red.

Here's a picture.


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

Very nice look, to bad your wife doesn't appreciate the beauty of the natural colors. 

I'm working with bubinga for the first time finishing a table and have 3 questions:

(1) I plan on darkening the wood and muting some of the red with a TransTint NGR (TT) die stain. Do I need to worry about splotching on Bubinga?

If the wood is uniformly sanded it should not blotch. That being said, you can use a diluted dye of what you will be using and apply it to the surface and see if anything blotches that would be objectional to you. If so, then you could Re-sand the top without worrying of the color interfereing with your color goal. Or again you could just wet it down with water and check it out that way also. 


2) I like to spray and wipe TT die. I normally mix with water. If I use alcohol instead (I'm concerned about the wood swelling and stressing joints), how can I slow the evaporation?

Water will not swell the wood to the point of stressing the joints, if only on the surface for a few minutes or so, then it's penetration is only about 1/32" , this will not affect the joints if a good adhesive was used. Rember water dyes ahve been used in the industry for over 2 hundred years if it caused that type of damage, no one would still be using them. 

(3) I'm told Bubinga should be wiped down with lacquer thinner to remove oils prior to sealing (I was going to apply a 1 lb cut of shellac before pore filling). If I do that, that will remove some of the die stain. Any suggestions?

Better to use a 5% solution of phosphoric acid followed by a couple of wipes with methanol, for resons i will expalin if you desire. Alcohol,acetone,methanol,mek,will all work to remove surface oils/waxes, but donot really remove or are able to bring the albuminous material in the pores to the surace to be wiped clean or neutralize them. 

On the "shellac" I would have to ask why? and also what type of use will this table get? Children? hot plates/serving bowls??? It may be better to use a thin coat of what your other coating wil be, just a thought.

Chemmy


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## robbiethewood (Jan 15, 2012)

ourwhitehouse said:


> I"m dying it because my wife wants it darker and to modestly tone down some of the red.
> 
> that's a wonderful table the colour of the wood is amazing.
> 
> ...


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## davesplane (Apr 26, 2010)

I LOVE BUBINGA! I usually use tung oil or waterlox, can't understand why you would want to stain, darken or anything else to it.
by the way that is a great looking t:thumbsup:


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

davesplane said:


> I LOVE BUBINGA! I usually use tung oil or waterlox, can't understand why you would want to stain, darken or anything else to it.
> by the way that is a great looking t:thumbsup:


His wife. His wife. You gotta make momma happy. If momma isn't happy, nobody's happy. Lol


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## davesplane (Apr 26, 2010)

maybe sometimes moms just wrong!


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

davesplane said:


> maybe sometimes moms just wrong!


Momma's never wrong. :laughing:


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## joesbucketorust (Dec 13, 2011)

*put some oil on some scrap*

Put a bit of oil on a small cutoff - it will darken a bit. She might like it once she sees the natural color with some oil to make it pop.


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## bigcouger (Jan 4, 2012)

Bubinga will darken with time and the red will natural tone down to just place it next to a window for a couple hours per day for a week I would use tungoil and let nature tone it down for you


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## JohnK007 (Nov 14, 2009)

Wow, that's a stunning table! Nicely done!! :thumbsup:


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## ourwhitehouse (Dec 21, 2011)

Thanks for the tips...

BTW, I dyed a test board to darken it and it really enriched the look of the wood. Gorgeous.

The table was glued with Titebond III (waterproof). Based on your comment about swelling the joints, I should just go back to staining with water.

As for the shellac, it would only be there as a barrier to seal the stain before filling the pores with wood filler. I plan on finishing it with pre-cat NC lacquer.


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## chemmy (Dec 13, 2011)

ourwhitehouse said:


> Thanks for the tips...
> 
> BTW, I dyed a test board to darken it and it really enriched the look of the wood. Gorgeous.
> 
> ...


Titebond three is excellent, should be no problems at all even if you left it on for 30 min. 

I would recommend using vinyl sealer if that's the case. Not that i have anything against shellac, but it's one downside is it's lack of heat-proofness. Unless you know for sure that you'll be using table pads or other for any hot items. :yes:

The NC pre cat will mellow out nicely as time goes by, should help further the look. And as bigcougar said, the natural coloration of the wood will mellow right along with it.


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