# Suitable tints for shellac



## DonG1947 (Nov 14, 2012)

Hi Folks,

Hope you all have a Happy New Year.

I am going to tint some shellac. I have some TransTint Dyes which I know will work. I also have some Transfast powered water soluble dye. Will the powdered water soluble dye also work in shellac?

In addition to these I have some "Universal" tints that are supposed to work on all sorts of paint. The tube lists latex, oil, etc., but doesn't mention shellac. Do you think they are also suitable for shellac?

Thanks for your help.

Don


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## jdonhowe (Jul 25, 2014)

I used Transfast with shellac on a project a while ago. IIRC, I just dissolved the dye in some DNA, and added it to the shellac solution. Other than the (slight) increased work of waiting for the powder to dissolve, as far as I could tell it behaved in shellac the same as Transtint.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The only thing I haven't used is the Transfast. The Transtint and universal color tints would work fine. You could also mix any NGR stain with shellac. I use Mohawk Ultra Penetrating Stain. It is a pre-mixed alcohol based dye stain. Mohawk also sells a good selection of dye stain powders which will mix with shellac. 

What color are you trying to achieve? Shellac naturally comes in a amber and garnet color.


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

I suppose it may depend on the product, but I thought universal tints were pigment based which may make your shellac less transparent.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Quickstep said:


> I suppose it may depend on the product, but I thought universal tints were pigment based which may make your shellac less transparent.


I agree, universal color tints will muddy up the finish and should be used sparingly.


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## DonG1947 (Nov 14, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> What color are you trying to achieve? Shellac naturally comes in a amber and garnet color.


Steve<

I made some hard maple end tables with mahogany inlay for my daughter. She wants them a bit on the darker side. I hesitate to stain them because of the blotchy tendency of HM. I've experimented with wood conditioners and gel stain, but really don't care for how they come out. I though I would achieve a darker color by spraying them with tinted shellac. The grain would pop better and I can avoid the blotchiness.

Sound like a reasonable approach?

Don


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If you have the means of spraying you might stain them with a dye stain and then put a clear finish over the top. You can normally stain maple with a dye stain directly to the wood without using a wood conditioner. I think you would be unhappy with the appearance with tinted shellac. It is likely to look more like you thinned down some paint and finished it. Try different methods on scraps first before you put anything on the tables and see how you like it. 

What about the mahogany? Traditionally mahogany is grain filled so you don't see the texture of the wood in the finish. Having it inlaid you would need to mask off the maple to keep from altering the color. Sherwin Williams sells a good grain filler however it only comes in natural. What you can do is show them the color you want and they can tint it for you.


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## DonG1947 (Nov 14, 2012)

By "dye stain" are you referring to products like TransFast and Trans Tint? If sprayed, do they resist blotching?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Yes I was referring to products like transfast and transtint and spraying is the best way to apply it. If you apply it with a rag of foam brush it floods too much stain on the wood and the wood soaks it up and tends to blotch more. Spraying it puts a thin uniform color on.


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## wericha (Apr 29, 2012)

Applying transtint dye with a foam brush is quite easy, it just takes some careful attention. Spraying is generally the better way, but impractical with small projects or mixed wood projects like yours. 

With a little practice you can dye the maple sections of your project with a foam brush. It would probably be better to use alcohol instead of water to keep from raising the grain. Be careful to not soak the brush and make light strokes to blend in the dye. Then you can apply whatever top coat you want.


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