# Project with 6 Shades of Blue Stain - Semi Transparent vs Solid - Stain vs Dye vs Mica



## personalt (Dec 6, 2014)

I am looking to start to produce maps similar to the attached that has essentially 6 water layers which mean 6 shades of blue stain. Minwax makes some nice tinted stains that I think could be used for this but I would prefer not to buy 6 colors. And even if I was okay with buying 6 colors they don't reall have 6 blues that go together. I am thinking about colored stain vs mica powder vs a liquid color like Keda or transtint wood dye. I had some questions but if anyone had recommendations for a similar process I am interested in hearing more.

Questions/Comments
1)I am assuming I cant get away with one dark blue stain and lighten it to make all 6 shades. It looks like, at minimum, the middle two layers are a bit greener then bottom two layers and the top two are more aquaa. I was thinking maybe I could make 6 shades out of three but fairly sure I cant take 1 pint of stain and make 6 varying shades? Am I missing something?

2))Minwax makes some blues that look to match the sample map. What I found was that Minwax ells each color in a semi-transparent and a solid version. This is each color in semi transparent and solid? . Does anyone know, Is what makes it semi-transparent less pigment? I am going back to the idea of getting 3 colors and mixing them down a bit to make 6. If so what would I then them with - laquer thinner?

3)Should I be looking at alternatives to minwax stain? I have used Mica powered to dye resin beforeand have seen a few videos where mica was used to stain wood. Other thought was a wood dye like Keda or transtint.

Any suggestions?


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

I'm no expert, but I would think an art store would have some more appropriate supplies for something like this and would be able to purchase in smaller quantities..


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## personalt (Dec 6, 2014)

finishesbykevyn said:


> I'm no expert, but I would think an art store would have some more appropriate supplies for something like this and would be able to purchase in smaller quantities..


Thanks. I did check one/two but they mostly had gimmicky little kits. I was more thinking about how one might adjust traditional wood stain colors on the fly. I spray a lot of cabinets in my business but don't work with stain very often. Is it as simple as thinning some with lacquer thinner and putting and/or putting extra coat or two on the one I want to be darker?


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Transfast dyes, like they use on guitars, can be found at woodworking stores like Rockler or Amazon

Keda is another


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

Being that you stated you intend on producing rather than a one-off, you might consider visiting a local ML Campbell distributor and have them match/mix up 6 individual colors in a MLC Woodsong II stain/dye product which would best befit your application method, especially if you intend on standardizing your product and procedures on larger production runs.


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## personalt (Dec 6, 2014)

Holland said:


> Transfast dyes, like they use on guitars, can be found at woodworking stores like Rockler or Amazon
> 
> Keda is another


Have you used transfast or Keda? It seem both of them have Blues and Yellows which would allow me to make a nice series of ocean shades. The liquid might be more repeatable as far as measuring drops but not really sure


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

I would suggest using the Saman water based stain. You can use their premade colors or make your own using transtint/Keda dyes or any universal pigment. Easy to work with AND easy to blend colors.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

personalt said:


> Have you used transfast or Keda? It seem both of them have Blues and Yellows which would allow me to make a nice series of ocean shades. The liquid might be more repeatable as far as measuring drops but not really sure


I did this kit guitar with Keda several years ago, but mixed a few colors together to create this custom blue color. Very easy to use, imo.


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## personalt (Dec 6, 2014)

Thanks all.. I actually went with a couple of minwax tinted stains and then combined them to fill in the colors in between. Used a paint syringe and just kept track of my recipes/ratios. If I go in to full production mode I will mix quarts at the same ratios. I am mostly happy though I might slot one more between the darkest two and drop one of the really light colors. I had the best luck with mixing two stains at 1:1 or in some cases 2:1 if I wanted to favor the blue and less green. I didn't have much luck thinning with lacquer thinner. One time I used thinner at 25% and it just broke the suspension. Will laser out the maps tomorrow and then hvlp a poly on it most likely.


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## thepm4 (May 18, 2020)

Cool project!
What lumber/substrate are you finishing? Did I miss it in your post?


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## personalt (Dec 6, 2014)

thepm4 said:


> Cool project!
> What lumber/substrate are you finishing? Did I miss it in your post?


1/4 Birch plywood. Only issue I am having is my normal lumber yard that I buy plywood from has been out of 1/4 birch so had to buy the Home Depot version. HD version has a really crappy core that smokes like crazy when cutting and doesnt engrave as well. But otherwise really happy with the stain. Plan to HVLP some poly on it once I finish another project.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

personalt said:


> 1/4 Birch plywood. Only issue I am having is my normal lumber yard that I buy plywood from has been out of 1/4 birch so had to buy the Home Depot version. HD version has a really crappy core that smokes like crazy when cutting and doesnt engrave as well. But otherwise really happy with the stain. Plan to HVLP some poly on it once I finish another project.
> 
> 
> View attachment 114952


Did you do that on a CNC machine? Or how does that work?


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## personalt (Dec 6, 2014)

finishesbykevyn said:


> Did you do that on a CNC machine? Or how does that work?


Omtech 60 watt laser. As you see, each later is stained individually, then lasered, then glued up. I have seen similar style maps with a CNC that are often one color made out of solid wood and then post finished.


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## jennifertemple (Oct 30, 2011)

As so often happens, I spoke too soon.


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## jennifertemple (Oct 30, 2011)

BEAUTIFUL!!!


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