Kjskjs Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 (first time here). So I am going to attempt making some inlay banding for the first time. I think I understand all the basics. I want a black and white motif. To save a few bucks, I'd rather not buy ebony and holly. So I'd like to stain a basic wood black with water based aniline dyes. So my question is...after I glue up the blank and then rip the thin banding, will I expose unstained wood which is no longer black. If so, what is the fix?? Or could I maybe soak the small pieces in hopes that the dye will penetrate all the way through? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Bennett Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 (first time here). So I am going to attempt making some inlay banding for the first time. I think I understand all the basics. I want a black and white motif. To save a few bucks, I'd rather not buy ebony and holly. So I'd like to stain a basic wood black with water based aniline dyes. So my question is...after I glue up the blank and then rip the thin banding, will I expose unstained wood which is no longer black. If so, what is the fix?? Or could I maybe soak the small pieces in hopes that the dye will penetrate all the way through? Thanks The age old problem I'm afraid. If you spend the extra on Ebony you will not regret it I promise. But, it depends, of course, on how big your black strips are going to be. Commercially available 'Black wood' is usually stained Tulip wood or similar. I am not certain but I think it is stained under vacuum conditions. That is the timber is placed in a vacuum chamber before being flooded with the dye. The process is the same with wood treatment plants that add chemical preservatives to the timber. This would almost certainly not be possible at home. If you successfully black your strips of whatever wood you have chosen and once cut they show natural grain 'in the white' it would be virtually impossible to stain this and not have at least some flooding of your chosen white wood section of the banding. Even if you purchase commercial 'black wood' it is still possible to have a shade variation, and much more importantly you will get discolouration in your white wood and indeed in what ever you lay the strip in as soon as you sand the surface. This is the main reason why I learned from bitter experience a long time ago to buy genuine Ebony strips. I'm not sure hwere you are but, if you don't want vast quantities you will be pleasantly surprised how cheap small scantlings of Ebony actually are. I recently purchased twenty strips 1/8" x 1/8" by 1 metre at £5 per strip. Now if you take into consideration the risks just outlined and the time plus stains that will be needed to achieve your goal it isn't going to be too exorbitant. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kjskjs Posted March 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Great reply! Thanks. Looks like I'll just get some real ebony. I won't need much I'll contrast it with holly or maple and perhaps a strip of walnut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Bennett Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Great reply! Thanks. Looks like I'll just get some real ebony. I won't need much I'll contrast it with holly or maple and perhaps a strip of walnut. Thanks for your reply. Sounds good please be sure to post a few pics when you've done it Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kjskjs Posted March 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 I will try to do that. Be warned, I'm reaaaaly slow with my projects. Still in the brainstorming/design phase. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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