Butterscotch Blonde achieved through stain?

[CliftonBonney]

I've been doing a lot of tru-oil projects lately. I first stain the wood with the Stew Mac colortone stains and then apply 20 or so coats of tru-oil. For my next project I'd like to achieve a butterscotch blonde color. Assuming it's possible, this will require me to mix multiple stains together because I can't find a butterscotch blonde stain anywhere. Does anyone know what colors would need to be mixed to achieve the butterscotch blonde color? Thanks.

[xaxxat]

This may help:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/finely-fi...nde-toner.html

[R0T0R]

I have done a blonde finish on alder with oil finish over dye. I’ll let you be the judge of how close it is to butterscotch. Maybe not to everyone’s definition. You certainly can’t fog it up. just choosing wood without pronounced grain will help keep a homogenized color without grain popping.

Heres how it came out
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Heres how it got there.
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It has been recommended to me, that to dye Alder, a conditioning coat should be used to better to control the speed and depth of color absorption. The reason is because using dye on woods like alder and birch can cause the final job to appear splotchy.

For my purposes a conditioning coat is just my final finish thinned 50/50 with mineral spirits. I have worked on mostly gun stocks and found some products I really like. Behr’s Scandinavian Tung Oil Finish (TOF) is one of them. It is an easy to work with, flat drying oil with some driers in it. No varnish in it to my knowledge and I have asked around. I have always stayed away from Birch-Casey Tru-Oil on rifle stocks. Not just because of the “metal” spelling but on the advice of cabinet makers and gunsmiths I respect. I’m happy to say that while I think it will protect the neck nicely I don’t think it will work, thinned, as a conditioning coat. Working with it felt like working with polyurethane. It may have “polymerizing oils” in it. I’ll bet that’s code for polyurethane or varnish. It just did not have the work time that oil does, Tung or Boiled Linseed (BLO ).


In goes the 50/50 conditioning.
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Let it dry for a couple of days and in goes the dye ( Trans-tint vintage amber thinned in denatured alcohol)
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It does look a little splotchy but I think after I build and oil finish it will mellow out a lot.

It might never pass for butterscotch but I like an oil finish so this is the way I went.

Application of Behr’s Scandinavian Tung Oil Finish (TOF).
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Applied with poly dauber. Let soak for 25 or so mins. Wipe off with soft cloth. Let cure for at least 24 hours. Repeat as necessary to build finish to taste. In this case 7 or 8 times. Top it off with Johnsons paste wax.

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JR

[lunarpollen]

R0T0R that is a beautiful instrument!!

[R0T0R]

Kind of you to say. Thanks.

[CliftonBonney]

That's exactly what I was looking for. It looks awesome. Thanks for sharing.

ROTOR, where did you get that body? Is the bass a short scale? Also, your conditioner is just 50% tung oil and 50% mineral spirits?

Sorry for my complete ignorance, but what is a poly dauber?

[R0T0R]

Clifton
Im glad that helps.
It is a short scale made with a Bronco neck. The body was a std tele that had not been drilled for bridge holes. A polyester dauber is just a small mop for applying oil solvent or any liquid. You could use a brush or rag too.

The build thread is here.
30" scale Telecaster/ Esquire bass build (pics)


JR

[CliftonBonney]

Originally Posted by R0T0R

Clifton
Im glad that helps.
It is a short scale made with a Bronco neck. The body was a std tele that had not been drilled for bridge holes. A polyester dauber is just a small mop for applying oil solvent or any liquid. You could use a brush or rag too.

The build thread is here.
30" scale Telecaster/ Esquire bass build (pics)


JR

Just got through the build thread. Wish I had the ability to do something like that. Great job!!!

[R0T0R]

Just go for it and take it slow. Thats what I did.

JR

[sansa]

Originally Posted by R0T0R

Just go for it and take it slow. Thats what I did.

JR

What kind of stain can I buy instead of colortone? I'm from Italy and I can't buy stewmac stuff, I'd have to wait for weeks!!!
(post some link please)

[R0T0R]

Sansa
I would still avoid stains ( color mixed with finish). Stains are for house painters. Similar dyes to colortone should be available they will just have a local manufacturer. Go to a fine woodworking shop and ask for alcohol based dyes. It old world technology so there will be someone making something similar in Italy. Once you find them get some yellow and amber colors and experiment on scrap until you find the ratio.

Good luck.

JR

[sansa]

Originally Posted by R0T0R

Sansa
I would still avoid stains ( color mixed with finish). Stains are for house painters. Similar dyes to colortone should be available they will just have a local manufacturer. Go to a fine woodworking shop and ask for alcohol based dyes. It old world technology so there will be someone making something similar in Italy. Once you find them get some yellow and amber colors and experiment on scrap until you find the ratio.

Good luck.

JR

I'm sorry I didnt' get what you meant. Here I know only aniline and what we call "mordente" o "impregnante" (you could say mordant in english). Could you give me some names of alcohol based dyes?
I really don't know what to ask to the seller...

[sansa]

Originally Posted by R0T0R

Sansa
I would still avoid stains ( color mixed with finish). Stains are for house painters. Similar dyes to colortone should be available they will just have a local manufacturer. Go to a fine woodworking shop and ask for alcohol based dyes. It old world technology so there will be someone making something similar in Italy. Once you find them get some yellow and amber colors and experiment on scrap until you find the ratio.

Good luck.

JR

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