Testing tru-oil and dye.

You're going about it the right way by testing on scrap. Have you read compatibility guidelines on Homestead's site for Transtint? Been awhile since I looked at that. I know that Truoil is a linseed oil based varnish. Sometimes compatibility problems take a long time to show up with linseed oil. Anyway, I've had good luck with transtint in all the ways I've used it. I'll be interested to see your results.

Best of luck!

 

I've never had any luck trying to mix TransTint into TruOil.

TransTint will disperse and mix into water, alcohol, lacquer thinner, lacquer, or shellac but not into oil-based mixtures like TruOil.

It may seem to mix into oil-based products if you stir it vigorously, but it will quickly separate back out of the solution.

But, TruOil applied over dried TransTint works great.



It looks like you are off to a good start with your testing to find the best way to hit your target .




TransTintTDS-7-2013.pdf (homesteadfinishingproducts.com)

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I agree with Mr Wrench. they don't mix with automotive clear systems either, but I have shot various clear materials over dried tint with good success

 

Good luck, but I doubt you will be able to mix it directly into the TruOil. Any consideration of just mixing it 50/50 with alcohol and staining the wood first? Are you wanting the orange to be opaque, or do you want to see the grain through the finish?

 

I couldn't get Mixol to mix with Minwax Poly either. I was able to mix it somewhat by mixing it in alcohol 1st. Allotta effort for the chips I was trying to repair on a maple fingerboard.

 

I've had a lot of success using transtint mixed into denatured alcohol to lay down the color, then applying tru-oil over that. Mixing always seemed hard to do, but I never tried it so I'm curious what you find! Post lots of pictures of the whole process if you can, close-ups and all.

Welcome to the forum!

 

I agree completely. The denatured alcohol dries super fast, so the dye is absorbed very quickly so you can see the depth of color. It does darken as it dries, so make sure you give it a few minutes before you apply more to deepen your tint. Personally, I've never been able to Tru-oil a body to my satisfaction, only necks. I apply Nitro over the color.


If you really want the grain to pop, try using a dark grain filler, I use Timbermate, then apply whatever clear you want.

 

Yeah bodies are tougher, there's so much surface area. It doesn't dry/cure as hard as other finishes, that combined with a thin finish is just where one's expectations need to be. My results looked really good though, somewhere between satin and high-gloss, and easy to do without a workshop.

The nice thing about using alcohol with the dye is how quickly one can get through grain raising, it takes no time at all! By the time I'm halfway to the color I want, all the little fibers are sanded away.

When I had the zeal for it on my first neck project, I did enough coats of TO to build a film that I could polish. One, maybe two coats a day for a month and a half... but wow the results are really nice after polishing with old denim and a tiny drop of auto polish. It felt the similar to my 10+ year old Gibson neck, just a nice warn-in silky smooth gloss finish. Nitro might be possible for me someday, but not anytime soon, other than reranch aerosol type products.

 

I applied Tru-oil over acrylic paint once. Have to wait awhile for the acrylic to fully dry first and as always, the Tru-oil goes on in multiple thin coats.

 

Count me in the "wont mix" camp as well. I just tried it in a small bottle after others said that they had success. I didnt like the mixing result even before putting it on scraps.

I tinted the neck first before applying TO, as others mentioned. It came out great.

 

Weird...
I know for sure the colourtone liquid stain from stewmac is water based- but ive had no problems mixing it with tru- oil.
I have a bottle here i mixed up about 8 years ago,
And its still good.

 

Not sure why you want to mix the dye with truOil... I stained my tele neck with the stewmac dye, diluted with water, until I hit the desired tint, then used truOil. Mixing first seems like an added complication that is unnecessary.

 

i used one layer of shellac as sealer, then tinted shellac, then several tru layers as finish.

 

This. Compatibility with the base is important to not only get the desired effect but also to insure that the finish cures properly.

 

Some oil based finishes will "stick" to waxy-shellac but many will have issues. Waterbornes don't like it either. While Sealcoat is my go-to for sealing and barrier coats, I've also mixed wax-free shellac from flakes over the years, particularly when there was a "color" desire for the shellac. Sealcoat is pretty much toward the blond side for shellac.