What kind of finish should i use over aniline dye on my hand turned pens?

Question

I read in a wood turning book about a woman that uses aniline dye on the jewelry she makes. i tried it out on my pens and it looks awesome! the problem is that no matter what i put on as a finish, the dye bleeds onto your hand eventually from the sweat, or even if you just get it wet.

Does anyone know what i can put over the dye? i even tried polyurethane to no avail.

Answer 1

High density laquer.

Acrylic or nitrocellulose.

Answer 2

You should be able to use oil-modified polyurethane or possibly lacquer. I don't know where you are but in the US they sell Minwax spray poly that should work fine. You'll probably need to put on two or three coats to seal it.

I have used aniline dye on floors and always use three oil-modified polyurethane. One of the first jobs we did black with two coats and the color came off on bare feet.

Behlen used to make an oil-based aniline which might be more resistant to damp hands but I haven't seen it offered lately. I used to buy it from Constantines in New York (?) or Ft. Lauderdale 800-443-9667.

Answer 3

I have used the HUT PPP gloss finish bars, and really like the shine they produce, and the aniline dyes I purchased from craftsuppliesusa havent faded or come off onto my hands yet.I do agree though, I think over time under sweaty conditions it could be a problem. Many use a CA finish on their pens.I have tried it on a couple occasions, and although I was clueless on how to do it, it did produce decent results.  Here is just one of many techniques http://www.asthewoodturns.com/caglue.pdf  

  Or this one

    Michael Dresdner describes a unique method for using cyanoacrylate (CA) glue as a finish on his website, www.michaeldresdner.com. This finishing requires a slow acting CA glue, and the slower the better. Most of the "thick" varieties with a cure time of 1-minute will work. The application of the finish is quick and simple, and takes about as long as it takes the CA glue to cure. Using a faster glue requires a faster reaction on our part and increases the risk of permanently attaching the pen barrel to the mandrel (a risk whenever using CA glue on a pen)

Sand the pen to at least 600-grit, and wipe it clean with a clean paper towel.

Apply a liberal coat of the "Thick" CA Glue. Make sure it is a uniform coat that covers the entire pen.

Immediately apply a liberal coat of Boiled Linseed Oil.

Increase the lathe speed and buff the finish with the wet rag that was used to apply the Linseed Oil.

When the danger of slinging the finish in your face has passed, increase the lathe speed to as fast as it will go, and buff the finish with a clean towel until it is dry.

    The result will be a awesome gloss that will last longer than anything else that you can put on the wood. However, like all good things, there is a price to pay for the gloss and durability. This is a CA glue finish and it will have the appearance of being a plastic, and it will wear like a plastic rather than like a wood. The gloss finish on a plastic will become dull from the tiny scratches that are made on its surface from use and wear, while wood has the unique ability to take on a more polished patina when exposed to the same conditions.

  I just love using the aniline dyes on figured maple, it adds a totally unique look! Hopefully that helped some.

    

Answer 4

just to backup Tim W, you need to seal the finish into the wood with an oil-based product. since your dye is either water or alcohol based, a water-based topcoat will dissolve it. you can spray on lacquer or oil poly, or brush on sanding sealer. then proceed with your topcoats. i use turner's polish.

Hope that helps.