One for KimG

[Dalboy]

Have been playing with staining again the problem being.

1 the colours sometimes do not blend very well and end up with a solid line could this be down to the heat as I tried it on a very hot day.

2 Around the outer edge of a turning(see photo) the stain does not seem to take leaving a light band the hollow form is sanded to 600 grit. no finish applied yet

I will get there I am sure

 

[CHJ]

Well I see the light band as being side grain, where above and below it you have various degrees of end grain due to the curvature which will take the stain more readily and therefore look darker.

 

[Dalboy]

Well I see the light band as being side grain, where above and below it you have various degrees of end grain due to the curvature which will take the stain more readily and therefore look darker.

Thank you for the reply Chas. I know about the absorption part, I should have put that a little different I should have put how do you get around the problem now I feel a right idiot for not writing exactly what I meant

 

[CHJ]

My first reaction don't 'polish' the surface before staining, try just going down to 240/320 grit 'with the grain' if it takes put the sealant on and then polish the sealant not the wood.


KIM !!!

 

[Dalboy]

My first reaction don't 'polish' the surface before staining, try just going down to 240/320 grit 'with the grain' if it takes put the sealant on and then polish the sealant not the wood.

As you say I will try on the next one by finishing on a coarser grit

KIM !!!

:duno:

 

[KimG]

Just got here! The light band is a consequence of the nature of the wood more than the way you apply the stain, I get it too. Straight lines can be avoided only with careful planning, in other words, know what you are going to do before you apply the colour. It's hard to put into a short explanation, but if you use a fairly dry brush (very little colour on it) and sort of scrub the colour about rather than painting it on this will give a more blurred edge and you can blend other colours into that in the same manner. Colour often works best if you have two or more working together, single colour pieces are hard because there is nothing to distract the eye.
Personally I always finish the wood very fine before colouring, but there is no reason not to try the alternative.

I think it's great you are having a go at it Derek, keep at it.

here is my latest coloured piece, you will see a bit of the band effect in the yellow, but it disappears in the darker zones.

 

[Dalboy]

That is one very nice piece indeed I love the shape you have got that down to a T as you have brought it in a lot more at the bottom than I did. And as always the colouring and finish are superb.
Thank you Kim. I will be having another go with a fresh piece as I have done something completely different with this as you have already seen.

I tried the red on this one but it ended up as a dark patch with no red showing. I did try this on the last hot day we had which maybe was not such a good idea. I will get there in the end. At the moment I am just trying to get an effect like yours but once I can achieve that use it differently as I don't just want to end up copying someone else.

 

[KimG]

Thanks Derek, don't be afraid to slap the colour on in several coats, say you lay on a blue, then red, try adding a dark blue on top then two more applications of red, it is surprising how the colour blends and comes through. If you want any colour to dominate an area then it should form the base coat, then if you put others over the top you can bring it back by applying the base colour again, only now it looks more graduated.

You'll find a style of your own in time, but the learning process practically demands you copy to some extent, nothing wrong with that.