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Wood
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Pro Finishing Secret: Aniline Dye for Wood
Deeper and richer than any stain, aniline dye gives wood stunningly deep color and a long-lasting finish
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating media and immediately discovered a new passion. An Atlanta native, I spent several years as an editor for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine before making the leap to national publications and websites such as Houzz, Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Accents. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, with my husband and son, who’ve gotten used to coming home and finding the furniture rearranged. When I'm not dragging case goods across the floor, I enjoy good food and wine, college football, music of all kinds, and traveling.
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating... More »
When it comes to finishing cabinetry, woodwork and furniture, most people think of three basic options right away: paint, stain or varnish. But lesser-known aniline dye deserves its turn in the spotlight.
Like so many good things throughout history, aniline dye was discovered by accident. Roughly a century and a half ago, a British chemist conducted a failed experiment that produced an unexpected result: He noticed that dye pigments had much more staying power when mixed with aniline, a clear, oily fluid found in coal tar.
Homeowners and pros in the know have used aniline dye for decades to add a rich, luminous layer of color to wood without masking its natural beauty. Is it for you? Read on to decide.
Like so many good things throughout history, aniline dye was discovered by accident. Roughly a century and a half ago, a British chemist conducted a failed experiment that produced an unexpected result: He noticed that dye pigments had much more staying power when mixed with aniline, a clear, oily fluid found in coal tar.
Homeowners and pros in the know have used aniline dye for decades to add a rich, luminous layer of color to wood without masking its natural beauty. Is it for you? Read on to decide.
The Basics
First, the difference between a dye and stain: A stain is essentially a thin, lightened form of paint — it coats the surface of the wood but doesn't penetrate it. Dyes, on the other hand, soak into the wood and create a deep layer of color. They are generally transparent, so they're a great choice if you don't want to cover up a beautiful grain or other features.
When you choose a dye color, don't forget that the natural hue of the wood will show through, so be sure to take that into account. For example, a pale blue dye applied to yellow pine might result in a slight green cast. Bleaching wood before you dye it will provide a more neutral background.
First, the difference between a dye and stain: A stain is essentially a thin, lightened form of paint — it coats the surface of the wood but doesn't penetrate it. Dyes, on the other hand, soak into the wood and create a deep layer of color. They are generally transparent, so they're a great choice if you don't want to cover up a beautiful grain or other features.
When you choose a dye color, don't forget that the natural hue of the wood will show through, so be sure to take that into account. For example, a pale blue dye applied to yellow pine might result in a slight green cast. Bleaching wood before you dye it will provide a more neutral background.
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| How to Use It Aniline dye is sold in powder form, to be mixed with water, alcohol or both for application. Many professionals use water-soluble dyes for overall color, because they go on evenly and maintain their integrity well; alcohol-based versions dry faster but don't hold their color as reliably. Dye powders come with instructions for mixing amounts and methods. You can tinker with the color by adding a little more to intensify it or a little less to lighten it. Apply the dye to unsealed wood with a brush, a foam applicator or a sponge. You'll probably need two to three coats unless you want the color to be very sheer. Allow at least 12 hours for drying between coats. Apply a clear sealer as a finish coat to preserve the dye and add shine. Tip: Wear rubber or latex gloves to prevent dyed hands as you work. |
| What It Costs Expect to pay $5 to $6 per ounce for a jar of dye powder, available at specialty wood retailers and some paint and stain suppliers. Have you used aniline dye on your woodwork? Tell us more in the Comments! |
Ideabook published on Aug. 16, 2012.
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The complaints I've heard about cabinets with a dark finish is that if they get chipped the natural wood shows thru, I'm guessing that wouldn't happen if they'd been dyed instead of stained?
I have used the aniline-mix with water variety years ago when I was building custom furniture. Water will tend to raise the grain, so a light sanding with very fine sandpaper (400-600) between coats is advisable. If you wish a very dark color, mix strong, and more multiple layers may be required. These dyes must be sealed. An extraordinary product is the Liquitex Soluvar Varnish...actually an artist's product made for coating both oil as well as acrylic based paintings. Permanent, non-yellowing, flexible, and water resistant when dry. Best thing, it also comes in a matte, and can be thinned w/mineral spirits to the desired matte-ness. Actually used a similar product by Daniel Smith for kitchen cabinets. I swear by both products...and yes aniline dyes can be remarkable, but to kshotwell...I, personally, would steer away from use on home exterior projects. It is a labor intensive means to an end, but worth it on select projects.
Btw, the kitchen cabinets were a sleek flat cherry with a triple polyurethane finish. Center island was dyed blue. Counters Canadian blue eyes. Interesting movement in the granite showed different spots of colors depending upon light reflection. Again, subtle. I like a reward for looking. :)
But remember, sanding your choice of material very well is really important, any scratch or rough sanding will show up.
A ceruse finish is a type of overlay finish similar to pickling where by it has a white base that gets into the grain of the wood. Aniline dye is more of a penetrating stain that actually alters the color of the substrate (wood), unlike a ceruse finish.
-dampen surface with clear water first to raise the grain. sand with 220, after dry.
-i tend to use one or two applications of dye. i work in wood tones so to deepen the tone and impart more patina, i apply gel stain over the dyed surface. i have top coated with any number of products with similar results. do a trial piece first obviously.
-dyes are vastly superior at imparting a deeper, more interesting tone to wood with little effort. you will never get there using stain only. never. ever.
absolutely wear gloves...nothing will remove it from your fingers completely.
Great story!
Water based dyes do not even release VOC's, and I feel, is a far better toxic option than the solvent based wood stains, and water-based stains with heavy petroleum or glycerol based pigments available in the stores; not to mention all the fossil fuels burned to transport them. I could see if this was about alcohol dyes or other chemicals being added to the mix, but water-based dyes and water toxic? When canned stains are on the wood they are constantly releasing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's), into the atmosphere you breath even after the are sealed.
Regarding the safety of aniline, from what I can research online and through the EPA, there is less written about water-based than oil-based. My personal experience is that using protection for your lungs, eyes, and skin, the water-based presented no problem.
The powder is very very very lightweight, so when you open the jar to mix it, do so slo-o-owly (have I emphasized really really slowly?!) and in still air. As you life the jar top, lift it slowly. Or the powder will pouf up and you will lose a bit of this expensive product. Even move slowly as you measure it out. Use gloves, a mask and eye protection, as you should with any paint-like products.
I liked using the powder dissolved in warm water. Its half life is 2.3 days, which means you should make a fresh batch each time. Aniline colors are simply vibrant, which gives you lots of impact. They are also light-sensitive, so be sure to use several coats of UV sealer for protection to maintain your lovely color. I used 4 coats of a commercial poly, which, 10 years later, still looks good.
Practice on samples first!
Remember that the purpose of using a dye as opposed to a stain is that a dye offers clear color while letting the beautiful grain of your wood show through. There is plenty of help online to guide you to get a clear, not muddy, finish.
SOME HELPFUL WEB SITES:
This is the aniline powder I specified for dying an oak floor black:
http://www.constantines.com/behlensanilinedyepowders.aspx
For general use of aniline dissolved in water:
http://www.kedadyeinc.com/tips-for-staining-wood.php
For detailed hints by a furniture maker (applicable for some wood flooring, too) and sealing products:
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Sealing_Over_WaterSoluble_Aniline_Dyes.html
SUZANNEMASKS, thanks for your comments. Below is what I've found. It's the manufacturer's legal declaration of risk on its product label (references only the powder, of course, not the alcohol added to it). I'd like to know more about dangers of water-based aniline dye to assess the actual risks. Where can I read more about its toxicity?
This is from the Behlen product label for its aniline dye powder:
"•In WATER:
Dissolve powder into 8 oz.
of Behlen BEHKOL™ Alcohol Solvent.
Then add 24 oz. of WARM water.
(Water temperature may affect stain color.)
Plastic or Glass containers should be used. Store away from sunlight.
Close container after tightly after each use.
NON-FLAMMABLE, NON-TOXIC.
KEEP OUT Of REACH Of CHILDREN"
http://www.shellac.net/aniline_label_text.html
I have done a lot of research on this because my Dad will only use powder dyes. He said it is safer than canned stain, is of much higher quality, and makes 3 times as much stain, so I wanted to know the risk myself before I started using them. I even went so far as to ask the EPA and they said that dyes do not need any special disposal, and they do not need any filtration on exhaust fans (Not sure what that is about). They also told me that most of the current wood dyes are even used in food products, laundry detergents, and soap; it just depends on the level of concentration as to what determines how they are classified. Food dye is a very light concentration, fabric dyes are medium concentrations, and wood dyes, heavy concentrations, etc. where some brands are more powerful than others.
I was also told that back before any regulations that "Aniline Dyes" were pretty nasty, but today the "Nasty" parts have been banned, because I saw the internet articles also, so I asked. I cannot prove that this information is is right, but I cannot prove it is wrong either. I love the creative options with the dyes, and my Dad has used them at least twice a week for years. So again, so far, Dad thinks he is right again either way, but some day I will catch him slipping on something and just enjoy the time I can spend with him working on wood projects around the fixer up house we are working on ..LOL..
Sorry for the confusion...and thank you so much for the info..
An historical background is provided for the term, "aniline dye," which is still widely used as a synonym for "synthetic dye or other wood dye types."
True aniline dye is no longer used, and almost all wood dyes used today are even more safe than the traditional solvent based wood stain that are stocked and purchased in most stores. Please follow the history and progression of wood dyes, and you will see their amazing progression because of technology, and how they are a much better environmental, and an even better health solution to solvent wood stains which emit several parts per million of toxic gases daily along with the VOC emmisons.
http://ohsonline.com/articles/2004/10/gas-detection-for-voc-measurement.aspx is a good article to start the research, so this topic may be better understood; especially since a good quality wood dye will not emit any VOC's.
A .gov article to better understand is: http://www.epa.gov/ttnchie1/conference/ei12/modeling/moran.pdf
As a toxicologist, I am sure you understand the effects that VOC's have on the Human Body.
Thank You,