Trans tint dye recipes?

[Ron Bontz]

I was just looking for some solvent based recipes for mixing trans tint dyes and the like. I don't care for the water based stuff. I have gotten dyes from cabinet companies when I needed to match another cabinet. But I would prefer to mix my own. Thanks.

[Scott Holmes]

Recipes?

Transtint dye and water or alcohol (I use alcohol) mix to the color you like. To test I usually count drops per OZ for small batches or use fractional teaspoon measuring spoons to mix larger batches.

EDIT: I spray my alcohol/dye 99% of the time.

[Ron Bontz]

I should probably have been more specific. I am wanting to use alcohol solvents of course but was curious if anyone has particular ingriedents they mix together to get a good dye. ie: mixing a little bit of linseed oil in for example. What type/ brand of solvents, etc. Thanks and sorry for my ignorance on this one. I have always just used good ole Minwax or what ever the cabinet company supplied me and followed it up with a poly/ or lacquer as in Watco or Deft. I could probably use a good book on pre cat lacquers etcl. as well.

[Prashun Patel]

"Understanding Wood Finishing" by Bob Flexner

Transtint is a water-loving dye. So, your best solvents are alcohol or water. I don't think you gain anything by attempting to mix oils into it like linseed. Those can be applied after the dye.

U can also add Transtint to shellac if you wish to make a toner.

[Steve Schoene]

Are you spraying the dye? If not, then you really should be using the powdered water soluble dyes. By flooding them on the concentration of the dye is the only thing that determines the darkness. Makes getting even coloration much easier than trying to apply alcohol solvent dye.

You can mix TransTint into shellac to spray as a toner if you like. More than the faintest hint of color added and it becomes extremely challenging to get even coloration when applying by hand, so using dye in a toner is a spray only technique in most all cases.

[Chris Fournier]

The above posters have given you great advice but I would also add that colour work is very challenging when you are trying to mix/match your own dyes and stains. Knowledge of colour mixing, precise measuring for repeatability, testing, and the correct application method takes a lot of time and patience and expensive materials inventory. Dying and staining are not exactly the same process although there is considerable overlap as most commercial stains contain dye as well as pigment so straight up dying will not look like commercial stains.

[Ron Bontz]

Thanks to every one for their feed back.