Help with dyeing and stabilising please

[Graham_C]

I have stabilised a few driftwood blanks and successfully made some pens, but I have a couple of questions.....

In the image below, the top blank has been stabilised using Stick Fast stabilising fluid, in a vacuum pot until bubbles stop, then baked at 90c for 30 minutes. After baking, as you can see, a lot of the fluid seems to have found its way out of the wood - is this normal? The wood is stable afterwards and turns/finishes fine.

In the bottom blank, I used the same process with some violet Stick Fast dye. After vacuuming, the wood is just about grey! After baking, the fluid has also seeped out much the same as the other (I have scraped it off here), and it is a vivid purple colour. When I see Jim's beautiful blanks, it's clear I am doing something very wrong

Can anyone offer any advice or explanation please?

 

[Penpal]

To get otherworldly results use the best fluids and good equipment same as Jim. He starts with top known timbers.Graham I know not where Walsall is but its worth a journey to discover more.

Peter.

 

[Jim]

Nothing wrong with what you are doing or see with the results Graham, the drying procedure does bring out the juice .. If you would like to see more colour in your blank add a lot more colouring to the juice ..

I normally bake around 200° F for about 30/40 miutes ..

 

[Penpal]

Now for the turning test.

Peter.

 

[wm460]

Another black art to resist the temptation to start.

 

[Graham_C]

Thanks Jim, much appreciated. More trial and less error then.....

Nothing wrong with what you are doing or see with the results Graham, the drying procedure does bring out the juice .. If you would like to see more colour in your blank add a lot more colouring to the juice ..

I normally bake around 200° F for about 30/40 miutes ..