Finish that doesn't darken?

[tjbnwi]

Haha.  So much for the cancellation effect.

Here you go.

That's after wiping it back off again by the way, it was really offensive before that.

It obviously worked------there is no sign of the red. [laughing]

Tom

 

[CrazyLarry]

It obviously worked------there is no sign of the red. [laughing]
Tom

I bet that's not the first thing his wife said!

 

[tjbnwi]

The 20% was to create a solid green color dye. You want a toner not a solid color.

Once you get the red to cancel, you do not have to mix the dye in the top coat, you'll only cause yourself more grief. Apply the cut dye directly to the wood. The mix should be so cut that the green is barely detectable to the eye.

Tom

Roger. I think.

You mean once the top coat is working and is on then I won't be adding any more dye to the next coats yes? In which case that's what I was intending.

Do not mix any of the top coat with dye/colorant.

Mix the dye/colorant in water or denatured alcohol, apply this to the wood and let it dry. Apply a dab of top coat to the treated area, see how much red comes through, apply more toner to the bare wood if need be. Work in a small area, you don't need to cover the entire test area with top coat to see what is going on.

Tom

 

[Wuffles]

Whoa whoa. I thought I was to add the colourant to the water based varnish.

As Tom has mentioned, use green (color fast dye) a complimentary color to red to neutralize the pink/rid tones.
Test the amount of green you add to your clear coat to get the right tone, it will make the wood appear slightly darker but should be less red/pink depending on how much green you add.
Tim

So I should be adding it to water, and dying the wood first, then using a clear coat over that?

 

[tjbnwi]

Whoa whoa. I thought I was to add the colourant to the water based varnish.

As Tom has mentioned, use green (color fast dye) a complimentary color to red to neutralize the pink/rid tones.
Test the amount of green you add to your clear coat to get the right tone, it will make the wood appear slightly darker but should be less red/pink depending on how much green you add.
Tim

So I should be adding it to water, and dying the wood first, then using a clear coat over that?

That is how I would approach it.

Tom

 

[CrazyLarry]

Whoa whoa. I thought I was to add the colourant to the water based varnish.

As Tom has mentioned, use green (color fast dye) a complimentary color to red to neutralize the pink/rid tones.
Test the amount of green you add to your clear coat to get the right tone, it will make the wood appear slightly darker but should be less red/pink depending on how much green you add.
Tim

So I should be adding it to water, and dying the wood first, then using a clear coat over that?

I think the confusion might be because from what you've said the red is only apparent once you varnish so the tiny green stain will just be green until the varnish goes on. After that dries you'll know if you have it right (or not)

Then you have to stain again with a richer solution if not.

Have you just tried dilute stain on an already varnished area then you will know if you can stain through or not.

 

[Wuffles]

Nothing's varnished currently. I stripped it all back to bare wood before embarking on any of this (and for clarity, before I even posted the original query). It's always been bare wood.

 

[tiralie]

There are many different approaches to this and you really need to experiment (in lieu of experience) to get it right.
Time consuming to say the least...I hope you're not to frustrated.
The internet has it's limitations.
Because the wood is red after finish is applied, I would approach this as more a "toning" problem vs. "dying" or coloring issue and add the thinned dye to a clear thinned water borne shellac. This clear shellac is sometimes sold as a sealer. You want the translucency affect to work for you here. The refraction of light through the dye suspended in the shellac will allow you to see the red of the wood with the color on it and control the application better than applying the dye to the raw wood. It's also easier to remove any of this color since it hasn't penetrated into the wood as deeply as applying the dye directly to the raw wood. If it doesn't work then it's less work to remove it. Again, it's just a guess based on what I see in your photos.

Alternatively, you may try/use a stain (pigment) with some very dilute white pigment to achieve the color you want.
Thanks for posting your results. It's interesting to see.
Tim

 

[Wuffles]

There are many different approaches to this and you really need to experiment (in lieu of experience) to get it right.
Time consuming to say the least...I hope you're not to frustrated.

Ha ha, that's the nail on the head right there. I don't have time for another hobby  [big grin]

Experimentation is the time killer and I'm balancing this with a whole host of other more important jobs she's given me. I'll hand these instructions over to the Wife and see what she wants to do with her [expletive] table.

Thanks for everyone's help so far.

 

[CrazyLarry]

Ha ha, that's the nail on the head right there. I don't have time for another hobby  [big grin]

Experimentation is the time killer and I'm balancing this with a whole host of other more important jobs she's given me. I'll hand these instructions over to the Wife and see what she wants to do with her [expletive] table.

Thanks for everyone's help so far.

Although I'm sure you're enjoying it really, you could probably have had a nice bonfire by now and built a replacement too!

 

[Wuffles]

Ha ha, that's the nail on the head right there. I don't have time for another hobby  [big grin]

Experimentation is the time killer and I'm balancing this with a whole host of other more important jobs she's given me. I'll hand these instructions over to the Wife and see what she wants to do with her [expletive] table.

Thanks for everyone's help so far.

Although I'm sure you're enjoying it really, you could probably have had a nice bonfire by now and built a replacement too!

Right now I'm de-rusting the legs I made (and rusted over a period of weeks) for my slab coffee table for the patio as it's now coming inside the house instead and the "rusty" look wouldn't feel right indoors.

 

[Wuffles]

In case anyone is following this still, I tried the lime wax. Just looks like a shiny version of what I was trying to recreate, which is cool. Perhaps the photo doesn't do it justice, but it looks really nice and nothing like as red as everything else made it.

[attachimg=1]

Just lime waxed a mahogany desk top and saved it from the Annie Sloan wielding Wife too.

 

[tiralie]

Looks good to me. Thanks for the update.
Tim