As I started planning my next projects using the Oak that I had slabbed, I knew I would want a bit of color. I wanted to accent the grain of the wood and not hide it, so I was leaning toward using a dye rather than a stain. My only problem was that I have never used a dye before, so I started devouring everything I could find on the internet. I decided to go with TransTint Dye as it has great ratings, can be added to just about anything, and should not raise grain since it is alcohol based. I went so far as to place the order for the color I wanted, ‘Honey Amber’… then within 5 hours I chickened out that I had ordered the wrong color and cancelled my order. A few days later I picked a different color, ‘Dark Vintage Maple’, and ordered it. It was backordered, so I cancelled my order and went with another option I had been looking at.
I got the idea of using tea stain from some reading on the experiments from Dan’s Workshop and Woodworking for Mere Mortals. I was encouraged by the look. My only complaint was using the water-based tea. Having to apply several treatments, waiting for them to dry inbetween, then having to deal with all the raised grain was not that appealing. The assumption I was making was that a tea stain has to be water based. I challenged that assumption and won!!! Tea will give up its pigments in alcohol, just as well as it does in water. You don’t even have to heat it.
I started with Tetley Black Tea and placed three tea bags in a cup and poured in a cup of isopropyl alcohol. Then I let it sit for 3 hours. The color had come out of the bags and the alcohol was very dark. I put the same bags into a new cup of alcohol and let them sit for a few more hours. That mixture picked up minimal color, so there is nothing to be gained by letting the bags sit in alcohol for longer than 3 hours. I also tried putting another mug with tea bags and alcohol in the microwave for ~30 seconds. The alcohol got very hot and started to boil. The stain produced was no darker than when I just let the bags sit in room temperature alcohol. So there is no good reason to risk fire with heating the alcohol.
I made up three batches of the tea (using a total of 9 bags) and added it to a spray bottle. I then topped off the bottle with alcohol, just so that I would have a known volume so I could repeat this recipe.
I tried the tea stain out on a sample of the oak I was going to use. The numbers represent the number of coats I put on.
I used 70% alcohol which has a fair amount of water in it (~30%) so when I applied it to my project, it did raise the grain a bit. I recommend using the 90% alcohol or better yet the 99% (anhydrous) alcohol as that should not raise the grain at all but is a bit more expensive. Spray it on. Let it dry. Sand off any bit of raised grain. Spray on more, letting it dry each time. The letting it dry each time is essential for reducing blotching by not letting extra thirsty areas absorb more than the other areas.
Pros for Alcohol Based Tea Stain
- Inexpensive to make.
- Easy to make as much as you need.
- Easy to apply.
- Quick drying.
- Non-grain raising.
- Does not obscure the wood.
- Can be added as a colorant to shellac (and maybe other topcoats?)
I did a fair amount of testing and experimentation on this. What remains untested, is the color fastness of this. I am not sure how it will hold up to sunlight.
Update: June 11th 2017
I was ready to make some more tea dye and started by putting the tea bags in 90% isopropyl alcohol instead of the 70%. Hardly any color came out of the tea bag. Apparently it needs the water that’s in the 70% variety for the color to come out. So my new method is to use a 1/4 cup of the 70% in a cup with the tea bags to extract the color, then when I put it in the spray container I dilute it a bit with the 90% just to keep the water content down. It still raises the grain a bit, but not as much as using straight 70%.
Previously
- Slabbing Some Oak by Hand
In April of 2016, a neighbor around the block was cutting off parts of an Oak tree in his yard. I offered to help him. While I was helping him move some of it, the wood started speaking to me, and several large pieces ended up following me home. The log on the left saidi […]
- Easy Router Sled
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- Simple Tool Oiler
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- Clever Table Leaf Extension
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- Intriguing Mortise and Tenon Foxed Dovetail Joint
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- Adirondack Chairs – without metal
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- Starter Woodworking Kit
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- Bench Bull Meets Moxon Vise = Bulloxon
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- Carver’s Mallets – Father Son Project
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- The Resting Heart – The hardest project I ever built.
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- DeWalt Pride back in America
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- Craftsman Miter Station Model 88136301
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- Workshop Memories
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- Handscrew Repair
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- Adjustable Stand-up Sit-down Desk
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- Brilliant Woodworking Animation – Chair makes itself
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- Walk the Plank … the Cedar Diving Board.
My son swims quite well for a 4 year old, and when he expressed an interest in diving from a diving board, I wanted to be an encouraging father. So I went out to the shop and rummaged around for a suitable plank. I had 5′ long 2″x6″ made of cedar. It was not quite […]
- Home Depot Choosing China Again
I was in my local Home Depot yesterday and walking through the tool section looking to buy a couple of bar clamps. I have always favored the Jorgensen brand because they are sturdy, well made, and are made in the USA. I have always appreciated that Home Depot carries them. So I walk […]
- Workbench Serendipity Favors … someone else
Every old tool fan has a story of the one that got away. Some great old gem of a tool that slipped through their fingers for some reason or another. My most recent one still makes me shake my head in disbelief. I’m not fully up and running with my new garage bay workshop. To […]