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So I am playing with staining and creating a great contrast stain. I am using the leather dye method and started with medium brown at the 400 grit stage. Sanded again with 400 then applied a red/orange stain that I mixed up. Then I applied a diluted version of the red/orange and sanded 600. After all sanding was satisfactory I applied some spray shellac "lightly" which is where my question comes in. The spray shellac caused a great deal of the stain to wash off. Is this expected and I should adjust my procedure for this step?



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How did you apply the shellac?

Maybe I applied it too thickly? I held the pipe and spray can of shellac about one to two feet away and tried to get an even light coat on the pipe. Then I used a clean cloth to wipe any excess away. This is where I noticed a lot of dye coming off the pipe onto the cloth.

try applying the red/orange mix with a pipe cleaner. Using the same pipe cleaner spray the shellac onto the pipe cleaner and apply to the pipe without overlapping and using a "clean" section of the pipe cleaner. The pipe cleaner will pick up the stain with each pass so be sure to rotate. Let the shellac dry for a few and then buff lightly with red trip. It should be pretty shiny if buffed correctly. Finish with white diamond then carnauba

You sprayed too close to the pipe. There is a sweet spot where the shellac particles are almost dry when they hit the pipe. They won't lift your stain then.

andrew

Back off the pipe and try again.

andrew

Thanks gentlemen, I'll keep experimenting.

I've not heard of spraying the pipe directly. I've heard of folks using the spray shellac sprayed on a doubled over pipe cleaner and then applied to the pipe. I don't use either though so what do I know.

I know I am venturing into trade secrets area so I appreciate the help. :}

no trade secret. whoever this guy is, he said it first.


ToddJohnson
Post subject: Re: Stain off the stummel looking for the cause.PostPosted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 2:05 pm
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If you're going for higher contrast, however, or if you're doing something that is nearly impossible to buff the stain off of uniformly--like a full bent or something very intricately carved--you might want to try this:

1. Sand to 220 on the wheel.
2. Wet the pipe. If there are still scratches, return to step 1 and repeat. If there are no scratches move on to step 3.
3. Sand with 400 on the wheel. This wheel should be soft and leave few to no facets.
4. After sanding on the wheel with 400, sand by hand with a worn out piece of 400 (or you could use 500).
5. Apply the dark stain until it's basically opaque.
5. Buff the dark stain off evenly using brown tripoli. If there are any remaining scratches, buff them out now.
6. Sand again using the same piece of worn out 400. You should be wearing a cotton glove on your non sanding hand or the sweat from your hand will reanimate the stain dust and put color back on the pipe. This is the most important step to achieve high contrast, so sand carefully and evenly.
7. Stain over the dark stain with a lighter stain (I usually use Yellow) and try to do it in one single pass. Do not overlap your strokes if you can avoid it or you'll lift the dark stain and create one uniform mottled color. You don't want that.
8. Take the same pipecleaner, dip it in a little shellac that's been cut with alcohol and apply a single coat of shellac to the pipe. You can let it set up and dry, or you can wipe it off. If you wipe it off, though, you'll lighten the color significantly.
9. With a different tripoli wheel that's very lightly charged with compound, buff the pipe lightly. You should not remove any color, here. It should just give the pipe a nice even shine.
10. Buff with white diamond.
11. Buff with wax at around 650 RPM's. If you buff at a higher speed with wax, you'll need to buff with a clean wheel afterwards to even the finish.

*Steps 8-11 must be done while wearing gloves or you'll never get a deep glossy finish.

TJ

_________________
www.todd-m-johnson.com

Very similar to the gloves I use George. I order white inspection gloves from mcmaster carr. The gloves keep your hand oil off the finish and also seem to work as a "dry buff" as you turn the pipe in your hand. Who knew this johnson character knew what he was talking about.