On Mar 16, 11:34 am, Larry Blanchard wrote:
B A R R Y wrote:

And if you must change the color, as in matching an existing piece, dyes do
a much more blotch-free job than stains

Maybe. Darker colored dyes can and will will blotch, because the
component in a typical "stain" that blotches _is_ dye. Lighter colored
dyes appear not to blotch, mainly because there is less contrast in the
blotching. It's there, if you look closely!

Hmmmm. AFAIK, stain is pigment particles (solids) in suspension. That's why
they settle to the bottom of the can. Dyes are dissolved pigments (liquids).
Stain particles lodge in the pores of the wood. The denser the pores, the
denser the paticles. Dyes soak into the wood, with or without pores,
although they will penetrate deeper in softer sections.

And yes, dyes will blotch on some woods, like curly maple, just not as much as
stains. And the suggestion of a sealer coat is a good one.

I'm not impressed with gel stains when it come to blotch behavior, seems to me
that they blotch as much, or very close to as much, as liquid stains. But
they are great for vertical surfaces and for non-porous and semi-porous
materials.

There are some products out there that are part dye and part stain - I have no
experience with those.


Ah, a good ol' fashioned wood finishing smack-down between two guys
with rhyming names. I'll sit back with some popcorn and watch as the
thread unfolds....