Dyeing Leopoardwood Black

India ink is what I use to dye anything black, It is a true black and it’s waterbase, and usually one coat will enough. It’s available at art supply stores, I get mine at Blicks. The only downside is your topcoat must be lacquer, for some reason poly gums up and will not dry. However, why would you want to dye Leopardwood in the first place, the grain pattern is why most people use it?

-- Rich

Thanks for the suggestion. Can I presume that my topcoat could also be shellac—and then anything I want—or is even shellac problematic with India Ink?

I know that I’m obscuring the contrast in the pattern—but the grain will remain there. That’s what I want to do in my design because I think it will look better, be more harmonious, less “distracting,” more modern and streamlined—while still retaining the interesting patterning that Leopardwood provides—when pairing it with my secondary wood.

Thanks for asking though—and thanks for the suggestion!

Why?

-- The hump with the stump and the pump!

Jay

You just doing the Rim or outside or the whole turning??

I also use India ink to high light rims or outside to highlight the inside of a turning. Just wondering if you wanted to do the whole thing why not use Maple, Sycamore or another cheaper wood??

-- It is always the right time, to do the right thing.

India ink has shellac in it, so top coating with shellac is not a problem. All india inks make the claim that they are waterproof when dry, but that is not true. Suggest buying the highest quality ink you can find.

-- WWBBJ: It is better to be interesting and wrong, than boring and right.

seems like a waste of a beautiful wood,but to each his own.

-- working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

Why?

- Madmark2

Why not?

You’ll never become a high end furniture maker playing by the rules….

Because lacewood is rare, expensive, and beautiful as is. Obscuring it with black ink / stain / paint is a sin.

Wood is the bones of a living critter and as such should be treated as you would have your bones treated – with respect. Obscuring the beauty is a waste of that resource. If the intent was to paint it black why not use MDF or CDX ply goods or pine?

That’s “why not”.

PS. Try black liquid shoe polish.

-- The hump with the stump and the pump!

You ever want to move up you have to experiment. Playing safe just keeps you in the masses..

Seems like a few of your aren’t problem solvers, more like problem creators! :-)

Thanks for the suggestions on India Ink—I’ll give that a shot.

Can you spray to get the black you want?

seems like a waste of a beautiful wood,but to each his own.

- pottz

I agree 100%.

Plus you wouldn’t have Leapordwood, it would then be weird Ebony

-- Think safe, be safe

But he still retains the grain…

This is oak ebonized with india ink, then multiple coats of shellac. You can clearly see the grain pattern.

That being said, I would do a test or two before I started on the project to see how the leopardwood grain will establish.

-- WWBBJ: It is better to be interesting and wrong, than boring and right.