Dyeing timber veneer

I am wanting to dye timber veneer various colours similar to what is done with reconstructed timber veneer but brighter colours for various projects that I am working on.

Does anybody know how you get the dye to take all the way through the veneer ? Do some veneers dye better than others ?

Any information would greatly appreciated

cheers

WC :2tsup:

Have heard of many people using our water dyes for veneers. I believe that soaking or boiling in hot water with the dye in it will drive it pretty deep into the veneer but won't be full strength colour. Wetting the timber with boiling water prior to applying undiluted dye will help to pull it pretty deep. Almost impossible to get the colour right through the timber.

Most timbers will dye pretty easily even oily ones but really hard to dye right through.

The water dye is usually better than oil or spirit dyes as they don't pull out into a finish that is applied over the top, unless you use a water based finish which is pretty unlikely on a veneered surface.

Cheers - Neil

Thanks for the reply Neil.

How do you think that the Italians do it with the poplar timber they use in recon veneers ?

Do you think it is the poplar species they use ?

cheers

WC:2tsup:

Some of our marquetry members have had some success using a pressure cooker, but you're very limited on the size of the veneer that you can do. Unless of course, that you have access to a reeeeeaaaaaaally big pressure cooker.

ps. don't let the wife catch you. :D

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Originally Posted by wood chucker

How do you think that the Italians do it with the poplar timber they use in recon veneers ?

Do you think it is the poplar species they use ?

cheers

WC:2tsup:

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I believe it's added when the wood has been pulped and is in a slurry. Not sure how they get the variation though, unless they add it in small amounts of different colours at a time.

Can one of the marquetry guys that has used this method please pm me so I can get some further info please ?

Would vacuum bagging work, like they do for pressure treated pine?

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Originally Posted by Harry72

Would vacuum bagging work, like they do for pressure treated pine?

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I am not familar with the process they use to pressure treat pine.

Can you explain it Harry and would it be feesable for smaller scale ?

Im not real familiar with how they do it either... I presume they vac out all the air from the wood then apply a chemical solution?