These remarkable dyes give you more choices than ever for coloring wood. Their unique glycol ether solvent base makes them compatible with water-based finishes, shellac, lacquer & gel varnishes. You can use TransTint concentrates to make stains for coloring wood directly, tinted finishes for uniform coloring, wood-colored glue for invisible joints, and custom paste fillers & glazes for matching colors, antiquing or blending. TransTint dyes are very color stable. They're more resistant to fading than any other dyes we sell, but they may suffer if exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods. If you're building a piece you know is going to live in front of a sunny window, play it safe and use a pigment stain instead.

To make water based dye stains, simply mix TransTints with water to create the color and intensity you want. Wet the wood, let dry, the re-sand very lightly to eliminate raised grain. Apply the dye liberally, flooding the wood to assure uniform saturation. You may wipe the surface dry or simply leave it to air dry, then apply a finish.

TransTints can be mixed with alcohol to create fast-drying non-grain-raising dyes. Manufacturer Jeff Jewitt recommends using denatured alcohol (ethanol with a small amount of methanol). Alcohol solutions make it easy to spray thin, uniform coats that dry almost instantly. For hand application, Jewitt suggests adding a retarder to the mixed solution, extending its drying time and minimizing lap marks and bleed-back from highly figured or open-grained wood. Add 1 to 2 ounces of Behlen's Solar-Lux Retarder or pure gum spirits of turpentine per quart of mixed dye.

TransTint concentrates come in 2 oz. bottles, usually enough to make two or more quarts of stain or colored finish. Accompanying instructions are excellent, with clear directions and helpful notes on color correction and mixing custom hues.