Staining Technique

clickklick · Post by **clickklick** » Wed May 27, 2015 12:24 am

What is the benefit of setting the stain by lighting it on fire while the alcohol is still wet? As opposed to just applying a few coats, letting the alcohol flash off by itself, and letting the pipe sit with the stain on for a day or two.

jogilli · Post by **jogilli** » Wed May 27, 2015 1:59 am

you don't have to wait a day or two... instead just a few minutes

caskwith · Post by **caskwith** » Wed May 27, 2015 3:01 am

You don't have to burn it either, I prefer to just use a heat gun, less chance of scorching.

clickklick · Post by **clickklick** » Wed May 27, 2015 10:36 am

So then why set it on fire? What's the point?

Maybe my denatured alcohol is too potent? As I coat the pipe, the alcohol flashes off within a few seconds just in the open air. So a heat gun or fire seem counter productive.

I guess what I'm asking is more, what function does adding any sort of heating to the staining process accomplish?

Charl · Post by **Charl** » Wed May 27, 2015 10:39 am

Function? Nothing.
Time? Yes

jogilli · Post by **jogilli** » Wed May 27, 2015 12:34 pm

once its dry you can sand at the same grit or a higher grit.. I don't always want to wait till it dries, so I set it aflame and biddabam I can sand it after a few minutes vice the next day

clickklick · Post by **clickklick** » Wed May 27, 2015 3:41 pm

Mine looks like it dries within a minute or so. I am using powdered dye mixed into denatured alcohol.

What do you guys use?

Ratimus · Post by **Ratimus** » Wed May 27, 2015 4:11 pm

I've always had a sneaking suspicion that the sole purpose of lighting stain on fire was to look cool in YouTube videos.

caskwith · Post by **caskwith** » Wed May 27, 2015 4:24 pm

Time is the main thing, faster it sets the faster I can get on with other processes, also though I think warming the pipe first helps it soak in deep, I may be wrong but it makes me feel better.

Camaraderie · Post by **Camaraderie** » Wed May 27, 2015 8:24 pm

jogilli wrote:you don't have to wait a day or two... instead just a few minutes

I have the same question as clickklick, why would you need to wait a day or two? Alcohol in a thin layer like that will evaporate in seconds to minutes.

So as a time-saver, I would think it would only save a few minutes?

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Thu May 28, 2015 10:05 am

When you are sanding for contrast, it is much less gooey, less likely to fill a high-grit paper, if it has sat for a day rather than a few minutes. I'm not sure what is evaporating or hardening in the dye, but that's just what practice shows.

caskwith · Post by **caskwith** » Thu May 28, 2015 10:35 am

Sasquatch wrote:When you are sanding for contrast, it is much less gooey, less likely to fill a high-grit paper, if it has sat for a day rather than a few minutes. I'm not sure what is evaporating or hardening in the dye, but that's just what practice shows.

It will be the oils drying/curing.

jogilli · Post by **jogilli** » Thu May 28, 2015 12:51 pm

what Sas said.... what Chris said.. you asked why.. we told you why.. if you don't want to do it don't...

and as chris mentioned warming it up helps it soak in... and there are various ways to do that.. sometimes I pour boiling water over the pipe.. heat it up with a heat gun.. and then stain... you get a deep contrast... some guys wrap the pipe with hot washcloths before applying water based stain.. again to get it to soak in at higher grits...

find what's right for you and the finish your after..

james

pipemakersforum.com

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