White Finish

Druk · Post by **Druk** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:21 pm

I'm making my first pipe and am getting to the point that I should start thinking about finishes. I've been considering a white finish, like on the old kaywoodies and some of the new Big Ben's. What is the best way to go about this? Will the leather dyes I've heard about work well, or is there something better?

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 12:33 am

Kurt had one at the Columbus Show that was white, although it didn't look anything like the white Kaywoodies. It was more of a transluscent white.

Those old Kaywoodies look like they were done with a paint of some sort.

Rad

TreverT · Post by **TreverT** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 9:18 am

I haven't seen any dyes that were white - going on the correct use of the word dye - but that doesn't mean such doesn't exist. The whites that I have seen and used have all been pigmented stains that apply and dry on the surface of the wood, rather than penetrating like dyes do. You can color the wood white but the coloring can be scraped or buffed off because it is only present in the form of surface pigment. Even those whites that I've seen advertised as "dyes" are in actuality colored pigment stains. If you ever find an actual penetrating white dye, please post about it!

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 9:54 am

That white pipe I had at the NASPC show was done with a very laborious process of hand rubbing milk paint into the wood. I was really happy with it, but I don't think I'll ever do it again. It was a special pipe I made just for the show, and the finish took me an entire day to complete.

The pictures don't do it justice. It's really hard to photograph that finish and have it come out looking like it does under normal lighting.

If you're looking for something like the old Kaywoodies, I would check out your local wood craft store and see if they have some sort of white spray laquer or something. Not that I advocate the use, but that's what it seems they would use. Something that a woodturner might use on a bowl or plate or something.

Druk · Post by **Druk** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 10:53 pm

Has anyone used the colored Fieblings Leather Dyes? They have a white dye, someday, down the line, I'd like to try a two-tone like an old The Pipe.

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:12 pm

Yes, and I wouldn't put it on Sauron's pipe. It's the most foul smelling dye/stain/whatever that I've used. It's also meant for a very porous material like leather, and it contains oils that won't penetrate brair. It's similar to the white magic markers that never seem so cover enough.

I bought it a year ago, and it's been sitting on tha back of the stain shelf unused since then.

munkey · Post by **munkey** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 12:00 am

Druk wrote:Has anyone used the colored Fieblings Leather Dyes? They have a white dye, someday, down the line, I'd like to try a two-tone like an old The Pipe.

I have never used Fiebing's white, but use other colors of their alcohol based dyes all the time.

NvilleDave · Post by **NvilleDave** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 12:58 pm

KurtHuhn wrote:Yes, and I wouldn't put it on Sauron's pipe. It's the most foul smelling dye/stain/whatever that I've used. It's also meant for a very porous material like leather, and it contains oils that won't penetrate brair. It's similar to the white magic markers that never seem so cover enough.

I bought it a year ago, and it's been sitting on tha back of the stain shelf unused since then.

Ditto what Kurt said--from the smell of it I can tell it's not alcohol based and without knowing what chemicals are in it I don't feel comfortable putting it on a pipe.

Dave

munkey · Post by **munkey** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 8:15 pm

Fiebings also makes an oil based dye. The stuff I use is alcohol based for sure, put a match to it after staining and the alcohol burns off.

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 10:23 pm

Most of Fiebings dyes are alcohol based, certainly. But that white stuff is something else - it may have alcohol in it, but it's also got other junk in it and it's a very different formulation than their regular stuff. Grab a bottle, and you'll what I mean. It smells more like spray paint than anything else.

munkey · Post by **munkey** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 10:53 pm

KurtHuhn wrote:Most of Fiebings dyes are alcohol based, certainly. But that white stuff is something else - it may have alcohol in it, but it's also got other junk in it and it's a very different formulation than their regular stuff. Grab a bottle, and you'll what I mean. It smells more like spray paint than anything else.

I believe it.

I read Durk's post as also questioning Fiebing's dye in general, so I wanted to vouch for their other products.

Druk · Post by **Druk** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 12:21 am

I guess I have to decide on a different finish. Once I see what the grain looks like, I'll go from there. I found another white wood dye, but it was turpentine based and that just didn't sound good.

NvilleDave · Post by **NvilleDave** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 9:57 am

munkey wrote:I read Durk's post as also questioning Fiebing's dye in general, so I wanted to vouch for their other products.

Hey Scott,
Right about Fiebing's other colors--I use them all the time and I didn't mean to sound like I was talking about all of them. It's just the white that I was talking about.

Best,
Dave

TreverT · Post by **TreverT** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 10:41 am

Fiebing's white and Fiebing's grey are both pigments suspended in solution, not dyes, that color by compacting onto the surface of the wood during the evaporation of the solution instead of penetrating the wood as dyes do. What you get is a surface that looks like it's been coated with very thin paint rather than a dyed surface. I haven't tried smoking a pipe done this way, but irregardless of smoking properties, it wouldn't be a very practical finish for a pipe due to the fact that it can be rubbed or buffed off very easily - you can actually scratch it off with a fingernail, if it isn't finished over with a hard durable finish.