quote:

Originally posted by Doc224/375:
Duane Wiebe ; Why do you consider Aniline dye to be bad ?.

There are 3 types Water which is bad for gunstocks IMO . Alcohol which is soluble in thinners including

alcohol and there is Oil Aniline dyes either of these two have worked very well for me over the years .

As I'm not a Gun Smith and only do refinishing and restoration wood working and have for 40 years .

I'm curious as to why you consider it bad ?. If applied correctly as with most anything it can give

marvelous tone quality's unachievable with any other type stain , while allowing grain detail to Shine !.



The biggest difference between stains and dyes is the color -- many stains look muddy, sort of like looking through a window with the screen on. Remove the screen and you get an idea of the clear colors produced by aniline dyes.

The reason is simple. Most stains leave tiny colored particles (pigments) on the surface of the wood. But dyes penetrate the wood fibers. This emphasizes the figure of the wood instead of partially obscuring it.

Aniline dyes also color the wood more evenly than pigmented stains. Unlike stains that concentrate in the areas of the wood that have large pores (like end grain), dyes penetrate all parts equally.

Another nice thing about aniline dyes is the wide range of colors. There are even bright primary colors, like what you might want to use on kids' projects.

Regardless of the color, most dyes are sold as a dry powder that needs to be dissolved in a solvent, either water, alcohol, or oil. Of the three, the guys at


The peoples republik of California calls this a carcinogen...not saying it doesn't work...just be careful using it! Some years ago, I headed up a seminar on stock finishes for the ACGG. I had the input from an MD (who really did most of the work and research)......like I say... read the labels...