Keda dye?

[Arzi]

Hi

It seems to be quite hard to get simple (red, blue, green etc) stain colors in Finland (don't know why - could be just me). Almost any shade of natural wood is available, but because I have my mind set on red and black - not so easy... Wudtone seems to be quite expensive to get here ( over 50£ a set).

I stumbled upon this product in my search: Keda wood dye from the US. 5 different water or alcohol suitable colors in a set for about 15 £ shipped. Should get one quart = 1 litre of dye per color and all are mixable with each other.

Seems to be almost too good to be true so I have to ask if anyone has any experience on these? I was thinking of using true oil straight after the dye has dried so I would probably not need other finishes like in a wudtone set.

Any other source of water based stains from europe would also be much appreciated if you have any good tips?

Thank you

[wokkaboy]

Hi Arzi,
there is a builder Oli4vd from Belgium (I know its not that close but probably closest PBG builder to you) who had trouble finding a stain but ended up getting a dye from his local hardware store.
His build diary link http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...?t=3576&page=3
I'd try some local hardwares or art supply shops may be able to help and save you postage wait and costs.
Its important you make sure the dyes are lightfast and won't fade with time.
Otherwise for the cost the Keda could be an option but have never heard of it and have no idea if it has been used on a guitar build.

[WeirdBits]

Not sure about Keda dye or european sources, but you can always fall back on ColorTone stains from StewMac (more expensive, but reliable and widely used).

[Arzi]

Thanks for the advice. Went to a hardware store today and picked up some small amounts of ready-to-use alcohol based red and black stain. I'll try these on a board of birch at some point with and without alcohol filler and different combinations of layers and burst. Hopefully I will find a good combo. Birch is quite light coloured wood as basswood is later on in the build so if it could give me some kind of clue on the final result.

[wokkaboy]

Hi Arzi,
sounds like a good plan. Once the stains have dried may pay to test a coat of tru oil over it but shouldn't be a problem.
While the test staining is drying you can start sanding the body !

[Arzi]

Hi Wokkaboy!

I'm still waiting for the kit to arrive, so I have time to practice my staining. Haven't stained anything in the past so it's good to take things slow. I can't wait to get my hands on the sanding part and mock build...

[wokkaboy]

good stuff Arzi, sure the kit will probably take at least a couple of weeks to arrive in Finland
great attitude to take things slow ! Alot of first time builders rush and make terrible mistakes !

[Devon]

i just bought a set from Kenda. Will keep you posted how it goes.

[Arzi]

Hi Devon

I also oredered the 5 color kit and I'm using it right now on my RC-4. Just finished staining but haven't had the time to post any pics. I will soon though after I get the first coat of TO on the sides and back of the body to seal the color.

So far I'm quite pleased with the results even though first thought about sanding to a lighter shade but then decided on darker black.

Arzi