packerguy®
Celebrating
Registered: 12/04/05
Posts: 18906
Loc: St Paul, MN
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So SIL wants help upgrading her bathroom vanity. Easy enough job, just building a few new doors, sanding down the faceframe, stain, top coat.
She wants the real dark black color. I have read a fair amount about using India Ink....and think this is the route I am going to go, but never have used it.
I want something that isnt going to take a week to do, as I live 30 minutes one way from her. The idea is to go over on a sat morning and be done by that afternoon.
I am planning on using shellac, real thin, like a 1lb cut, adding the india ink, and rub that on. Let it dry, then hit it with 2 coats of a WB poly.
I am planning on getting Dick Blick Black Cat India Ink. It says its waterproof....so I assume that when I add it to shellac, and the shellac dries, hitting it with a WB top coat will not make it react and run and or thin out.
Is my logic correct, or better yet, has anyone done this?
I want to use shellac as the base for the color, because it will dry in >1hr. I want to use WB because I can go with the second coat in >1hr and it wont stink up her place for a week. I am sure that she will appreciate that. 
I plan of doing some test pieces here before I go over, I just dont want to spend $50 on random test pieces if I don't have to.
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Once Favre hangs it up though, it years of cellar dwelling for the Pack. (Geoff 12-18-07)
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R Bohn
Member
Registered: 03/17/12
Posts: 36
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Hi packerguy
aren't you on the wrong side of the river? anyway I would use black dye added to the shellac rather than ink. Not sure how they would mix. Rockler or Woodcraft would have it. And poly and water don't go together well, i would use spar varnish if you want it to last.
Randy
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EdL
Slow Day
Registered: 07/08/05
Posts: 3560
Loc: Mi.
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I've used it as a stain on Ash. It'll turn the wood black, not dark, black. Topcoated it with Sikkens (outdoor application).
Ed
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John Walkowiak
Member
Registered: 10/29/07
Posts: 89
Loc: Mpls. MN
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I have used India Ink as a stain a couple times in the past. It depends on the wood whether or not it alone will turn it black enough. I have had to use a black water base dye and then tint the top coat along with the India Ink on some things. As always, do a sample.
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jteneyck
Member
Registered: 01/24/10
Posts: 3085
Loc: Western NY
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I've used India Ink several times, and it worked great, but I never thought of it as something I'd use on a large project. If I had to do several square feet I'd use a dye stain topcoated with your clearcoat. GF makes an ebony WB dye stain, and that is compatible with their Hi Perf. poly. IMHO, GF's Hi Perf. Poly is perfectly fine for a bathroom vanity. Even if you had to apply two coats of the dye stain to get it a uniform jet black, you could be done in a day. The Hi Perf. Poly applies great with a foam brush or spray. Since the dye stain is WB, you may need to apply a wash coat of Sealcoat shellac before the WB topcoat if you are brushing.
John
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JR1
Member
Registered: 09/09/10
Posts: 6535
Loc: Teller country, Co, USA
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I'd use TransTint 6023 You can apply it directly in DNA or as part of a tintcoat with many finishes. I like shellac but if you use that you would need to topcoat with a waterborne like crystalac poly-ox or GF. But you can add it to the waterborne to make a tint coat. I have used TransTint with Crystalac successfully, and it should work fine with GF. But you need to test to see how much to use, a little goes a long way.
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homo homini lupus
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packerguy®
Celebrating
Registered: 12/04/05
Posts: 18906
Loc: St Paul, MN
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I have some of the transtint, and its not dark enough, or uniform enough for what she is looking for. Thats why I am thinking about the India Ink, because its the next step up from transtint.
I am going to get some tonight, and fool around with it. I was hoping someone here used it, but apparently everyone here has done what I already have tried and didnt like.
I am not a fan of staining wood in the first place, especally dark or black, but its the "modern" thing. Its sad a whole generation of people have grown up thinking this is a normal finish and its is cool. 
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Once Favre hangs it up though, it years of cellar dwelling for the Pack. (Geoff 12-18-07)
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Howard Acheson
Registered: 08/07/01
Posts: 18883
Loc: Southport, NC USA
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I don't see anything that says the species of wood you are coloring.
The ebony finishes I have done with accomplished in two steps. First a water soluble dye was applied. When the dye was dry, I applied an ebony gel stain. This is a particularly good approach for larger pored woods like oak.
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Howie.........
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JR1
Member
Registered: 09/09/10
Posts: 6535
Loc: Teller country, Co, USA
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Which transtint and how did you apply it. 6023 is darker than India ink. It will be darker if applied as a dye in DNA, if it blotches then you must use it as a tintcoat. I'm assuming that you sprayed.
If that's not dark enough at 32:1 (DNA or finish to transtint), then your only chance is to use shellac and then black enamel or epoxy.
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homo homini lupus
Edited by JR1 (07/16/12 06:52 PM)
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packerguy®
Celebrating
Registered: 12/04/05
Posts: 18906
Loc: St Paul, MN
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I have used the 6023 as well as the dark walnut and antique maple. I mixed them with DNA, Shellac and in the top coat. I had better success with using it as a tint, rather than an opaque color.
For reference, the vanity is red oak (thought I mentioned that but I didnt) Mixed some India ink tonight with DNA, tried 4:1 and just used a foam brush to put it on. Dried really fast, looked good, filled the pores....and was pretty opaque. You could see the grain (because its porous). Sprayed some polycrylic over it and looked real good with 2 coats.
I think I found a winner.
PS: This is the color she is shooting for....
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Once Favre hangs it up though, it years of cellar dwelling for the Pack. (Geoff 12-18-07)
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