Colouring Balsa

[Vincent Coulson]

Hello,

Don't know if this fits here, but I have been making pole floats and have countless natural balsa ones. I have been using a super tough floor varnish to protect and seal. Works a treat. However, Im fed up of colourless ones and would like to know is there any way of colouring the balsa before varnishing to keep the grain of the wood as much as possible?

I know there are wood dyes but would this soak into the balsa too much and therefore take some of the shotting capacity off.

Oh, I have been sealing them prior to varnishing with sanding sealer....

Thanks a lot

 

[David Craine]

I have successfully used food dyes prior to sealing the floats,if you leave them to thoroughly dry there is no problem.Don't think it would alter the shooting pattern ,but then again I don't use pole floats ,just Chubbers and sticks.

Dave

 

[Bob Gill]

Try a spirit based stain - like Morrells which are available in lots of lightfast colours including green. Allow the stain to evaporate and coat with clear. Alternatively you can try coating with stain added - but you will need a number of coats.
Some colour examples of stained maple using Morrells spirit based stain below:

Stain applied then lacquered using tinted coating.

With balsa you should be able to get away with just staining the wood and clear coating after the stain has dried - think the Morrells is alcohol based.

Bob

 

[George Lockhart]

I use wood dye in all my floats I make and it does them no harm at the time of staining.

I use ronseal quick drying woodstain in antique pine and deep mahogany to get the effects above. then finish them off with a couple of coats of morrells waterbourne 10% sheen lacquer.

 

[Vincent Coulson]

Cheers guys!

 

[Colin Bridger]

Try marker pens or dry wipe pens.
An excelent sealer can be made from stiring in talcum powder in to a small measure of clear varnish.