Staining Bubinga

TakePride

I have a customer that purchased bubinga flooring and wants it stained black. They are going for an ebony look and want transparency to see the grain. I know customers often want something that is not the easiest product to give but this one seems like a pipe dream. Bubinga (African Rosewood) is a very red wood, however the customer does not want to see any red tones coming through. I have made numerous samples for them and none of them have made them happy. Without completely hiding the grain I cannot conceal the red. My main question is if anyone has any info on a black/ebony stain or dye that may work better than what I have used. My attempts have included the use of TransTint dyes, Duraseal Ebony, Minwax Ebony and General Finishes Dyes and Stains. The black stains are not nearly dark enough for them even after popping the grain. I am shying away from multiple coats due to wear. I have even used a base dye of greens to help neutralize the red. Nothing is working yet and Bubimga is not the best wood for staining due to the numerous variations. Thanks For the Help.

rbsremodeling

Every once in awhile a customer makes a request that is borderline or full blown retarded.

This sounds like one of them. I know this is not the answer you are seeking but.

It does not sound like you can accomplish this of which you have been asked to do

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gallerytungsten

The first thing that came to mind was the transtint powder dyes. I see you mentioned the transfast, which is the liquid version. The Transtint powder version will probably allow a higher pigment percentage.

It does sound a little bit like a wacky request, though. If you see grain, you'll see red. So it seems a bit of a no-win. Of course, you could always try black paint...

Leo G

Mix up a green dye, you'll need to experiment to see how strong you'll need it to be. When you get it just right the green dye will kill the red and make it brown. After that you should be able to use the lamp black or carbon black dye to get what you want. Also, a black dye in the clearcoat may be necessary to get it as dark as you may need it to be. Like you said, samples samples, samples.

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Gus Dering

Have you tried a toner in between clear coats?
The finisher I use thins down a stain in a pot gun and fogs it on as thick as needed. It could go pretty dark.
The way I understand it, since it is suspended in the middle of coats it does not interact with the wood and you can cover more ground.
Killing the red first would be the trick though.
Not real sure but seems like a toner may be worth a shot. It's only one more sample of many, right?

Leo G

If the dye straight on the wood isn't working then as Gus said try it in a toner. My toners are usually a 50-50 mixture of thinner and clear and whatever concentration of dye that does the trick. I know you don't want a multi step process, but if the client is willing to pay for it then that is what needs to be done. The other option may be to bleach the wood and take the color right out of it. Then use the ebony stain and toner to adjust the darkness of the black.

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Gus Dering

Don't want to state the obvious but geez louise. Don't we pay big bucks for Bobinga and put a clear coat on it cuz it looooks sooooo gooood as mommy nature made it?

Sorry no response necessary

Leo G

Sounds like a nice maple floor was in order. Would have made a nice ebony colored floor.

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precisionbuild

You're a pretty smart guy Leo...

trptman

The toner suggestion will work, but will obscure the grain by the time you get it dark enough I would think.
I've used some alcohol based dye-stains from Mohawk finishing products that work pretty well. they really penetrate the wood fibers without obscuring the grain, but as was stated, you've got a pretty tall task with what your client wants. not sure if it will be possible to do.

Leo G

A dye based toner will not obscure the grain. A pigmented based toner will.

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Custom Cabinets in Hartford County Connecticut

TakePride

Thanks Guys for the input. I probably should have stated that this will be an oil and wax finish so I cannot tint the finish anymore than wax will allow. The thought of staining 3000 sqft of wide plank bubinga makes me a bit sick as the wood is so pretty. Its never easy but i will work a bit more with the green dye and go from there.