Aniline Stains
By Tom Kindschi
Alcohol Based Stains
For anyone starting out in instrument making, these are not at all like your
standard woodworkers oil based stains! They stain fast and deep and there are no
adjustments once the stain hits the wood!
Alcohol based stains are great for musical instruments because they have a
minimal effect on raising the wood grain when applied. They are usually sold as
dry powders packaged in 2 oz containers, which is enough pigment to stain many
mandolins. The key to using these alcohol soluble (denatured wood alcohol)
stains is, work with a diluted stain mix. In fact, it seems that rubbing on
multiple layers of stain adds “depth” to the wood grain, especially on striped
maple. I typically apply about 3-4 “layers” of stain to the hard woods and 2-3
“layers’ to the (Sitka Spruce) top wood.
Alcohol based stains are readily absorbed by Sitka Spruce, so be sure to have a
few scrap pieces of your top wood available for testing to make sure your stain
is the intensity you are comfortable with. A “sunburst “ top (or back) can be
achieved, with a little practice, by staining the center portion of the top (or
back) first with the lighter color (antique Amber) then staining the edge with
the darker color. Overlap the dark edge stain onto the lighter center stain,
then “blend” the junction of the two stains by wiping with a cloth soaked with
denatured alcohol.
These stains greatly enhance and accentuate the woods natural grain and pattern.
If you’re using high quality wood, enhancing the grain is something you strive
for.
Typically, “bargain” mandolins utilize inferior woods with imperfections and/or
poor grain characteristics; that’s why those instruments all have an opaque
stain that hides the natural wood grain. Even some of the high-priced Gibson F’s
I have seen have an opaque stain and virtually no natural wood grain visible.
One of the distinctive qualities of a quality handmade instrument, be it a
dulcimer or a guitar, is that the luthier has carefully selected, cut and carved
the wood. A professional hand rubbed staining gives the instrument an artistic
quality that a mass-produced instrument will never possess! So pick some pieces
of wood out of your scrap bin, mix a few stain samples and experiment with some
color combinations. You’ll be surprised how stain colors blend with and
compliment each other when used on adjacent sides of an instrument.
Good luck staining!
Tom Kindschi.