Dyed pot calls - What color would you buy?

[randywallace]

Personally I think dyed calls no matter what color are butt ugly.

+1  I much prefer the natural wood.

[lightsoutcalls]

I've had a lot of luck dying the curly maple. Green is popular along with a deep maroon color that I worked up. If its going to be a limited addition, I wouldn't use an off the shelf color. I would mix one up to make it more unique.

The green I have worked up combines 3 stock colors to make a deep olive green.  The color looked good on pecan, but I think will really make a more figured wood really pop visually. 

Obviously one color or one wood is not going to please everybody... thus the reason multiple woods, both domestic and exotic are available.  What interests one guy may completely turn the next guy off.

Baskin Robins would never have made it if they only offered vanilla.  That said, some folks love vanilla, so they offer it in multiple varieties.   

[Old Gobbler]

I ran across this image of a mandolin makers work some time back , it is a dyed or tinted curly Maple - look at the depth and shameless beauty of this work of art -  with the right piece of wood and knowledge you can make stuff like this

[lightsoutcalls]

That looks like quilted big leaf maple.  It is a little soft for a pot call for my taste.  I tried some a few years back.  It is incredibly beautiful without a doubt.  I love how it's combined with the tiger maple sides and neck.  The depth of the figure of both woods is enhanced by the dye and the finish.

[Old Gobbler]

your right  , it is quilted

[VanHelden Game Calls]

Use a pc of veneer cut into medallions inlay-ed into the back and stained.

Best of all worlds

[Crawdad]

Would anyone care to share how to go about dying wood?

[lightsoutcalls]

Would anyone care to share how to go about dying wood?

I have used both Trans Tint dyes and J.C. Moser analine dyes.  You can find them by doing a web search.  I like the dyes that you mix with denatured alcohol.  It penetrates the grain without raising the grain as much as water based dyes.  Trans Tint is a liquid dye, where J.C. Moser dyes are powdered. 
I prefer to dip my pieces in the dye solution as opposed to wiping it on.  I find this gives better consistency and penetration.  Dyes will penetrate end grain more deeply than they will face grain, which will cause face grain to appear darker.  Dyes will also highlight any sanding marks left on the wood, so sanding with successive finer grits is important.  I wouldn't stop until I got to at least 400 grit. 
Here is a great article on using the TransTint dyes:
http://www.joewoodworker.com/transtints.htm

[Crawdad]

Thank's a lot buddy, so I assume you don't dye until after you turn & sand your call to a finish, right?

[lightsoutcalls]

Thank's a lot buddy, so I assume you don't dye until after you turn & sand your call to a finish, right?

That's right.  You want to remove everything that is not going to be a part of the finished product before you dye.  This includes drilling out soundholes, final sanding of soundholes, surfaces, guts of the call...  I have also found that it best for me to apply a coat of sanding sealer after the dye is dry before I sign the calls.  I have yet to find a good white pen to sign on dyed calls.  Even after drying, the white seems to bleed into the dye and not show up well.  I'll have to keep working on that one...

[Crawdad]

Thank's again, I really appreciate your help.

[mudhen]

I like dyed wood calls just fine, but I agree with those that prefer natural colors like dark green, brown, etc.

I think this dyed green Lights Out is persimmon, but I could be wrong.  Call sounds great, not sure the color mattered 





Butt ugly?  99% of the ugliest calls I have ever seen are regular wood calls 

mudhen

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

If you have guys complaining about your calls color, the call has done it's job and they haven't done theirs.

People amaze me these days....

That being said, mudhen's dyed calls look fantastic.  The deep red idea and natural earth tones sound like a good start.

Let me know what you end up doing with it, Wendell.  I'd like to put my hands one one!

[DeWayne Knight]

That looks like quilted big leaf maple.  It is a little soft for a pot call for my taste.  I tried some a few years back.  It is incredibly beautiful without a doubt.  I love how it's combined with the tiger maple sides and neck.  The depth of the figure of both woods is enhanced by the dye and the finish.

I wonder how the big leaf maple would work for a pot if it was stabilized?

[lightsoutcalls]

I'm not sure...  I had some curly maple stabilized that was very soft.  It definitely made it harder, but it also darkened the wood color a bit.  The people that I used to stabilize also do some dying, but I have not looked into that with them...  you may just got the wheels turning again...