I just tried to stain some ties using brown walnut wood stain, and it came out too dark. What do you use for staining ties? Thanks Jesper
I used to use brown liquid shoe polish back in the 50's and 60's I have also used brown dye, the type to dye clothes with. I mixed it up in a coffee can and dipped the wood in for a couple seconds and that worked fine. You can mix it any strength you want for darker or lighter. [ 23. February 2003, 23:44: Message edited by: Telegrapher ]
I use leather dye, not polish, mixed with alcohol. Just a few drops will work for a start. Dip a tie in, take it out and dry. If not dark enough, add a few more drops. The dye comes in black, brown and cordova (SP) which is red. India ink will also work. Hint, don't make them all the same color.
I use black leather dye, cut with a little alcohol too. (geez .. I thought I was the originator of this method ) But, I'm assuming that you are talking about dying wood ties, not plastic. I soak them in the dye for several minutes, then scoop them out onto a wooden frame covered with a section of window screen to dry them. (Put some newspaper under it to catch any drips). Stir the ties around after a while to move the wet ties into the air. I found that because the wood ties are made from wood with varying density, they dry in various shades of black, tan and gray. They really look good under hand laid rails.
