Recipes for Alcohol weathering, better known as A & I

[ranny9]

No, not THAT kind of alcohol! I have one pint bottle of 99% alcohol with 2 teaspoons of Higgins waterproof black ink in it, and I have it labeled "Medium". Would you consider another bottle with 1 teaspoon ink to the alcohol as "Light" and another bottle with 3 teaspoons ink to the alcohol as "Dark"?  Or do you guys and gals go further apart or closer together, ratio wise, in your recipes of ink stains?

[ReadingBob]

Randy,

I haven't tried the Higgins.  I use a cheap black ink I picked up at Staples that's used to refill ink pads.  I mixed up two teaspoon of that into a bottle of 90% alcohol and I consider that to be too dark to use as is.  I pour it into smaller jars I keep on my work bench and lighten it up by mixing it with some clear alcohol as I fill those jars.  No formula though, I just wing it.  I keep two bottles on my work bench.  One light and one dark.  I also keep a third bottle with clear alcohol in on the workbench as well.  If I feel that even the light mix is too dark (especially when I'm toning down whites, yellows, tans, etc.) I first dip my brush in the clear alcohol and then the light alcohol.  If I didn't realize it was too dark until after I started brushing it on something I brush the clear on while it's still wet to cut it.  Basically I just wing it.      

[ACL1504]

Randee,

Like Bob, I use to mix my own but over the past several years I've gotten lazy. Ok, very lazy in that I now use the Hunter Line Weathering Mix (A&I).

www.hunterline.com

I use the Creosote black(heavy)  and the Light Gray(light). If I want a medium I pour some of the Creosote Black into a spare bottle and add some rubbing alcohol to make it lighter.

Hunterline is usually at the EXPO's.

Often I'll start with the light and if I don't like the results I'll apply a second coat. Much easier to add the A&I vs. removing it once applied.

Tom

[ACL1504]

I just checked the Hunter Line schedule and they will be at this years EXPO.

[S&S RR]

No, not THAT kind of alcohol! I have one pint bottle of 99% alcohol with 2 teaspoons of Higgins waterproof black ink in it, and I have it labeled "Medium". Would you consider another bottle with 1 teaspoon ink to the alcohol as "Light" and another bottle with 3 teaspoons ink to the alcohol as "Dark"?  Or do you guys and gals go further apart or closer together, ratio wise, in your recipes of ink stains?

Randy


I have 4 different bottles of A&I labeled 2, 3, and 4 for the number of teaspoons of ink to the pint of alcohol.  The forth bottle is labeled trestle and is a mixture of 4 teaspoons of black and 2 teaspoons of brown Higgins Ink. For most weathering applications I use the 2. The trestle mixture was the result of some experimentation looking for the combination I liked the best.

[NEMMRRC]

Where did you find 99% alcohol?

I follow Sellios' recipe. I don't have an instruction abbet handy so I cannot quote it.

I only make one kind. If I want darker stain I just leave the wood in the A&I jar longer.

Jaime

[Mike Engler]

I get 99% from the pharmacist. They can order a big container for you (litre?) or give you a couple of pints if you bring some empty containers. You don't get much warping with it.

[NEMMRRC]

I get 99% from the pharmacist. They can order a big container for you (litre?) or give you a couple of pints if you bring some empty containers. You don't get much warping with it.

Thanks.

I think I'll order the large container and transfer that to empty pint jars of the stuff you find on the shelf.

Jaime

[MAP]

99%?  Nice.  I'll have to check that out.  I use 91% which I get at the local CVS pharmacy.  I have 2 strengths of A&I:  1 or 2 tbs per pint (light or medium), but I also have a bunch of the Hunterline bottles in different colors/shades.  I swop back and forth depending on my mood.  Hunter line will be at Springfield this weekend, so I need to check my stock.

[bparrish]

Randy...

Recall from previous conversations I use aniline dye.  These work very much like A&I so I can answer here.  I have used A&I in the past but the black is too stark for me.

Neither of these methods us a sealer like Minwax or other commercial stain sealer products.  Therefore you can put multiple applications to get what you want as far as darkness.  I don't soak strip wood for several reasons: no control over darkness and warping. 

I use a wide brush that carries a lot of liquid.  I stain on a plastic baggie sheet that is later disposable and once I have rolled the pieces around I move them to another location on the plastic so as to not soak up stain on the bottom that I might not know about until later.

Repeated applications do not need to be done on completely dry wood so repeat applications can happen over a short period of time.  The alcohol goes off pretty fast so dry times are shorter than water or oil based stains.

I like quick...

see ya
Bob

[ranny9]

Randy,

I haven't tried the Higgins.  I use a cheap black ink I picked up at Staples that's used to refill ink pads.  I mixed up two teaspoon of that into a bottle of 90% alcohol and I consider that to be too dark to use as is.  I pour it into smaller jars I keep on my work bench and lighten it up by mixing it with some clear alcohol as I fill those jars.  No formula though, I just wing it.  I keep two bottles on my work bench.  One light and one dark.  I also keep a third bottle with clear alcohol in on the workbench as well.  If I feel that even the light mix is too dark (especially when I'm toning down whites, yellows, tans, etc.) I first dip my brush in the clear alcohol and then the light alcohol.  If I didn't realize it was too dark until after I started brushing it on something I brush the clear on while it's still wet to cut it.  Basically I just wing it.      

The Higgins was something I picked up at the Pearl Art store down the street here in Alexandria, before they went out of business. A little ink goes a LONG way. I still have some Rapidograph around, from my college days when I was a draftsman in 1965...

[ranny9]

Randee,

Like Bob, I use to mix my own but over the past several years I've gotten lazy. Ok, very lazy in that I now use the Hunter Line Weathering Mix (A&I).

www.hunterline.com

I use the Creosote black(heavy)  and the Light Gray(light). If I want a medium I pour some of the Creosote Black into a spare bottle and add some rubbing alcohol to make it lighter.

Hunterline is usually at the EXPO's.

Often I'll start with the light and if I don't like the results I'll apply a second coat. Much easier to add the A&I vs. removing it once applied.

Tom

I have lots of the Hunterline stuff here.

[ranny9]

No, not THAT kind of alcohol! I have one pint bottle of 99% alcohol with 2 teaspoons of Higgins waterproof black ink in it, and I have it labeled "Medium". Would you consider another bottle with 1 teaspoon ink to the alcohol as "Light" and another bottle with 3 teaspoons ink to the alcohol as "Dark"?  Or do you guys and gals go further apart or closer together, ratio wise, in your recipes of ink stains?

Randy


I have 4 different bottles of A&I labeled 2, 3, and 4 for the number of table spoons of ink to the pint of alcohol.  The forth bottle is labeled trestle and is a mixture of 4 table spoons of black and 2 table spoons of brown Higgins Ink. For most weathering applications I use the 2. The trestle mixture was the result of some experimentation looking for the combination I liked the best.

TABLEspoons, or TEAspoons? Big difference...

[ranny9]

Where did you find 99% alcohol?

I follow Sellios' recipe. I don't have an instruction abbet handy so I cannot quote it.

I only make one kind. If I want darker stain I just leave the wood in the A&I jar longer.

Jaime

My local Safeway grocery store carries 71%, 91%, and 99%, in the pharmacy department. I think the only difference is the added inert ingredient of water.

[ranny9]

99%?  Nice.  I'll have to check that out.  I use 91% which I get at the local CVS pharmacy.  I have 2 strengths of A&I:  1 or 2 tbs per pint (light or medium), but I also have a bunch of the Hunterline bottles in different colors/shades.  I swop back and forth depending on my mood.  Hunter line will be at Springfield this weekend, so I need to check my stock.

Again, I'm curious...TABLEspoons, or TEAspoons?