# Bolt action & Bullet



## ChrisN (May 25, 2013)

Ever see red dyed zebrawood? This is a commissioned pen, the customer liked the zebrawood but wanted the white to be red. So I used food coloring; and, in the end, the blank, paper towels, and my fingers were red. It's on a gunmetal magnum bolt action kit.

[attachment=25402]
[attachment=25403]

Also, a 50 caliber bullet kit from PSI. These things are huge!

[attachment=25401]
[attachment=25400]


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## Bean_counter (May 25, 2013)

I really really like the dyed zebra wood. I might need to try that, did you just wipe it on when you were done turning it? If I may ask?


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## DKMD (May 25, 2013)

Nice work, Chris. Just a note on the food coloring... It's not color fast, so the red may fade over time.


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## ChrisN (May 26, 2013)

Bean_counter said:


> I really really like the dyed zebra wood. I might need to try that, did you just wipe it on when you were done turning it? If I may ask?



Well, I tried rubbing the food coloring on with a paper towel, but I ended up leaving the turned blank in a mixture of food coloring and water overnight because I didn't think it was dark enough. I don't think it made much of a difference in color, though. I don't think zebrawood is a very good wood to dye, either. It's almost too dense.


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## rdabpenman (May 27, 2013)

Looks great from here Chris.
Well done.

Les


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## ripjack13 (Aug 8, 2013)

Do you have a vacuum pump? Like the ones used for stabilizing? That might help with the dye process...


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## Jdaschel (Aug 8, 2013)

Great pen! The red looks great. That process should work with others colors too. 




ripjack13 said:


> Do you have a vacuum pump? Like the ones used for stabilizing? That might help with the dye process...



No he did not use a vacuum pump for this one. After he got done sanding it, He just wiped on the dye and finished over it. If the was to "stabilize it with dye added" it would probably not work as well as you think because the wood is already really hard and dense. Stabilizing works the best on soft woods like spalted maple and burls. I have seen stabilized zebrawood before but that is done with professional stabilizing machine that use extreme amount of pressure and vacuum to really get it into the wood.


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## ripjack13 (Aug 8, 2013)

Right..I saw that....but if he was to put dye in a cup/bowl big enough for the blank inside the box... Not using stabilizer....just dye....would that suck in the dye?


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## ChrisN (Aug 8, 2013)

*RE: Bolt action & Bullet*

Nope, no vacuum pump. It turned out quite well, though, for being such a dense wood.


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## Jdaschel (Aug 9, 2013)

ripjack13 said:


> Right..I saw that....but if he was to put dye in a cup/bowl big enough for the blank inside the box... Not using stabilizer....just dye....would that suck in the dye?



Ahh I see what your saying. My mistake. It may just suck in the dye. But in order to get the dye into the blank deep you have to have the blank under vacuum for a couple hours. That is a good idea.


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