the old Rit dye method (to tint polyurethane) doesnt work anymore. in 2010 they changed the formula for powdered dye and it no longer dissolves properly in alcohol as its now designed to dissolve in water. when you drop the new formula scarlet red powder dye into denatured alcohol it turns dark indigo blue, not red. I suspect the EPA or some other onerous regulation or increase in manufacturing costs triggered the formula switch. Its impacted a lot of applications and crafting uses, many of which Rit's parent company had no clue people were using their products for. Adding the water based dye to waterbased polyurethane does not work either, it turns pink.
That being said here's how to get the Russian Red look with product currently available....
1) prep your wood by removing the old finish (I prefer chemical strippers and try to minimize sanding)
2) bleach your wood. Soak in a bleach solution or use a wood bleach, just follow instructions on package/web
3) apply base coats of brown minwax stain (sedona or red oak)... about 2 coats should do. Let it penetrate, wipe off excess and dry completely
4) rub on water based scarlet red dye right out of the bottle. This will soak into the wood enough to give the red hue over the brown base coat. You might do this a couple times to get the desired shade and consistency, but be careful. The more you push the dye around on the wood surface the greater the chance of it becoming blotchy. Also once dry, if you decide to apply another coat, the more you work the dye, the more it can reactivate the first coat of scarlet red and produce blotching. This is all very minor and if you don't mind the amber shellac look (which has a lot of inconsistent coloring) you will probably not mind some inconsistency in the red finish. Be careful how much you handle the wood and manipulate the dye if you are going for a solid uniform red painted look.
5) once the red stain is dry (24-48hrs) spray on 2 coats of polyurethane or varnish. Keep in mind varnish has a slightly yellow tint. Whatever you pick try to get a product with a UV inhibitor/blocker in it. The spray coats will help seal and bond the red dye to the stock so it doesn't get pushed around by a brush as you build up the remaining finish.
6) apply additional coats of poly or varnish (whichever you laid the base coat) with a foam brush to build up the layers, lightly sanding/steel wooling between each coat. Be sure to use a tack cloth to clean the dust after dulling the surface
7) give it all a couple days to dry so it really cures rock hard, reassemble and enjoy!
That being said here's how to get the Russian Red look with product currently available....
1) prep your wood by removing the old finish (I prefer chemical strippers and try to minimize sanding)
2) bleach your wood. Soak in a bleach solution or use a wood bleach, just follow instructions on package/web
3) apply base coats of brown minwax stain (sedona or red oak)... about 2 coats should do. Let it penetrate, wipe off excess and dry completely
4) rub on water based scarlet red dye right out of the bottle. This will soak into the wood enough to give the red hue over the brown base coat. You might do this a couple times to get the desired shade and consistency, but be careful. The more you push the dye around on the wood surface the greater the chance of it becoming blotchy. Also once dry, if you decide to apply another coat, the more you work the dye, the more it can reactivate the first coat of scarlet red and produce blotching. This is all very minor and if you don't mind the amber shellac look (which has a lot of inconsistent coloring) you will probably not mind some inconsistency in the red finish. Be careful how much you handle the wood and manipulate the dye if you are going for a solid uniform red painted look.
5) once the red stain is dry (24-48hrs) spray on 2 coats of polyurethane or varnish. Keep in mind varnish has a slightly yellow tint. Whatever you pick try to get a product with a UV inhibitor/blocker in it. The spray coats will help seal and bond the red dye to the stock so it doesn't get pushed around by a brush as you build up the remaining finish.
6) apply additional coats of poly or varnish (whichever you laid the base coat) with a foam brush to build up the layers, lightly sanding/steel wooling between each coat. Be sure to use a tack cloth to clean the dust after dulling the surface
7) give it all a couple days to dry so it really cures rock hard, reassemble and enjoy!
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