: Erich,
: This sounds like a great technique. Can you tell me anything about the fade
: resistance of the dyes? I plan on making a water lilly design on the deck
: of my next S&G and was going to do it with veneer because I was afraid of
: the image fading if I used dyes or pigmented epoxy. What is your
: experience in this area?
: Dave

Hi Dave,

The Veniard dyes I use have been around for a long time. My own experience with fading is limited to dyed materials left out in direct sun light over months. Some of them do fade, but I did put up to seven or eight layers on this kayak. Even if there is fade out the shape of the flames will be there because of the inlaid wood. I started out with gaudy bright colours and even if they tone down later the colour should be there for many years to come. This is my own kayak that I used as a test bed for many different building techniques I picked up here and at other forums and web pages.
This type of dyeing is good for large areas and different colours combinations where edges do not need to have sharp detail. I would suggest that you inlay the water lilies with wood rather than dyes. The back ground could be dyed so it looks like they are in blue water.
I will find out, after a few years, if this will work or is a waste of time and effort. It is an experiment that will be running over a long time.

Regards, Erich.