Diluting LMF Dyes With Alcohol

[Nhgrants]

Is it ok to dilute LMF Dyes/stains with rubbing denatured alcohol?
Will denatured alcohol raise the grain of the wood?  My plan was to finish the surface with
scraping/burnishing and not use sand paper. 

Thanks

[G_T]

Rubbing and Denatured Alcohol are two different things. There should be no use for Rubbing Alcohol for longrifles. Rubbing Alcohol is generally perhaps 70% Isopropyl Alcohol, with oils and often dye added. Denatured Alcohol is Ethyl Alcohol with a small bit of another solvent added. It is fine to use. 90% Isopropyl Alcohol can also be used, but Denatured is better for most purposes not involving the human body.

That doesn't answer your question, except to not use Rubbing Alcohol!

Gerald

[smallpatch]

Nh,
You need denatured alcohol for sure,...... not rubbing.
Any liquid will raise grain if the fibers are there.  However, much less than water.
I only sand when I have to.  I believe scraping to be better, more authentic, nicer looking, and absorbs stain better.
If the grain is raised some,  knock it down with a skotchbrite pad between coats.

[44-henry]

I don't have any experience with the LMF stains, but I have mixed the Keda powder dyes with 70% rubbing alcohol per the manufacturers recommendations and it works fine. It does of course raise the grain some, but not badly. Probably the only real advantage to this is that rubbing alcohol is easier to find and slightly less expensive.