To stain or not to stain - that is the question.

I normally do not like to stain my projets - BUT - there are times that I think staining will enhance a project.

Preconditioning the wood seems to be the ticket for an even color look wiwthout blotching.

I am wondering what y'all think about it and what you use before applying and rubbing out the stain.

 

This inquiring mind would like to know ! ! !

Edited July 14, 20223 yr by Fred Wilson

I don't actually apply stains to anything. Unless you count Watco dark walnut. If I'm particularly concerned about a certain wood's absorption, I'll use Enduro sanding sealer. But, most of my work is with either maple, walnut or, mesquite. Blotchiness hasn't been a major problem. Although,  mesquite can have some punkiness.

Future plans do include some soft woods, though. Probably, some testing will be in order. I imagine that the Enduro will get more use. 

Edited July 14, 20223 yr by Gene Howe

I like stain because it shows the real wood.  But for exterior, I prefer paint; paint is better when using plain wood such as poplar and (opinion) pine because they don't have that interesting a grain.   With soft woods (for me, pine), I've found grain raising (dampen, 300 grit sand, repeat) necessary for a decent finish.  Also preconditioning to avoid blotching, although at times unconditioned pine is a better match for some of our furniture.  I prefer dye to stain, in part because (water based) dyes last forever (just add water to the powder), and a very small amount of dye goes a long way.  I also found that paint can be used as stain by simply diluting it (experiment with a piece of scrap to get the formula right).  An interesting source for a wide variety of stain colors:  Walmart hobby paints:  a huge selection of colors, $1+ for a tube, no tears when discarded for age. 

     I suspect (I have NO design or color skill) that once you pick stain or paint for a room, it's better to stick with that rather than mix the two.  Stain shows flaws, so perhaps it's a sign of confidence to use it.  

     If you go with revealed grain, also consider what degree of shine, because that has a big impact:  gloss, semi-gloss, satin, flat (and some variations).  I get the impression that dramatic stained wood with high ("french polish"?) shine is a show stopper in wood artiste-ism, but I just want something to keep my junk off the floor.  The dog assumes everything on the floor belongs to him.

Like Gene, I skip stains almost all the time. It's only when I need to match some other existing piece that I'll use them. Anything will oil in it will cause blotch, so skipping stains is not a sure fire remedy to that. I've personally come to accept blotch as the grain of the wood (technically not totally correct) but I no longer worry about it. If you want to avoid blotch, a seal coat of some kind normally solves the problem, but it does (to my eyes) make the stain lighter in color. If you have to color the wood, using dyes may be a better solution.

Edited July 14, 20223 yr by Fred W. Hargis Jr

If you will use an air brush to apply the stain or dye you can do away with blotching. And you can save a lot of stain in the process.

  I did this using maple so I wanted to get just enough color to separate the boys from the girls, so to speak. 

  And this was before any color. To me it looked a little blaw if that is a word.

Also I don't see much difference between stain and dye so use what ever turns you on!

Edited July 14, 20223 yr by Smallpatch

1 hour ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

If you have to color the wood, using dyes may be a better solution.

Fred - great idea.  Do you have a preference in brands of dyes?

I do not, though I use more of the powdered dyes dissolved in water than the liquid ones (Transtint) in alcohol. I think it was Mickley over on the Wood forum that told the Transtint dyes in alcohol (sometimes called NGR for "non-grain  raising") were not as light-fast as the powdered ones. the powdered dyes I have on hand are from Lee Valley. They do raise the  grain, which could be a problem for intricate fret work...in which case the Transtint in alcohol might be a better choice.

I stain sometimes and sometimes not.  I have found that using a much better quality stain gives a much better result. 

 

Pre-stain conditioners don't work all that well when used as directed.

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/wood_conditioner_confusion/

 

I repeated Bob's experiment here with Minwax pre-stain and stain and same results.  Much better overnight
https://www.popularwoodworking.com/finishing/how-wood-conditioners-are-giving-washcoats-a-bad-name/

 

 

If I stain something 90% of the time I will follow up with a glaze to enhance the grain, highlight details, make it look "aged", or to tweak the color to match something else.   My three favorites are VanDyke (black-brown), Burnt Umber (red-brown), and now needs to be custom made, Guardsman "Warm Brown."    I also have a can of Raw Umber (dark greenish) to kill red tones.   I have also mixed up my own water-based from UTCs that I have and have about a dozen different colors that I used when I was doing refinishing work and needed to match.  Glazes are heavy in pigment and light in binder.  One advantage is that when applying you can manipulate extensively -- wipe more off, put on more, load up in the moldings and carvings, add a different color while the first is wet or after it's dry.  Glazes go on between coats of finish.  The surface is sealed and because they have little binder, need to be locked down with a top coat.

 

Another approach, often used by manufacturers and touch up people is toners.  Toners are finishes with some color (dye or pigment) added.  Generally to look good, these need to be sprayed, in multiple light coats.   Polyshades and the like are generally disasters because they are brushed on too thick.