I don't know if the EPA has taken all the effective pigments and carriers off the market or what but I can't find wood stain that, well, stains. Minwax is really awful and Valspar doesn't seem much better. I need to touch up scratches in a cherry/rosewood finish and I swear crushing raspberries on the wood would do more than the commercial stains I've worked with recently. Am I missing a great product out there somewhere?
------------------------------ Check out these people.
Lew
They have. Preservatives, too. Nearly all oil finishes are off the market nowadays since it costs mfgrs too much to jump throug the EPA hoops.
I'm still looking, too. Some of my clients like the Olympic MAX, but I haven't tried it yet.
I've been very happy with the opaque SuperDeck concrete stains. They're like paint but it lasts well. I haven't yet tried their deck stains, but will probably use some on a deck I'm refinishing if it ever stops raining here this year.
Wait a minute, you were talking INTERIOR, weren't you? The best stain is the correct wood in the first place.
Just to be sure, are you talking "finish" or "stain"? Some people confuse the two. Stains (dis)color the wood. Finishes keep it from staining. I like Waterlox Original in satin for a finish.
-- The United States of America is the greatest, the noblest and, in its original founding principles, the only moral country in the history of the world. -- Ayn Rand
For scratches, dings, etc. on furniture, I often use Transtint dye. Sometimes I mix different colors to get a correct tint or patina color. If possible, I test the finish to determine what it is, before selecting which solvent (alcohol [usually], lacquer thinner or water) to use. Apply with a Q-Tip, wipe immediately. Reapply if need be. Works for me.
*I only touch up furniture that I'm reupholstering.Sonny
...I had to match a flooring color with a stain for an oak stair I'm doing. Well, I didn't have the time nor the inclination to mess around, so started looking/calling around local paint stores. You gotta know I live and work in possibly the worst area for EPA and other restrictions...Los Angeles/Orange County, you can't buy *anything* oil-based around here anymore. So, after several calls I found a Frazee (read "Sinclair") store that would do the work (they had "the room" nobody else had, apparently). It turned-out to be acetone-base. Well, after trying it for the first time on a sample, after I picked my jaw up, I was properly amazed. Color was/is great (kudos to the chemist!) and it dried so fast (even the odor) I was able to put a clear coat on it within a couple of hours. Oh, I have to deal with some endgrain, too, so I experimented with sanding to 320 grit just to see. I don't need to go any farther...it works like a charm...
cg
Artist's oils, burnt or raw sienna or umber can be mixed to match any wood tone. Thin with Watco or Minwax Antique Oil and buff in, then topcoat with oil or shellac. Transtint is good if you can get a match. Mix with water and apply with a Q-Tip, using the dry end to lighten if needed. Topcoat again.
Oil stains like minwax, etc. are pigment stains. They depend on some scratches or other imperfections in the surface for the pigment to lodge in. The carrier (oil) can hold them and dry on a perfect flat surface but they are really transparent in that regard and don't stain as dark as the color shown on the can. This has nothing to do with new regulations, just how pigment stains work. Try staining wood saned to
150 and try staining the same wood sanded to 600 and you will see the difference. The 600 won't hardly stain at all.
I didn't see anyone mention Gel Stain. I had to use Gel stain on my windows. The windows were Southern pine, and pre staining test pieces wasn't working out. I tried some Gel Stain, and I'm impressed. Finally full color in 2 applications. Yes it was Minwax.
There are some neat th> Oil stains like minwax, etc. are pigment stains. They depend on some
---------------------------- That's the WoodKote I suggested.
Lew
Ahh yes, Gel Stain. In this case the carrier is thickened so it is easier to leave it behind with the pigments in suspension. Also very good at filling scratches especially.It would be a winner for this need.
I use gel sta> I didn't see anyone mention Gel Stain.
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