Stains: CUSTOM FURNITURE/ CABINETRY/ WOODWORKING STAIN
We want our clients to know exactly what they are getting into because we stain everything from floors to furniture quite often. When it comes to selecting stains there are a few helpful tips to know. Here is a quick lesson on WHAT stain is. The “recipes” if you will:
Stains have a vast array of options—transparent vs. opaque; mineral, plant, or synthetic-based; a rainbow of colors from natural wood colors to off-the-wall blues, greens, and purples. More so than color, wood stains are categorized based on the vehicle. Wood stains consist of pigments or dyes dissolved in a solvent, also known as the vehicle. Common vehicles include water, distilled petroleum, alcohol, or a finishing agent like lacquer, polyurethane, shellac, or varnish. Some vehicles are not true solvents, so the stain comes suspended in the vehicle and must be mixed before application. Smaller molecules like dyes tend to dissolve into the vehicle, while larger pigment molecules are more likely to suspend in the vehicle. Dyes tend to absorb into the wood, while pigments typically sit on top of the wood like paint does. Many commercial stains contain both dyes and pigments, as well as binding agents like linseed oil to help the larger pigment molecules adhere to the wood. Dyes do well with fine-grained woods, while pigments work better on porous woods. Dyes tend to make transparent stains and pigments more opaque or “solid” stains. Stain usually does not penetrate as deep into the surface of the wood as paint, meaning it tends to fade over time to the wood’s natural color as the wood wears out.
When people hear of a blue stain sometimes they freak- but look how beautiful this turned out!
Qualities of Wood Stain: Different wood stains have a range of overlapping properties, including…
Transparent: Woodworkers love using transparent stains on wood with a beautiful natural grain. The stain dyes the wood but allows the grain to shine through in all its glory. We see this used on high quality wood floors and furniture.
Semi-Solid: These stains dry semi-opaque, preserving some of the appearances of wood grain but foregrounding the coloration.
Solid: These opaque stains are essentially a lighter or specialized form of paint, drying opaque and completely obscuring the wood grain (often used on decks).
Natural Dye or Pigment: Naturally occurring metals and organic compounds produce a wide variety of stain colors.
Synthetic Dye or Pigment: Experiments with synthetic pigments or dyes have resulted in more uniform, easy-to-apply stains compared to natural compounds.
Petroleum-Based Solvents: These solvents help mix the stain evenly, but they evaporate into toxic gas and must be handled with care (we rarely use these).
Non-Toxic Solvents: These solvents are better for the environment but result in a stain that is harder to apply.
Different types of wood stain may overlap in characteristics, depending on the brand and formulation. For example, lacquer stains may contain natural pigments, and water-based stains may contain petroleum solvents. Most carpenters in the CSRA prefer to use these three Brands: Old Masters , Minwax , and Mohawk.
Here is an example of one of our first and favorite homes with cedar singles that are stained with MINWAX “Early American”.
The 6 Types of Wood Stains
Oil Stain - When most people think of “wood stain,” they are thinking of oil stain. It’s the most common commercially available wood stain. The addition of all-natural, non-toxic linseed oil gives you some breathing room to clean up spills or spread- out inconsistencies, resulting in a more even stain. This makes it perfect for large projects because you don’t have to micromanage every brushstroke to avoid splotching. Oil stains can be thinned or cleaned up with aliphatic hydrocarbon, aka mineral spirits or paint thinner. Oil stains may contain dyes, pigments, or both. Any kind of finish can be applied over an oil stain except water-based finishes. NOTE: Some oil stains contain synthetic pigments and possibly a little varnish. If you are looking for an all-natural product, make sure to double-check.
Varnish - While excess doesn’t need to be wiped away, an unevenly applied coat of varnish stain may still look splotchy, requiring more coats. Varnish stains are perfect for small projects, surfaces that are already stained, or surfaces that are worn or scuffed. Varnish stain contains a binder of varnish, often polyurethane varnish, in the place of oil. Varnish dries hard, meaning you don’t have to wipe excess stain off the surface to achieve an even coat. The varnish content also eliminates the need for a finishing coat—the stain is the finishing coat. If you can’t tell if a container of stain is oil-based or varnish-based, pour a little onto a piece of scrap wood and see if it dries hard or evaporates.
Gel Stain - Gel stains are usually oil-based, but they have a thick consistency like that of mayonnaise. Applying gel stain can be messy, but gel stain is second to none in creating a splotch-free coat. Don’t underestimate the importance of this quality. Splotchy stain can’t be fixed by adding another coat. You usually have to sand off the whole coat. This is obviously a time-consuming fix. If you need to stain pine, seriously consider gel stain. Pine is notoriously hard to stain without blotching and splotching. Consider applying a wash coat or wood conditioner before staining for the best results.
Lacquer Finish- Lacquer stains don’t actually contain any lacquer. The vehicle for these stains is some form of fast-drying varnish, usually containing xylene and ketones. These stains get their names because they can be mixed with lacquer to create a pigmented lacquer. These stains dry extremely fast—as little as 15 minutes—which makes them a popular choice for professional woodworkers. A professional hand is needed because the fast drying time makes mistakes likely. For large projects, consider applying this stain in a team of two, with one person to apply the stain and another to remove the excess. The solvents in lacquer stain vaporize easily, causing a pungent smell. Make sure to apply in a well-ventilated area. You might also want to wear a safety mask.
Water-Soluble Dye Stain - This variety of stain is sold as a powder. Like Kool-Aid, just add water. Also called “aneline dyes,” they were developed to dye fabric but repurposed as wood stains. Boutique woodworkers love them for their wide variety of rich colors and for how easy they are to work with. The typical powder-to-water ratio is one ounce per quart, but there are no rules. Through trial and error, you can learn to add more or less water to customize the look of your dye. The dye dissolves better in hot water. Note that tap water may contain minerals like calcium, sodium, and magnesium, which can taint the color of your dye. Distilled water distorts the coloring the least. Water-soluble dye stain excels in preserving the wood grain, even in the darkest tones. No matter how much pigment you add or how many coats you apply, it will never become opaque. A big downside of this stain, however, is that it fades under UV light, making it a bad choice for outdoor projects or UV-intensive environments. A few powdered dye stains are soluble in alcohol or oil. Alcohol-soluble dye stain is often mixed with shellac to create a quick-drying stain. Oil-soluble powder can be added to oil stains to customize the color.
Metalized (Metal-Complex) Dye Stain - Created in the 1950s, “metal-complex” or metalized dye stains were designed to resist fading. Metalized dye stain still fades, but far more slowly than water-soluble dye stain. The addition of metals like chromium, cobalt, copper, and nickel result in a sturdy dye. It usually comes pre-thinned in acetone and ready to apply. Some metalized dye stains need to be thinned with acetone, alcohol, or water. Since they contain no water, they will not raise the grains of the wood—hence the common label “NGR” for “non-grain raising.” Metal-complex dye stains make great spray-on stains. Since they dry quickly, spray-on metalized dye stains are some of the easiest stains to apply. They result in a deeper, more even coat. Metalized dye stains can also be mixed with lacquer, used as a toner, or mixed with water for a slower-drying stain (watch out for grain-raising, though).
This is a walnut end grain cutting board from our friends Ciamillo Wood Works.
How do I know what is best to use for what I need?
That’s where the experts come in to give you recommendations based of off years of experience. Maybe a little trial and error before they get to our projects! Most furniture, even luxury pieces touted as solid wood, have veneer on the surface that gives a uniform appearance. Such as this Cassoni sideboard. See how all the panels look exact?
True solid wood pieces such as your handmade furniture, kitchen islands and cabinetry etc. you will note that even the same species of wood can run slightly differently in color. One door panel could be built with several different trees, resulting in the color being darker or lighter in areas. Such as this Masion Du Monde piece.
When you choose a stain color during our design process, Brit Nelson Interiors will make sure you have samples of the exact species of wood that has been conditioned and given two coats of hand applied stain to help you make the clearest of selections. Have questions about the design process? Contact us today!
