Staining Wood

Staining adds color to wood. It is used to accentuate wood, to enhance the grain pattern, to change the appearance of wood, to make it look like another type of wood or to emphasize the finer points of furniture. Staining noticeably changes the way the wood looks; therefore always do a spot test of the stain before beginning to apply it on the furniture. If you cannot get a scrap of wood that your furniture is made of, then apply it on a spot on the furniture that is not visible to the eye. The three components that make up stain are pigment, dyes and a carrier. The carrier is the component that decides whether the stain is oil based or water based. If the test patch of stain looks blotchy then you will have to apply a conditioner to the wood. Apply generous amounts of the required type of wood conditioner, either water based or oil based, similar to the stain you are using. Apply the conditioner about a quarter hour before staining. Use a staining pad, brush or rag to strokes that are alike. Remove extra stain with a cloth. Letting the stain stay on for a longer period of time will give the wood a deeper color. After staining is complete let the wood dry overnight. If you want a darker shade apply more stain. Once the stain dries up it may look dull, but once finish is applied it will look bright again.

Stains have been made from minerals and plants for many years now. Stains can be made at home as well.

Use the following method for homemade water based stains:

• Soak iron nails in a bottle of vinegar for many days. This will give an ebony stain. After the vinegar has deepened in colors, take some out and test it. Wait for the stain to dry to get the right color of the stain.
• Soak equal quantities of ammonia, water and chewing tobacco. You will get a brown stain. Test the stain on piece of wood to see color.
• For dark walnut stain, soak walnut husk in a jar of water for many days. After the water turns dark pour our and test.

Things you require to make homemade oil based stain:

• Nails
• Vinegar
• Ammonia
• Turpentine
• Strainer or straining cloth
• Cleaned glass jars with lids.

Mix all these ingredients, while doing so write down the how much of each ingredient you used, so that you can make to same color stain later on if required. Otherwise it will not be possible to make the stain twice.

Oil- based paints used by artist, tar used for roofing can be used to make stains. Mix a small quantity of roofing tar into a cup of turpentine and stir. Strain the mixture through a strainer into a clean glass jar and store. Test stain on wood to check color of stain. As homemade stain doesn't have the binding agent it will take longer to dry.

In accent staining more than one color is used to stain to enhance certain details of the furniture. Antiques have more than one color as a result of age. To give your furniture the same effect you can apply stain for varying lengths of time. Wipe off stain earlier on one surface and let it stay for longer on another surface. The furniture will be stained in different shades and give it an antique look. You can stain your furniture in a variety of colors like red, blue, green etc. These non-traditional colors can be used on that portion of the furniture that you wish to accentuate. Allow the stain to dry for 24 hours before applying finish. While working with stain wear protective rubber gloves and protective glasses until you have finished all the work.

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