Low VOC

The technology is too new, so there are a lot of products out there that don't have their formulation worked out right yet.

I haven't had very good luck with commercial stains though, so I started making my own stains out of water based polyurethane and acrylic paint.

It's technically a toner, in that it sits on top of the wood rather than penetrates, the way a stain does. But it also gives a satisfactory and even result. It's also pretty close to what a commercial furniture shop is going to do.

I have always put in the extra effort of trying to find the lowest VOC options I can build with. I generally paint my projects, so I haven't used low VOC stain options extensively. And I never would have thought to use Clay's idea. I think I will try that out!

I have used General Finishes water based stain with 85 VOC g/L which is pretty low for a stain, and I loved it. Great coverage and easy to use. I bought it at a Woodcraft store, so not sure where you could buy it where you are. You can see the finished project here:

http://pinktoesandpowertools.com/2010/11/29/leaning-wall-shelves-part-9-...

and the stain process here:

http://pinktoesandpowertools.com/2010/11/28/leaning-wall-shelves-part-8-...

if there's not a Woodcraft near you, look for a local Rockler partner store, which also carries General Finishes products. I've also ordered general finishes stains online from Lee Valley. Lee Valley's prices aren't always the best, but their customer service is way beyond what anybody else is going to do. And their prices are usually competitive.

Their water based stain also makes a good color base for my toner plan. In fact, if you read on the can they actually recommend it as a possible use.