My dad and I were recently talking about the unsatisfactory state of commercial stains. We cooked up a way to make our own stain that gets around blotchy wood and unsatisfactory color choices. I put it into play a little over a week ago to help a friend get the color they were looking for in a stain for some book shelves.
I wrote up my process on my blog: Making Your Own Stain
Worth considering if you're not happy with the options at your local home store.
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fmcaninch
Sun, 03/29/2015 - 08:17
Link no longer working
Go ahead and delete this comment after you fix the link here "Making Your Own Stain." It is no longer available.
mikepattenson
Mon, 05/25/2015 - 18:33
Wood stain has a lovely
Wood stain has a lovely effect of enhancing the appearance of the wood by embracing the lovely grain pattern and making it pop with a change in colour unlike paint, which covers it up. I’m building a set of bookcases at the moment and have been experimenting with a variety of effects. These experiments are on the cheap white soft wood available from most big box stores (which could be spruce, fir, pine or other).
I am not a carpenter or cabinet maker, just an experimental hobbyist. These instructions are a guide but I encourage you to try your own sample experiments from start to finish before going for the real thing. Stain is really hard to remove entirely.
Wood stain is a thin, coloured liquid that penetrates the surface of wood and marks it that colour. Readily available for about $8.00 in a 1 quart can. Sand the wood with 180 grit paper until it is smooth and clean the dust off. Apply the stain by dabbing a lint-free cloth into the stain and rubbing it in or use a natural bristle brush to apply thin layers which you wipe the excess off after 5-15 minutes. Always try to work with the grain. Good long and definite strokes, don't tickle the wood.
Natural brushes are not that expensive; 69 cents for a 2” brush from Harbor Freight or a whole box of 36 for $10.95. I prefer using an old cotton t-shirt cut into 4”x8” pieces that I fold into a stack and hold with a binder clip. The material is cheap, soaks up stain well and the rounded edge minimises brush marks whilst keeping my hands clean holding the clip.