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NFT: Woodstaining Question

DC Gmen Fan : 9/12/2017 5:29 pm
So I'm getting ready to stain the top of a piece of furniture I made using Minwax stain. In some instruction videos, the guys say they dilute the stain 50/50 with mineral spirits but don't say why.

Is it necessary to do this, or better yet, why would one dilute stain w/ mineral spirits?

Thanks BBI
been making furniture for awhile  
GFiLA : 9/12/2017 5:40 pm : link
i never heard of diluting stain. As a matter of fact i use a small piece of cloth and fully submerge it into the stain before wiping it on the piece.

I think that diluting the stain would alter the color and potentially make it less uniform.
RE: been making furniture for awhile  
BillT : 9/12/2017 5:44 pm : link
In comment 13596377 GFiLA said:
Quote:
i never heard of diluting stain. As a matter of fact i use a small piece of cloth and fully submerge it into the stain before wiping it on the piece.

I think that diluting the stain would alter the color and potentially make it less uniform.

No great woodworker but have done plenty of staining. Agree about diluting the stain. Never heard of it. Use it right out of the can.
It's done to reduce the intensity..  
Ryan : 9/12/2017 5:52 pm : link
..more often on softer woods like pine or poplar (along with a pre conditioner) that tend to unevenly suck up stains and end up blotchy. Sometimes a single coat isn't dark enough and two is too dark so if you thin it you can "sneak up" on the perfect shade.

You can use it...  
Chris in Philly : 9/12/2017 5:55 pm : link
to (a) lighten the color of pre-mixed stain and (b) change the consistency to make it thinner for softer woods, for example.
Thanks makes sense  
DC Gmen Fan : 9/12/2017 6:24 pm : link
I'm staining pine.
Experiment on scrap wood first  
KeoweeFan : 9/12/2017 6:59 pm : link
(same wood as your project of course)
One trial could be to see what happens if you use a sealer/conditioner first (especially with softer woods like pine) to even out the stain.
I've done a lot of staining  
Run with 81 : 9/12/2017 7:15 pm : link
Totally agree with KeoweeFan!! Experiment on scrap wood first. Preferably a nice size piece from UR project. Pine is notorious for blotchy stain finishes. I ALWAYS use the Min-Wax Pre-Stain conditioner (when I used to use Pine, Knotty Alder for me now) and let it dry 110% B4 staining.

Good luck!
Pre-Stain - ( New Window )
I'm a woodworker. I've got a decent amount of experience and knowledge  
Dave in Buffalo : 9/12/2017 8:41 pm : link
with coloring, staining, and finishing. What species of wood are you working with?
I'm staining pine  
DC Gmen Fan : 9/12/2017 10:07 pm : link
I pocket-hole-screwed three 1x6s together to make the top of a shoe rack and want to stain it grey.

So I went and bought Minwax prestain, stain, and oil based satin poly finish.

Based on what I'm reading, sounds like 1 coat prestain, 1 coat stain about 2 hours later, then light sanding and 2 coats of satin poly with light sanding between. Does that sound right?

I got a small foam brush too.
Try Zinsser Bulls Eye Seal coat and a gel stain on top  
Dave in Buffalo : 9/13/2017 1:51 am : link
The seal coat is a dewaxed shellac. It seals the grain nicely. Dries quickly. It's dewaxed so that a stain will adhere to it well. Lightly sand the seal coat back and then apply your glaze stain on top. You'll get a much more unified look and it will bring out the figure of the wood and less so the grain. A gel stain is a form of pigment stain, but it sits more on top of the grain than absorbing into it.

Check out Homestead Finishing.


Link - ( New Window )
One other question -  
DC Gmen Fan : 9/13/2017 11:13 am : link
since this is a shoe bench, should I put any kind of protective coat over the semi-gloss white paint I used for the shelf?
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