Stain Samples

These two pieces are the finished stain samples I did today. Roughly 4 hours to produce these two little pieces.

Essentially they are the same process with the exception on one step. The bottom panel began with a washcoat before applying the first stain. From then on each piece was treated identically with a sprayed dye stain, a washcoat, a sprayed oil stain, a sanding sealer and two coats of lacquer.

It's easy to see that the additional washcoat makes a big difference in how dark the final product is.

With the exception of the oil stain, everything was water based, so this process is very green friendly.

Maple can be difficult to stain dark because it is a very tight grained wood and tends to take the stain unevenly. By using a combination of dye stains (which offer more control), washcoat (Which partially seals the wood) and fine spray equipment (which allows me to build the stain in light coats), I can largely eliminate the blotching and get a nice even color.

The oil stain, which is pigment based, is more opaque than the dye stain, which also evens out color, can obscure grain. If I want to see more grain I would use dye stain throughout. The original idea for his project was to paint the main cabinets, so using the oil stain moves the finish more in that direction, without going overboard.

The different color bands you see are for my reference while reproducing the finish. Each color step is shown so I can adjust my technique to match what I did the first time.

Tomorrow the client will get to see these and give her opinion. If necessary I can adjust the finish or start over from scratch.