How To Find The Right Stain For Wood

How to Match Wood Stain: Head to the Paint Store

This is the easiest, about accurate way to match wood stain for your project.

matching stains

How to Match Forest Stain

I've refinished a number of furniture pieces and forest trim when matching an existing stain was important. I've had far better luck getting stains matched past the staff at the paint store than I've had trying to mix colors off the shelf myself. Just bring in a sample piece to be matched. Go on in listen that stain can await different on different pieces of wood. So if you lot're doing trim, for example, don't just bring in the piece that'south easiest to remove; choose a sample piece that has the color and tone you lot want. You'll too need to bring in an unfinished exam board of the aforementioned species and with the same grain characteristics as those of the pieces yous're trying to lucifer.

Plus: Did you know you can stain wood with coffee grounds? Hither'due south how.

matching stains

These are the five go-to wood finishes every woodworking should accept on hand:

Shellac

I keep a quart each of de-waxed shellac, clear shellac and amber shellac on hand at all times. I apply de-waxed shellac equally a sealer/base coat. I use articulate or bister depending on the tone I'1000 looking for. The biggest drawbacks of shellac are that it doesn't repel water and it's not as durable equally polyurethane, then I don't use it on items that become difficult utilize. Check out one of the many uses for dewaxed shellac:

How to Stain Woods Evenly Without Getting Blotches and Nighttime Spots.

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Water-Based Polyurethane

It took me a while to warm up to water-based poly because it doesn't give the same warmth of tone as oil-based finishes. To combat this, I employ de-waxed shellac for the starting time coat, which adds some warmth. In the plus cavalcade, in that location'south almost no odor and it dries faster than oil, pregnant I tin build up a finish faster. Learn some important

tips for using water based varnish hither.

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Tung Oil

All rub-on oils penetrate the wood as opposed to sitting on pinnacle of the wood, like polyurethane. Rub-on oils don't provide every bit much protection as polyurethane, just they're simple to apply and completely eliminate brush marks and drips. They also about eliminate annoying dust nibs in your finish. Hither's a starter video on working with rub-on oil finishes:

Accomplish a Flawless Wood Finish With Rub-on Oil.

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Paste Wax

Paste wax is my get-to final step for finishing. Over whatever top coat, apply paste wax with 0000 steel wool. Wipe off immediately for a satin finish or let it dry offset for a glossy terminate. I fifty-fifty utilize paste wax by itself when I don't need surface protection and desire a low-sheen, natural look. Check out this article on

Woods Finishing Tips: How to Renew a Cease.

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Spar Varnish

If you're putting a top glaze on outdoor furniture, you desire spar varnish. It's been used on wooden boats for generations. Spar varnish stays slightly soft and flexible after information technology cures. This allows it to move with forest that lives out in the elements, expanding and contracting with changes in humidity. Hither's a perfect spar varnish project:

How to Build a Cedar Potting Bench.

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Originally Published: January 09, 2019