Ask a woodworker what type of stain he or she likes to use and most often you’ll get the generic reply “oil stain.” Oil or pigment stains have been the standard way to color wood for years — and for good reason. For the most part, they’re very easy to use and produce reliable results. You simply wipe or brush the stain on the wood, let it “soak in” for a few minutes and then wipe off the excess. But as anyone who has worked with oil stains knows, the process isn’t completely foolproof. And at this stage of a project, if something goes wrong, it’s a serious downer. But the good news is that for every problem you might encounter with oil stains, there’s almost always an easy way to prevent it from occurring or to solve it afterward.
If you apply an oil stain and the color looks “weak” and washed out, you might have overlooked an important step. The pigments in oil stain are simply suspended, not dissolved, in the solvent. While the can sits on the shelf unused, the pigments gradually settle to the bottom to form a thick, gooey layer. So after opening a can of stain, I never make assumptions. The stain may look like it’s ready to use, but I always give it a good stirring to make certain. You’ll need to scrape all the pigments off the bottom and stir until the mix looks uniform. And then for good measure, I close the can and shake it for a minute or two. This ensures the stain will give the color you had expected.
When you apply an oil stain, the pigments become trapped in the pores and other nooks and crannies on the surface. This is what gives color to the wood. But you’ll find that the stain isn’t choosy. Rough, crossgrain sanding scratches or heavy swirls from a power sander can attract and soak up more stain than the surrounding area. Once the stain goes on, the scratches pop right out and spoil the job. The key is to avoid this problem with careful and thorough sanding before staining. But if it’s too late for that, you can always sand away the scratches and then restain.
The porous, end grain surfaces on a project will soak up stain like a sponge. The downside is that the end grain looks much darker than the surrounding areas. But there’s an easy way to avoid this unwanted contrast. Before staining, take the time to sand the end grain to a finer grit than the rest of the project. The smoother end grain will trap fewer pigments, and the color will match better.
