Varathane wood stains?

[polkat]

Has anyone tried the Varathane Premium Wood Stains as a tint for varnish? If so, are they color fast? Thanks!

[joerobson]

Has anyone tried the Varathane Premium Wood Stains as a tint for varnish? If so, are they color fast? Thanks!

As I understand it: These stains are a combination of analine dye and pigments. This is common to the wood finishing industry. The "premium" part comes from a lower percentage of solvent in the stain. Applied to bare wood these kind of products give an unacceptable amount of absorbtion into the wood which produces a "burned" effect. As an additive to oil varnish they would be mechanically acceptable: they would mix in. As to color the mix of these kind of products is massive in our terms...100's of gallons...which makes for unpredictable color. Also the amount of pigment in the varnish may reduce the level of clarity to an unacceptable level.

On we go,

Joe

[joerobson]

As I understand it: These stains are a combination of analine dye and pigments. This is common to the wood finishing industry. The "premium" part comes from a lower percentage of solvent in the stain. Applied to bare wood these kind of products give an unacceptable amount of absorbtion into the wood which produces a "burned" effect. As an additive to oil varnish they would be mechanically acceptable: they would mix in. As to color the mix of these kind of products is massive in our terms...100's of gallons...which makes for unpredictable color. Also the amount of pigment in the varnish may reduce the level of clarity to an unacceptable level.

On we go,

Joe

Oh yeah...they are moderately color fast.

Joe

[David Burgess]

I used them on an home interior woodworking project. As Joe said, the "burning" and lack of clarity would be unacceptable on a fiddle, in my opinion.

[Darren Molnar]

I don't think wood finishes aim for clarity, as much as warm colours. I think it's low on their list. Which makes it a dead end for most fiddle makers.

[polkat]

Well, it's strange. I tried mixing some of their "Crimson", perhaps too much, into a smaller container of my present (oil) varnish, which also has some dissolved tar in it, and the varnish turned almost black!! I brushed this onto a piece of test wood (spruce) and to my surprise (though it hasn't completely dried yet) the coating is still nearly clear (very slightly amber)! A dead end I guess.