Thread: Wood stain

Porky
When I have stained plywood I find it sucks up the stain like blotting paper.
This makes it very difficult to get an even finish.
The gel stains are easier to work with as they have a thicker consistency.

a couple of alternatives:
Dilute the stain until you can get an even colour. It is easier to do a second coat than try to lighten timber that has stained to dark.

Put a light coat of your finish on first. Then apply the stain on top of the finish. This will stop the porus plywood soaking up too much stain.
When you apply the finish over the stain, you will probably find that it reactivates the stain and can remove some of the colour. This will make the stain lighter but it will still be a more even finish.

If you intend to use a poly finish then you can buy it already stained. Worth a try.

If I buy a timber stain I get if from the timber section -prooftint, cabots, wattle. Most finishes - oil/spirit/water bases - are compatible with these.

Trial and error eventually works for me.
All the best.

Porky,

Because of the high level of absorbancy with most ply-woods, you may find it more effective to add a little tint to your finish as this will result in a much more equal coverage. Just make sure that the tint you use is compatible with the finish.

Also, it's generally best to experiment on a piece of scrap of the same timber type as your work piece - and keep a log book so that you have a sound basis for repeatability.