Rag or brush??

Hi,
Im working on a dining table made from pine. I want to stain and I am currently experimenting to get an old looking/worn look. Is there a general rule about ragging or brushing stain??
I am also contemplating using an oil - wax finish. I tried linseed oil (boiled/light linseed) and I am getting an amber colour I do not want. Can an oil such as 'Danish' give a different colour finish? The boards are aged and a mixed colour grain of grey and pale yellow.... Id like to enhance the grey. Do oils come in colour's other than natural or dark??? HELP!!! As you can tell finishing is not my strong point!

Get the colour you want with stains. If it is an oil or turpentine based stain you then seal the colour in with a surface finish like: shellac, polyurethane, lacquer or sanding sealer. In most instances oil will pull the stain off the timber and lighten it.

If you use a water-based stain or dye then you can seal it with any finish that isn't water based.

For an alcohol based stain avoid alcohol based finishes like shellac and some lacquers. As these will bleed the stain.

In short use an incompatible finish over a stain or dye.

Probably not much help if you don't know what's what in finishes and stains, etc. But it's a start.

• Using an oil & wax finish over a stain could be a bit of a recipe for disaster down the track, due to staining from water, heat, alcohol and almost anything else you care to mention.
• Don't put wax over a stain as a sealer because it won't seal.
• Don't put wax over an oiled surface until it is perfectly dry. ie: no oily spots on the surface and the smell from the oil is completely gone. If you do the wax will stop the oil from fully curing whilst the oil will keep the wax soft and easy to damage.

Hope this is of some help and hasn't completely ruined your day.

Cheers - Neil :U

Thanks Neil, excellent feedback. I thought I was coming to grips with this lark, but again finishing is not my strong point!! At this point I am thinking of using an oil based (Ebony) stain with a poly Matte varnish on top. I may possibly still topcoat with bees wax as for some reason i like the finish.. However, sounds like the poly varnish would be more practical.

I was wondering because the tint is so dark whether to thin it out with turps before applying??? Would this help reduce blotches on pine??

Rag it on then before it gets a chance to dry rag it off and this should make it lighter. If not put a little turpentine (mineral, not pure) onto your rab and lightly remove or rub the surface until the desired shade is achieved.

I have always found this a better method than thinning. Shouldn't be any blotches on the pine unless you are using a spirit based stain or there is oil or patchy sanding on the timber.

You might do better with a water-based stain as the black in that can be made to look like the gray/silver colour of aged timber using the same method as above.

If using water stain make sure it is well dried before applying any finish.

I have used Cabots Woodcraft Stain which now appears to be called Interior Stain CLICK HERE it's water based and I found it really good used it with great effect under a French Polishing restoration job a few years ago.

Make a point of clicking on their Colour Options link which show the affect of black on pine and all their other colours. This should give you a pretty good idea of what you are looking for.

Cheers - Neil :U

Just to add to the topic and give you another train ofthought.
If you use a natural product, you would need to test a waterbased coating to ensure there won’t be any rejection issues.
We have recently used the Kunos white (white pigments in anoil/wax /resin mix) with a small amount of the smoked oak stain to create agrey for wall panelling in a large commercial build. Whilst the grey will giveyou an “aged look” the sanding needs to be pretty spot on if using stainsotherwise you will really highlight the sanding marks, especially withpenetrating oils. By using a clear on top will seal the pigments in and you can then maintain it long term with the clear.

Thanks for the feedback!

Neil, thanks again, great advice I will practise this technique...

Hi Neil, sorry to bother you... or anyone else who can help??? I have stained pine with an ebony. Looked okay then I added a limewash and it has gone a little milky. If I run turps over the top will it pick up a little of the wash to reduce the cloudiness??

A great trick for ageing pine with a stain is to get a big piece of oooo steel wool and put it some cheap vinegar and leave for a week. Strain and now put a handful of cheap tea in the discoloured vinegar. Wait another week and strain. I was shown this simple cheap trick over thirty years ago when I worked with a great french polisher in London. Instead of tea you can also use oak saw dust. I used to make the furniture and our french polisher used the mixture to stain all the furniture. By the time he had finished, you would swear it was old.