The tape was peeled off the next day before the top coat was applied. The second coat followed the same staining and drying procedure.Ī strip of painter's tape was applied after the first coat dried, to separate the first and second coat on the sample. The first coat was allowed to dry for two hours before applying a second coat. The first coat of stain was allowed to soak in for exactly two minutes, then the excess was wiped off with a shop paper towel. They were sanded up to 150 grit sandpaper, and were not treated with any kind of wood conditioner before applying the stain. Each type came from the same board to avoid any differences in color. MethodologyĪll the black wood stain colors were tested on birch plywood, maple, poplar, pine, and red oak. Some brands have more than one formulation with the same color, so I chose the most commonly used version from each brand. I avoided any stain color called Ebony, which could contain hints of dark brown that would skew the results. You can learn more about the difference between gel stain and oil stain in this article. The first two are oil based, and the General Finishes one is a gel stain. The last one isn't exactly a wood stain, but I tried it out on my DIY rustic end table legs and it worked great! Brush strokes and drips are less apparent with stain versus paint.įor this test, I'm comparing Minwax True Black, Varathane Classic Black, General Finishes Black Gel Stain and Speedball Super Black India ink.Depending on the protective top coat you're using, you could finish your staining project in a day!.Black paint usually requires two or more coats to get full coverage, with hours of drying time in between each coat.Black paint, especially with a higher gloss sheen, can look plastic and artificial.Doesn't become thick and heavy with multiple coats.Holds its color even when scratched, and.Black stain soaks into the wood rather than sitting on the surface like paint, which means it:.Black stain allows the natural wood grain to show through.I wanted to see if the same effect occurred with black wood stain. Turns out, it's hard to transform any warm wood color into a cool color! Even my favorite grey wood stain only looks truly grey in light tones like maple. Some skewed more towards blue, while others looked more green, depending on the undertones. In my comparison of six grey wood stain colors, the hue changed considerably depending on what species of wood was used. Please visit my disclosures page for more information. Purchases made through these links may earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Why choose black wood stain over paint?.However, because it is a pigment, you can let it dry and reapply for deeper black.įor more depth and a truly classic look, stain the wood first with India ink, then add a small amount of black dye into each clear coat of finish that you apply. It comes in oil or waterbased versions (I prefer the waterbased) and will generally go full black in just one application. Unlike dyes, which tend to show too much wood and end up looking either blue/black or green/black, India ink, a pigment, is true black. By far the best and easiest is India ink. Michael Dresdner: There are many, including some convoluted ones like iron buff (a liquid extracted by filtering the results of rusted metal soaked in vinegar) which work primarily on high tannin woods, and the usual run of dyes. Be sure to wait a day or two for the stain to dry completely before applying a lacquer finish over it or you will have problems with the finish drying properly. Use rubber gloves when staining, because the solvents in the NGR stain will dry out your hands mercilessly ? not to mention blacken them beyond recognition. I apply at least two or three coats to assure good penetration and thorough coloring. I tried other brands of dye stain, but the Constantine’s product has a cooler, more neutral black color that’s more like genuine ebony. I’ve gotten the best results with Constantine’s black NGR (non-grain-raising) stain. My few attempts with this method resulted in a color something less than black. The old-fashioned way is to soak a piece of rusted steel wool or some rusty nails in vinegar for a few days, then strain the resulting black liquid and use it as a dye stain. What are some methods for ebonizing wood?Įllis Walentine: Over the years, I’ve heard of a lot of different formulas for ‘ebonizing’ wood.
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