Do You Know How to Make a Wipe Stain?

Today I’m continuing our discussion of color applications; first by finishing a few pointers on wiping stains and then on how to develop your own stain recipe.

Some wiping stains are capable of being recoated with another application of stain. Can yours do that? You need to know the answer at this point because some simply rewet what has already been applied and you end up chasing your tail.

And here’s the deal yet again. You do not want to build up an excessive layer of soft, non-film-forming material on top of the wood and then expect the clear coat to attach itself successfully over that. The first coat of clear might appear to do just fine. But the second coat may well wrinkle and take the color with it. Even if you wipe that second coat, and are not “fogging on” the additional wipe stain this could happen unless your stain contains a good binder in it.

I’ve written and rewritten this next part and thought about it for days. I keep coming back to the fact that I am asking you to do something that is a bit of a stretch for more than a few finishers. For you to make your own stains (I’m talking about knowing the recipe to your wipe stain) requires a systematic and serious approach to what you are doing.

I’ve explained what can happen when you get this wrong. Getting it right requires some skill and knowledge. Making an investment of this magnitude in a small to medium shop may be more than what you may think you can financially do. It requires both equipment and a finish person with an advanced skill set. Your other option, then, is to find yourself a competent tint specialist who can advise your shop and provide you with the proper products to proceed with this process. But, the application skill set is still up to the person with the gun in hand.

I want you to think about this. I am going to jump right into the details of how you make that stain formula into several kinds of products that you can confidently use to increase the intensity of your color. Please stay tuned for next week if only for having had the opportunity to walk through the process. You might have one of those wonderful “light bulb moments” when you see clearly how it’s done and you will feel confident to move forward yourself. Or, it will help you to decide to go out and find that outside “someone” that you can enlist as a trusted advisor to help you with these advanced finishing issues.

Until next time…spray on!