How to choose a tint varnish? Everything brighter and brighter: tint the tree yourself How to tint for a pine facade

Pine furniture is very popular due to its pleasant texture, reasonable cost, and a long service life. It is clear that wood requires proper maintenance, which will increase its strength and extend its service life. In most cases, pine wood products are not tinted or painted, but simply varnished. There are several reasons for this:

You can buy furniture from different manufacturers, and it will still look good in the complex.
The varnish, evenly distributed over the surface, emphasizes the beauty of the wood.
Pine is considered an inexpensive material and varnishing increases its final cost.

In addition to varnish, paints and stains are also used to paint pine furniture. So what is the best way to paint pine furniture? We will deal with this in the article.

What does painting furniture give?

Wood staining is done for various purposes:

To give the furniture the desired color;
To improve the quality characteristics;
To improve moisture and heat resistance.

Today, pine furniture is produced, tinted for other types of wood, for example, oak, cherry, walnut, etc. But this range of colors cannot satisfy all groups of consumers.

How can you paint a pine shield?

Many people prefer self-coloring wooden furniture... And here a natural question arises, what and how to paint furniture board pine?

There are three main technologies for wood processing:

Toning.
Application of varnish and paint.

Furniture tinting

The pine tree has a beautiful amber-golden color. Such furniture fits into any interior, from the living room to the children's room. What can be achieved by toning:

highlight the structure of the wood and improve its natural color;
hide surface defects by painting in a darker shade;
to give pine furniture the look of a valuable wood;
hide color irregularities;
get a color unusual for a tree, for example, green or blue.

Important! For tinting, aniline dyes, aqueous solutions of tannins, salts, acids are used. They are perfectly absorbed by wood, quickly dissolve in water.

Technology features

When processing wood, there are several important points to consider:

The surface of the wood must be sanded before and after processing.
Before tinting, you need to prime the surface.
Need to get rid of dark spots or streaks, as they will ruin the final result.
After applying the stain, the wood should dry out.
Then the wood is covered with translucent paint or varnished.

Pine wood varnishing and painting

At the very beginning, the surface of the wood is cleaned of old paint or varnish, all knots are removed. Due to the presence of resinous substances on the surface, a lot of difficulties arise, therefore, for competent painting of pine furniture, it must be degummed.

Deresinization of wood

Pine furniture requires special attention and additional processing. This happens for several reasons:

Areas where resin accumulates over time darken and spoil the appearance.
The resin creates a sticky film on the surface that prevents the primer from absorbing.
Due to the resin, the colorants are not applied evenly.

Deresinization is the process of completely or partially removing the resin from the wood surface. For this, a special composition is prepared:

200 g of 25% technical solution of acetone;
50 g of potash;
40-50 g of baking soda;
40 g soap flakes;
10 g of technical alcohol;
1 liter of hot water.

All components are mixed, the composition is applied with a brush. Then the surface is washed and dried.

Important! If there are large areas of resin, then it is better to cut them off with a knife, and then fill these grooves with putty.

Priming, staining

After demineralization, a primer is applied. It can be applied with a wide brush or roller. Then a layer of paint or varnish is applied, smoothed with sandpaper, and then another layer of dye is applied.

Important! It is better to select varnish or paint good quality, but not necessarily imported - domestic solutions are also excellent, and at a cheaper price. When choosing a specific type of solution, give preference to a safer, non-toxic mixture, relying on the component composition.

Parquet flooring wears out over time and requires capital or cosmetic repair... The simplest and more affordable option- to carry out tinting of the coating. The procedure allows you to change the color of the floor, update the interior and restore performance characteristics parquet.

What is parquet tinting

Parquet tinting is giving the parquet board the natural color of wood or renewing the tone flooring while maintaining its structure. The technology allows you to give the floorboard the character of exotic, expensive woods or get a vintage effect of "aging". With the help of tinting, it will be possible to update the old parquet floor and stylize it to match the interior design.

Floorboard tinting has a number of significant advantages:

it is possible to process both floorboards and parquet;
the appearance of the old coating improves;
tinting masks minor defects of worn parquet;
allows you to give the room an updated, attractive look, without performing overhaul premises;
a wide palette of colors, allowing you to choose the desired shade.

Choosing a color for parquet: current trends

Modern technologies for dyeing wood are able to bring to life a wide variety of colors and shades. Manufacturing companies of paint and varnish materials have developed affordable complexes for wood processing.

Advice. Samples of painted parquet are usually available in hardware stores. When making a choice, you must have an image of the interior with you in order to match it with the tone of the floor and recreate a complete picture of the situation.

Traditional tinting colors include shades of gold, dark brown, dark red and amber. More daring options include white, cyan, black, or rich vibrant colors.

White color. Such a coating is always in trend, because it can be easily combined with different stylistic trends in the interior. The white floor visually enlarges the space, dust is not very visible on its surface and minor scratches... Before toning the parquet in White color, it must be carefully prepared and the previous layer of paintwork removed.

Dark tones. Care should be taken when choosing dark colors - they are not suitable for every room. It is optimal if the shaded floor is combined with light walls. Tinting oak parquet in a dark color helps to hide all defects of the old flooring. Black and chocolate tones are used to decorate rooms in modern style directions: constructivism, minimalism or Scandinavian.

Gray or beige color parquet flooring will fill the room with comfort and an atmosphere of tranquility. Such shades look harmoniously in interiors of Provence, country, Mediterranean style or neoclassicism. Often pastel shades choose when arranging bedrooms and children's rooms.

Red shades make the room "warmer" and more comfortable. They are recommended for use in living rooms. classic style... However, such parquet requires the utmost care in choosing the color of furniture and other surfaces. Red shades are very whimsical to companion colors.

Brown color considered universal for floor decoration. The shade emphasizes the naturalness of the flooring and the structure of the wood. Brown tones are perceived by humans as a symbol of protection and shelter from adversity.

Important! For toning the floor, you must use the compositions of proven companies. The use of mixtures of unknown brands can spoil the coating, and the parquet will have to be completely torn off.

The better to tint parquet: features of different technologies

There are several ways to change the shade of the parquet. For work, they most often use stain, oil, varnish or specially designed staining complexes. The choice of this or that material depends on the desired result and the availability of painting skills. Each method has its own pros and cons in terms of applying and operating the flooring.

Parquet tinting with varnish

The use of varnishes with a tinted component allows you to change the color of the parquet by a couple of tones lighter or darker. For work will do ready-made "colored varnish" or colorless composition with a selected color scheme.

Opening parquet with varnish has the following advantages:

the material does not penetrate into the structure of the tree - if it is necessary to change the color, it is enough to clean off the top layer and repaint the parquet;
except decorative function varnish also plays a protective role, preventing damage to parquet lamellas;
the ability to control the saturation of the resulting color by the number of varnish layers.

The disadvantages of "lacquer" tinting include:

quickly enough the varnish layer is erased in the most passable places;
tinting allows you to achieve only weak and medium-saturated tones - it will not work to transform light wood into black with their help;
the varnish is not resistant to prolonged stress - the coating may begin to crack and peel off.

Important! When applying varnish, it is necessary to adhere to the standards of fire and personal safety.

Application of oil for parquet treatment

For tinting many wood products, including parquet, oil is widely used. The choice of material depends on the type of wood. For processing "exotic" wood, it is necessary to select a deep penetration oil to speed up the drying process.

Benefits of tinting with oil:

provided reliable protection flooring due to the penetration of oil deep into the material;
the ability of the parquet to "breathe" - a film does not form on the surface, as after the floor has been varnished;
coating stability - does not peel off and does not crack;
a wide range of different colors to choose from;
safety and environmental friendliness of the material.

Disadvantages of oil:

after the initial toning with oil, you cannot subsequently use another type of paintwork - the oil solution penetrates deeply into the pores, and it will not be possible to completely remove it;
every six months the parquet needs to be renewed - polishing the coating with a soft cloth made of natural fabrics dipped in a special composition.

Advice. Highly resistant oils are suitable for tinting parquet boards. The following materials have worked well: Arboritec Floor Oil Strong, Classic Base Oil Color and Arboritec Floor Oil Strong.

Oil impregnation is applied to the floor with a brush or brush, and then rubbed in with a sander. After the first layer has completely dried, the surface is treated with the second and third layers.

Features of using stain

The stain completely retains and conveys the wood grain. The stain will help to achieve color saturation, but the material will not protect the flooring.

Features of applying stain:

Duration of work. The composition is applied three times. The first and second layers should dry for at least 3 days, and the last one - a week. Then the floor is covered with a layer of clear varnish.
Due to the uneven structure of the wood, the stain may not be absorbed evenly. As a result, dark or light spots are formed on the parquet.
To achieve uniform coloring, the next layer is applied perpendicular to the previous one.

Coloring systems for tinting parquet

Manufacturers of paint and varnish materials do not give up their attempts to create an ideal composition for toning parquet. The main contender today are special coloring systems based on natural oils. Tinting systems differ from conventional stains in that they absorb more slowly and dry longer. At first glance, this quality may seem like a disadvantage, but it is not.

After applying the usual stain, a few minutes remain to distribute the composition evenly on the floor surface. Not everyone succeeds in doing this quickly and one has to forget about a good result. Coloring complexes dry out within 4-20 hours. This time is enough for uniform processing of even a large parquet area.

Before starting tinting, it is necessary to test the composition on a separate parquet board, since the final result is largely determined by the texture, the original color and the quality of wood processing.

The main mistakes in toning a parquet board

Even if you entrust the scraping of tinted parquet experienced craftsmen it is not always possible to count on a perfect result. The main mistakes of amateurs and professionals are:

Important! Pine is a rather difficult wood in processing due to its soft structure. Minor sanding failures will lead to streaks and streaks on the parquet floor. The likelihood of scrap when sanding larch and oak is much less.

How to tint parquet with your own hands: step by step instructions

The end result of the work will largely depend on the careful preparation of the surface, namely, scraping. The need to complete this stage is due to a number of factors:

the presence of scratches and local dents on the parquet;
changing the integrity of the old varnish layer;
the appearance of the "boat effect";
contamination of the old coating.

Cycling is carried out in two stages:

Surface treatment with a scraper or parquet sander with a coarse abrasive. As a result, the top layer of varnish is removed, dirt is removed and the coating is leveled.
Finish sanding with a fine abrasive disc.

Upon completion of the work, the floor must be cleaned and checked that it is perfectly smooth. Then you can start painting.

Let's consider step by step how to tint the parquet with wood stain:

Tinting compounds must be applied quickly to prevent stains. The base of the floor must be thoroughly cleaned before painting, since the smallest particles of dust, water, dirt, grease, wax and other things can spoil the result.

Parquet tinting - finishing stage renovation works... After painting the floor, do not finish the ceiling, walls, etc.
The tinting composition must necessarily be used from professional manufacturers of parquet chemicals, for example, Osmo, Loba, Bona, etc.
It is very difficult to do high-quality sanding for tinted old boards with your own hands. It is better to entrust this process to professionals.
The end result depends a lot on the wood species. A favorable outcome of 99% is guaranteed when tinting oak. For "complex" wood (maple, pine, beech), experts use the "forced floor tinting" method.
For even distribution and rubbing of the composition, it is imperative to use special parquet machines.
The topcoat is made with a highly wear-resistant varnish.

It is advisable to choose a method for toning a parquet floor after recommendations from a specialist who will take into account the type of wood and the conditions for the subsequent operation of the floor covering.

How to tint beech parquet: video

The main advantages of pine furniture are pleasant texture, reasonable cost and long term exploitation. It was these factors that became the main reason its popularity among consumers. However, in most cases, wooden products are not tinted or painted, but only covered with transparent varnish.

Pine furniture is distinguished by its durability, beautiful appearance and relatively low cost.

There are several good reasons for this:

buyers can easily compose a furniture set to their taste, regardless of the manufacturer, since the final finish with a colorless varnish wooden products from pine will be the same for everyone;
by its structure, pine belongs to loose wood species. And when applied to the surface of the coloring mixtures, the pigment is not completely uniformly distributed, which can somewhat spoil appearance wooden headset;
the presence of the formation of knots in the tree, even with high-quality drying of the material, does not guarantee the absence of traces of plant resins. And this has a significant effect on the color of the tree during operation;
Since solid pine furniture is in the segment of inexpensive furniture sets, its subsequent processing will lead to an increase in the cost of the final product.

But what to do when you want to have an exclusive collection of wooden headset?

Methods for painting pine furniture

Tinting emphasizes the natural color of pine and hides various wood defects.

Despite some peculiarities of pine wood tinting, consumer demand for painted furniture is constantly growing. Manufacturers are developing and setting up production of headsets tinted for cherry, walnut, oak. For this purpose, a complete renovation of both expensive equipment and retraining of specialized specialists is underway.

Expansion of the range of manufactured products allows satisfying only a small part of buyers for painted furniture. By standardizing, thus, the process of changing the type of products, the manufacturer in any case will not be able to offer a complete color range... For this reason, many consumers decide to take a risky step - to paint solid pine furniture on their own.

Types of painting pine wood headset:

toning;
solid painting;
varnishing.

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Solid wood furniture tinting

Pine wood has a very beautiful natural color, golden-amber, which makes it possible to fit such furniture into almost any type of interior.

Having given it the necessary shade with the help of tinting, the wood structure remains the same environmentally friendly and continues to "breathe".

Furniture tinting is the process of changing the color of a surface with dyes while preserving its visible structure. Dyeing is carried out in order to prepare wood for a transparent finish.

It is best to paint pine furniture in several layers, rubbing the previous layers with fine sandpaper.

Toning makes it possible:

enhance the natural color of wood and highlight its texture;
align the uneven color of product parts;
paint light wood more dark tone, which allows you to perfectly hide some surface defects;
give pine furniture the look of a valuable species;
get a color unusual for a tree: gray, green, blue.

For the processing of pine furniture, artificial aniline dyes, aqueous solutions of tannins, acids and salts are used, which have lightfast properties, are well absorbed by wood and easily dissolve in water.

When tinting pine wood, the following factors are taken into account:

The surface to be treated must be sanded very carefully. It is desirable to finish finishing with abrasive paper # 180.
Before tinting, pine must be treated with wood conditioner (special primer).
The surface of the products should not contain dark spots, dye drips.
After high-quality painting, pine furniture acquires flat surface with low gloss.

After the entire surface of the furniture is stained, it should dry well. Further, the wood is varnished or covered with translucent paint.

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Varnishing and painting of products

Before varnishing, the furniture surface must be primed and allowed to dry.

If desired, pine furniture can be painted in a uniform matte color or varnished.

Painting pine furniture brings a lot of difficulties that arise due to the peculiarities of wood. Such moments arise due to the presence of resinous substances on the treated surface, which does not allow the product to be evenly coated. Therefore, before painting the furniture, it will need to be degummed, which will be discussed below.

The technology for applying paint or varnish consists of:

Clean furniture from old coverings. If there are knots and irregularities, remove them.
Degase the wood.
Fill cracks or chips with putty and allow to dry.
Apply the primer with a wide brush or roller.
Once the primer has dried, you can start painting the furniture. If there is a lot of work ahead, then it is better to use an airbrush or roller. In other cases, you can do with a small brush.
It is better to cover the surface with a coloring composition in several layers. Immediately before application, sand the previous layer with fine emery paper.

For high-quality application and durability of the coating, it is better to use the following materials:

Make sure there is no pine resin left on the surface before starting with varnish or paint.

varnishes. They can be made on nitrocellulose or alcohol base. Regardless of the type chosen, they perfectly emphasize the natural color of pine and dry quickly enough;
enamels. They completely hide the texture of the wood, and the furniture takes on the appearance of plastic or MDF. For high-quality application and stability of the coating, it is better to use high-strength polyurethane enamels. Shake the paint mixture thoroughly before applying;
paints. The pigmented composition of the coloring mixtures hides minor defects.As for alkyd and urethane-alkyd, the former are well applied, and the latter are suitable for previously painted surfaces.

Many carpenters prefer pine for its ease of processing, low weight, low price and ubiquitous availability.

And with a transparent finish, its wood seems to emit a warm glow, which is rarely found in other species.

What's not to like?

If more dark color then the result of using wood stain is often unpredictable, because pure pine wood does not absorb liquid evenly, and this results in an unnatural, mottled or zebra-like coloration.

But one should not just because of this refuse to work with this wonderful material. Pine can be successfully tinted evenly - all you need to do is spend a little time preparing it.

4 steps to even tinting pine

Several species of related botanical species can be found in stacks of pine boards, but sellers usually do not distinguish between them, calling them “pine”. But even boards from the same breed can differ significantly in their ability to absorb stain, and this increases the risk of unpredictability of the result. To cope with this, you need to test the finishing techniques on test pieces cut from the same planks used in the project. And this is the surest method that we want to demonstrate to clear your doubts.

1. Buy the right boards.

Pine usually has a lot of knots, but this flaw is considered an integral part of its attractiveness. You just need to avoid knots that are too large or so-called dead knots, which are weak and often fall out, as well as clusters of knots at the core or those around which the direction of the wood fibers changes abruptly. Loose knots can be securely fixed with epoxy glue.

2. Sand the surfaces smoothly.

Changing the abrasive numbers in succession, finish mechanical grinding with discs No. 180, and then additionally sand by hand with a block of sandpaper No. 180, moving it along the grain to remove all traces left by the sander. After that one more time Sand the ends with 220 grit paper to prevent them from absorbing too much stain.

3. Prime the wood.

As you can see in the first three samples of the top row, staining clean pine wood results in uneven toning and staining. Gel stain is absorbed less than ordinary liquid stain, so the surface color is more even. However, the board still looks mottled due to the too strong contrast of the lines formed by the layers of early and late wood. To end the uneven absorption of the stain, prime the surface.

We tried four methods, starting with a simple sanding with 320 grit sandpaper and applying three different compounds: shellac, a factory-made conditioner specially designed for wood with uneven absorbency, and a polyurethane swab (a so-called polish that you can make themselves by mixing equal parts of polyurethane and white spirit).

When the surfaces primed with these compounds were completely dry, we lightly sanded them along the grain with an abrasive sponge No. 320 and applied a liquid stain. The sample primed with polyurethane polish (the last sample of the top row) was the most evenly colored and we chose this method to prepare the surfaces for the next step.

4. Apply the stain-gel to the pine

Why pine stain gel is better

While you can successfully apply any stain to a surface primed with diluted polyurethane, gel stain gives you better control over the result if you want a deep, rich color.

Due to its thicker consistency, you can apply it in a thicker layer, which darkens the wood more, and apply several such layers in succession. The bottom row of samples shows the effect of applying the next layer of gel stain over the dried one.

Sequential application can take a long time, as each layer of stain must dry completely. In addition, there is a risk of partially damaging the first coat when applying the next one. On the same board, we tested the gel stain by applying it directly to clean wood after sanding with 320 sandpaper without priming (the last two samples in the bottom row).

And in this case, just as when using ordinary liquid stain, spotting appeared. We also wanted to find out if sanding with 220 grit paper before priming would improve the result versus the more commonly used 180 grit paper. It turned out not (first four samples in the bottom row).

Now you can start toning your pine products without the fear of streaking or staining. However, don't be overconfident - you still need to check your chosen trim method on the trim first.

Pigment stains are the least sensitive to chemical composition the finishing layer applied over them. Almost any type of coating can be applied to dried stains, such as oil or water-based varnish for finishing wood stained with water or oil stain. The stain must be completely dry before the varnish is applied. The speed of drying is influenced by the temperature, as well as the humidity of the surrounding air and the wood itself, so do not pay special attention to the instructions on the can. Use your nose: if you smell solvent, then the stain is not dry yet. Dyes are more capricious. If you apply a varnish containing the same solvent with a brush or swab, you can leave streaks and partially mix the dye with the varnish. Sometimes it is possible to achieve greater depth colors, but more often the quality of the coating decreases. With the proper equipment, it is best to spray varnish to avoid problems.

Dyes, pigments and methods of obtaining the desired color

You put together another project and carefully sanded all surfaces. A can of varnish is already nearby, but this time you don't want the wood to have its usual color. You want this piece to match the old furnishings of your living room or be indistinguishable from the expensive furniture sold in interior showrooms. However, perhaps you just need to color-align the boards that are different from each other, from which the project is made, to imitate exotic species, or to make the textured pattern of wood more expressive, and its usual color - richer. If you are faced with one of these challenges, it's time to get started with toning.

Toning is based on two types of dyes - pigments and dyes. We will help you choose the right tool for your project and show you how to work with it.

How to choose one of the many options

What type of colorant should you prefer? You have a wide choice (photo below). The decision depends on what kind of wood you are using, what kind of look you want to give it, and what kind of finish will be applied in the final stage of finishing.

For general toning, use a pigment stain or dyes. These dyes work in different ways. (photo below), and the results of their work will differ, as can be seen in the above photographs. Pigment stains are sold in stores that sell paints and varnishes, and dyes can be found in specialized stores or ordered from catalogs.

Pigment stains unevenly stain wood with different density areas, such as maple, birch, cherry or pine. The dyes penetrate deep into the surface regardless of the density of the wood. Having chosen the desired shade, remember that all colorants fade over time. Pigment stains retain their color for the longest time. Among the dyes, the most persistent are water-soluble, and oily or alcoholic solutions of dyes fade rather quickly. Do not use tinting dyes if the wood comes into contact with sunlight, - in such conditions, they fade very quickly.

Ease of application

The toning technique with pigment stains and dyes is almost the same. Try it on a trial cut, then apply generously to the surface of your garment and wipe off any excess to even out the color.

Then bark the surface completely dry, and then wipe it again to remove plaque that has formed in some places. Remember that the surface color changes when the compound dries, and then changes again when clear varnish is applied (photo below left). Dyes for wood tinting can be purchased in the form of a ready-made solution or dry powder. Dissolve the dye powder thoroughly and strain the prepared solution (photo below right). Usually, the color of wood dyed with dyes does not change with an increase in the number of layers of the dye composition. It gets darker but remains transparent. Each new layer of pigment stain darkens the surface color more and reduces transparency.

Possible defects and their elimination

Although toning is considered a straightforward operation, problems sometimes arise. But many of them can be avoided if you know what can happen.

Raising the pile. The main disadvantage aqueous formulations is that they raise the pile on the wood. You should be prepared for this, and it is better to raise the pile in advance and carefully remove it. (photo at the bottom left), and then start toning.

Wood color difference. Even good board sometimes it has areas and stripes of different colors, and most coloring compositions cannot hide this difference. Working with such boards is shown in photo on the rightat the bottom.Spotting. Some wood species are colored unevenly. By pretreating the surface with conditioner, you can achieve a more even toning.

On the next page (photo below) examples of such processing are shown. Darkening of the ends. The end surfaces absorb more stain than the rest of the board. To reduce color differences, sand the ends with an abrasive one step finer than the rest of the surfaces. Then treat them with conditioner. Tinting with dyes instead of pigment stains also helps to reduce color differences between surfaces without the need for conditioner.

Color mismatch. Sometimes the color of the painted wood is different from what you would expect. If the shade suits your plans, but it is too light, apply another coat of the same coloring composition. If the resulting shade is not as desired, you can cover it with a darker stain.

If the color is too dark and the surface has not yet dried, it can be lightened a little by wiping with a suitable solvent. Water stains are washed off with water, and for oil stains you need to use white spirit.

If the water stain is already dry, you can partially remove it with oxen and re-tint the surface. Dried oil stains can often be removed with organic lacquer and enamel solvents. If that's not enough, use a washer, then lighten the remaining stains with bleach, and then start toning again.

It is possible to lighten the painted surface slightly by wiping it down with a suitable solvent, but care must be taken to keep the shade uniform and to prevent streaking and staining.

Variations on a theme

We've focused your attention on pigment stains and dyes, but there are five more products that can be used to tint wood. In some cases, it is better to prefer combined coloring compositions containing pigments and dyes, colored oil-varnish mixtures, stain-gel, universal finishing compounds or so-called "lint-free" stains (that is, stains that do not raise the lint). The most convenient to use are combined coloring compositions (photo above). However, in some situations, gel stain can achieve better results. (photo below).

Colored oil-lacquer mixtures, which include the so-called "Danish" oil, contain oil, varnish, thinner and dyes. Such compositions are easy to apply, penetrate deeper into wood and, thanks to a moderately stable binder, can serve as an independent finishing agent.

Universal finishing compounds, used as the final coat of finishes contain varnish (eg polyurethane) with dyes. The thinner for such formulations is white spirit or ox, and the dye is a dye or pigment. With their help, the finishing coat is applied simultaneously with tinting. They practically do not penetrate deep into the wood and are similar in properties to paints. Due to their quick drying, working with them requires certain skills in order to apply an evenly thin layer. Additional layers darken the color and make it less transparent. When applied with a brush, it is difficult to avoid overlapping areas that will show up with dark spots. In general, use of such compounds should be avoided when decorating in a workshop.

"Lint-free" Wave stains can be thinned with rubbing alcohol or thinner varnish and can be overlaid with oil based finishes. They dry out too quickly, making them less comfortable than regular water stains, and most hobbyists do just fine without them.

Expand your color palette

Most carpenters buy ready-made compounds for tinting wood, a standard assortment of which is available in many stores. But if you want to go beyond the usual colors or just want to experiment, learn how to change these colors as you wish. One way is to mix standard colors, but first make sure that the mixes are compatible. They must use the same solvent.

The addition of primary colors to ready-made compositions or their application directly to the surface of the wood provides much more opportunity. Use artistic oil paints or so-called Japanese paints if oil-based stain and varnish will then be applied. If the product is stained and varnished on water based, can be used acrylic paints diluted with an aqueous solution of glue. These paints are sold in art and craft stores.

The color wheel will tell you how to get the desired color. The most famous color wheels show you how to get all the other colors using red, yellow and blue paints.

Nevertheless, restrained shades of the so-called "earthy" range traditionally prevail in furniture finishing. (see photo below). Various combinations of natural and burnt umber, sienna, ocher, black and white pigments give a rich palette of beautiful shades that are used in furniture business. Experiment with the scraps and, once you've achieved the desired result, don't forget to write down the recipe.

If you want to achieve that special touch, take advantage of the available options that most carpenters do not even know about. Acrylic and oil art paints and color circle help you get any shade that turns the most ordinary project into something special.

We used acrylic glazes and paints sold in art dealerships to get these results on oak wood. The left sample was painted with natural sienna, the middle sample was covered with burnt umber, and for the right sample, both paints were mixed together.

You can tell the difference between dyes and pigment stains. On oak plank a golden brown dye was applied to the right, and the board below was tinted with a stain of the same color.

Like paints, pigment stains remain on the surface of the wood, almost without penetrating into the depth. Due to the high pigment content, the paints are opaque. Stains contain the same pigments, but in smaller quantities, so they are relatively transparent (they can be considered highly diluted paints).

The smallest particles of pigment are mixed with a binder - a substance that holds the pigment after drying on the surface. The most famous oil-type binder is drying oil. Other substances are used in water stains. All pigment stains should be thoroughly mixed prior to application in order to evenly distribute settled pigment particles in the liquid and to prevent multi-colored streaks.

Dyes are very different from pigments. They are transparent, penetrate deep into any wood, and with them it is easier to achieve color uniformity.

You can purchase ready-made color solutions, dry powders, or liquid concentrates. Powders and concentrates are diluted with an appropriate solvent: water, alcohol or one of the petroleum solvents, for example, a solvent. It is important to use the correct solvent for each type of colorant. Water-based colorants usually cannot be diluted with alcohol.

Liquid color concentrates can often be diluted with several solvents. Alcohol dyes are the fastest drying (perhaps too fast drying, which makes them difficult to work with). Water-soluble dyes are safe and the most convenient to work with.

When toning, it is most important to take into account how the color changes when the coloring composition dries. Often a carpenter, seeing a dry surface, considers it necessary to apply a few more coats to enhance the color, but this usually leads to an error. If the color of the wet surface was correct, nothing needs to be done. This color will return after applying clear varnish as shown in . Some colorants dry faster than others, and if the stain is already dry, excess stains will be more difficult to remove. Water stains dry faster than oil stains. Often the dried surface will appear dusty and dull in color, but you shouldn't worry about that.

If you mix dry dye powder with alcohol or water, you will not be able to completely dissolve all of its particles, despite mixing thoroughly. Let the solution stand, then stir again, and then strain through a paper filter for a coffee maker, cheesecloth or nylon stocking to get rid of undissolved particles. Always wear a dust mask when handling dry powder as it is very dusty and can cause allergic reactions and respiratory diseases. To achieve the desired shade, you can mix pigment stains with dyes, if they are diluted in the same solvent. Mix products from the same manufacturer for best results. You should also dilute each coloring agent separately before mixing them with each other. Do not add powder or concentrate of one color to a ready-made solution of a different color.

Water stains and dyes raise the pile on the wood. The tiny fibers swell and remain raised like bristles. If you apply a layer finishing composition(varnish or paint), the surface will resemble sandpaper.

The easiest way to deal with this phenomenon (before applying the stain or water-based dye) is to lift the lint and then remove it. Moisten the surface clean water from the sprayer and let it dry completely. Now, by sanding or scraping, remove the raised villi. Simple and effective scrapers are obtained from replaceable blades for craft knives. Hold the blade nearly vertical as shown in the photo and carefully scrape the surface.

Wood can have different colour, and it is not always possible to completely correct this difference with a single coat of stain. This is most difficult on wood species such as cherries or walnuts, which have a much lighter sapwood than the core.

If you want the entire surface to be dark, apply the stain only to the sapwood, as shown in this cherry plank example. After drying, apply another layer of the same stain, covering the entire part with it. If you want to achieve a uniform color of the entire surface, the color of the stain must match the color of the heartwood. Only tint sapwood with this stain.

Pine, cherry, maple and birch wood on the surface of the same board has areas of different density. This heterogeneity is the reason for uneven toning when using pigment stains. Soft areas absorb more stain than hard areas and appear darker after toning.

To reduce the effect of heterogeneity, you can use a conditioner composition, applying it before toning. Conditioner is a type of binder that closes wood pores, and you can see the result of its application in the photo on the left.

We used Minwax conditioner and a reddish brown stain on the left pine board, and the right board is covered only with stain.

You can prepare the conditioner yourself. If for upper layers coatings have chosen polyurethane varnish, make a conditioner from one part varnish diluted with five parts solvent. Apply this mixture to the surface, dry, sand lightly with 220 grit sandpaper, then tint with stain.

Combinations containing dye and pigment stain tend to delaminate when stored on store shelves for a long time. The dye remains in the solution, and the pigments settle to the bottom of the can. To obtain the original color, the composition should be mixed thoroughly. You can determine such compositions using a stick, lowering its end to the bottom of the jar. If there is a clot on it, and the stick itself becomes colored (see. photo below), you are dealing with a combined composition. Dye stains dense areas wooden surface, and the pigment accumulates in the pores. These formulations tint problem breeds more evenly, but to further reduce color inconsistency, it is best to apply conditioner first. The combined formulations are applied in different ways.

At the top of the can, if the contents are not mixed, is a dye solution that can be used directly to tint wood or added to a compatible varnish to produce toner (more on this in the next article in this series).

By mixing the contents of the jar slightly, you will get a slightly different shade of the same color. Thorough mixing will give another shade. Finally, the pigment sediment, if left undisturbed, is excellent for use as a patina, which will be discussed in the next article.

A gel stain consists of a pigment, dye, or a mixture thereof, and an oil-based or water-based binder. Strictly speaking, it is a type of paint that covers the surface without being absorbed into it. Such stains hide the texture pattern a little, but it is easier to achieve uniformity of color with them (see. photo below). The left sample was coated with a regular water stain, and the right sample was tinted with a gel stain. Gel stain is excellent for applying the so-called patina. The patina technique allows you to add color layers between the basecoat layers and simulate a textured pattern on any surface. For example, you can do two different boards similar to each other and turn hardboard into oak.