Where to buy wood stain?

[Dollburger]

My first kit has finally arrived, and now I'm wondering where to buy small bottles of wood stain. Would anyone have recommendations on brand or vendor (US preferably)? I won't need a lot of stain, so I'm hoping to find small bottles somewhere, maybe even locally, but I'm not having any luck.

 

So far I've found these: https://modelexpo-online.com/wood-modeling-stains-and-finishes

Is this what I should go with?

[Jaager]

I will guess that your kit is not from a boutique supplier based here, so the quality of the the wood species is questionable at best.

This makes using a dye relatively pointless, since the basic material does not warrant quality treatment. So, using an actual stain (semi-transparent paint) would be an improvement.

Checking on WoodCraft's site, you can get 1/2 pint cans for ~$12.00.  A local hardware store may do as well.  If the stain company has a shade that the store does not stock, one that rings your bell, they can probably special order it.  I would go with solvent based over water based.  The water will raise the grain.  You can get around this by pretreating with 10% PVA in water and refinishing after it dries.  Test on scrap.  But good ventilation and latex gloves and oil based will save the step.  Ignore the supposed waste, it may last longer that you think if you seal it well. Paying 10x's more per volume for a smaller bottle may not really be wise economy.

[Dollburger]

55 minutes ago, Jaager said:

I will guess that your kit is not from a boutique supplier based here, so the quality of the the wood species is questionable at best.

This makes using a dye relatively pointless, since the basic material does not warrant quality treatment. So, using an actual stain (semi-transparent paint) would be an improvement.

Checking on WoodCraft's site, you can get 1/2 pint cans for ~$12.00.  A local hardware store may do as well.  If the stain company has a shade that the store does not stock, one that rings your bell, they can probably special order it.  I would go with solvent based over water based.  The water will raise the grain.  You can get around this by pretreating with 10% PVA in water and refinishing after it dries.  Test on scrap.  But good ventilation and latex gloves and oil based will save the step.  Ignore the supposed waste, it may last longer that you think if you seal it well. Paying 10x's more per volume for a smaller bottle may not really be wise economy.

Thanks Jaager. The kit is from OcCre - it's just the beginner Bounty Launch kit, but the MDF wood calls for stain prior to construction.

[Roger Pellett]

Large home improvement chain stores, as well as well stocked hardware stores stock 1/2 pint cans of wood stain, both solvent  and water based.  MinWax is a brand that you often see.  I am not endorsing this specific product one way or the other, but if you want to purchase a semi-transparent stain it should be easy to find.

 

In my opinion, the names on the can are more about marketing than an accurate color description.  Therefore, try on some scrap before using.

 

These semi-transparent stains are nothing but pigment suspended in a liquid.   The liquid allows you to spread out the color and then evaporates.  It is therefore important to thoroughly mix the stain before using.  When you open the can the pigment will be on the bottom.

 

Roger

[Dollburger]

awesome thanks! I'm running to the store now seems like there are plenty of 1/2 pint options. Do you generally use a sealer as well? Or just leave it with the stain.

 

[Jaager]

Sealer seems to be an ambiguous term. 

Sand n' Sealer is a product type meant for full size furniture made from open pore species like Oak, Walnut, Ash ...  It is thick and has solid particles meant to fill the pores.  It is generally better to use a species of wood that does not need any pore filling.  It is really out of scale thick.

 

If by sealer, a clear top coat is what is meant, there are two general schools of philosophy. 

Polyurethane - which comes water based and organic solvent based.  It is a plastic, and to me, looks it.  Many here are devoted to wipe-on poly.  As Bob Cleek writes, it is diluted regular poly, that is just more expensive and has good advertising.

Old fossils prefer shellac.  - lots of posts about it  and how to use it.  Thin and shine depends on how many coats or if it is buffed with a fine abrasive. 

There is also solvent based - usually termed varnish,  which is a polymerized natural oil, like linseed, Tung  with maybe some shellac added in.  Generally thin, but getting an even coat wants practice using it.

 

A primer is usually half concentration shellac or oil that penetrates, and sets up a base for additional coats or paint.

 

The can of stain should give directions for any pre-treatment - follow-on top coats are a matter of personal taste and the final look that is desired. 

High gloss anything is to be avoided.  Matte or flat or egg shell is a better scale appropriate finish look

[Dollburger]

Sounds good, thank you! In all my reading up so far I hadn't really given much thought to the stain side of things, and of course it's in step 1 of my instructions. I have plenty of pre-stain from other wood projects so there's no troubles there; I'll check what I bought with regard to sealers/varnish/etc.

 

[Roger Pellett]

Stain is supposed to penetrate into the wood.  How well the mass market semi-transparent stains do this can be debated at length.  Applying a wood sealer prior to staining will prevent the stain from doing its job.  

[Dollburger]

13 hours ago, Roger Pellett said:

Stain is supposed to penetrate into the wood.  How well the mass market semi-transparent stains do this can be debated at length.  Applying a wood sealer prior to staining will prevent the stain from doing its job.  

Hey Roger, yep I know that sorry if I was unclear. I've done some testing with my pre-stain and stain I picked up yesterday and it seems to be working well. I was curious if I should use a sealer or not at the end of the process like other wood projects.

 

Hello from Minneapolis

[Roger Pellett]

Hi,

 

It’s great to meet (virtually) another ship modeler from Minnesota.