Creating your own stain shades widens options for staining.
When you want to stain a piece of furniture or other wooden objects and can't find just the right color, you can use clear oil stain and artist's pigmented paint to create your own color. Since oil stains and oil pigments both use oil as the base, the products combine and the colors that you can create are endless. You might even be able to match the stain from one type of wood to another since wood species accept pigments differently, and it is easy to experiment with the intensity of the shading. The most common clear oils used on wood are linseed oil, tung or teak oil.
Instructions
1. Spread the newspaper on your work surface. Pour some of the clear stain into a can or jar.
2. Squeeze out some of the pigment onto the newspaper and start adding it to the stain gradually until you get the shade you want. Stir it to mix it with the stain.
3. Use a rag or brush to test the color on the scrap wood that is the same kind you want to stain. Let the stain soak into the wood and use a rag to wipe off any excess.
4. Change the intensity of the color by adding small amounts of darker or lighter pigments to the stain or increasing the amount of oil to dilute the stain.
5. Test the final color of the stain by painting it with a clear varnish or sealer if you are trying to match the stain to another piece of furniture. Sealing the wood may cause the stain to appear deeper, which can alter the appearance of the wood you are staining.
