In article ,
Matt in Fenton wrote:

I bought some stain today and was trying it out on a piece of pine. I
didn't thoroughly mix the can because I was in a hurry and just wanted
to see what the color looked like, so I opened the can and wiped some
on.

I let it sit for less than a minute and wiped it off. Needless to say
it was MUCH lighter version than what was pictured on the can. But the
thing is I really liked the effect of this vs. a rich stained color.
It was more like tinting the wood instead of staining it (which serves
to color the wood).

I tried a google search on wood tints, but only came up with wood
stain. (How to tint wood didn't lend itself to anything either)

Is there a product out there that tints a wood instead of actually
staining it?

And if not can I thin the water based stains with water in order to
get the same effect (after they have been thoroughly mixed)?

It's rare that NOT doing things right let's you stumble on to
something good. This is one of those occasions.

Thanks,

matt

Sure, there are many different ways to tint, color, or stain wood.
2 main categories are pigment stains or dye stains. The pigment
statins have finely ground solids that lodge in the pores or surface
imperfections of the wood. Dye stains are actually absorbed into the
wood fibers, usually giving a less pronounced contrast to the light
and dark grain areas. Some stains use both pigments and dyes. Another
difference is the type of vehicle or solvent used; Oil based, water, or
alcohol. Pigment stains always need some type of binder, to keep
the pigment in place. Minwax stains, for instance, use a drying oil
in their common yellow can stains.

If you like the effect of the stain without shaking and mixing the pigment
into it, it is very likely you can find a product that duplicates that
effect, perhaps even exceeds it in appearance. If it is one of the
bigger manufacturers, or even a small one, you could try calling,
writing, or emailing them, they may be able to recommend another
product that is designed for the effect you want. One that I like
to use in the Minwax "Golden Pecan" shade of their regular oil-based
"yellow can" product line. Unlike most of this line, it contains only
dye, no pigment and just gives a slightly darker tint to most light
woods with some enhancement of the grain pattern. Sometimes just
an application of BLO or tung oil will do the same.


--
There is always an easy solution to every human problem -- neat,
plausible, and wrong." (H L Mencken)

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar. org