Why stain good wood?

[Jeff]

Just a hypothetical question for all of you folks. I'm a big fan of not staining wood, preferring to let the natural appearance of the color/grain/figure be the showcase, but sometimes you want to stain it in order to accent those characteristics.

Here's an example. A piece of fir from a local building supplier. Without stain it looks pretty good, but not real exciting. This has a gel stain on it and it kinda looks like a zebra.

I'm just curious about what you like/prefer to do and why. :dontknow:

Ultimately it's up to the designer and the appearance that you're shooting for. :eusa_clap

 

[Berta]

Actually you have answered your own question. It depends on the look I am going for as to if I stain, leave natural or even add paint. (I only paint things like Popular, don't panic)

 

[CarvedTones]

Well, us artsy crafty types use it for contrast:

Berta,

I avoid paint, even on poplar. In fact when I carved the shield below for one of my kids, my plan was just an oil finish. "But daddy, I want to paint it!" - I swallowed hard, got her a brush and watched her gob on the paint. That lion has the swirling fur patterns and individual teeth and...

 

[dsotmoon]

Actually you have answered your own question. It depends on the look I am going for as to if I stain, leave natural or even add paint. (I only paint things like Popular, don't panic)

agreed, it's all personal preference, some woods like cherry, mahogany and walnut I like to leave natural most of the time, even most exotics, but maple, red oak, ash, pine, most lighter woods I do some kind of stain, usually light, unless it is figured of some sort

if its a paying customer, i will paint cherry black if they want it, and a lot of them want it :dontknow:

 

[westisthebest]

Most of my work is for other people and lately most things are being painted. Given they are cabinets, little bit of furniture, but they are being painted rather than stained or left natural.

 

[merrill77]

if its a paying customer, i will paint cherry black if they want it, and a lot of them want it :dontknow:

And if you try to talk them out of it: "No, no, I said I want it made out of BLACK cherry!"

 

[Rob]

I stain wood because the wife want's it stained. I'll leave it natural if I can, but if I'm building something for the wife, it's what ever she wants.

 

[ZachEakes]

I like red and heavy amber on mahogany and sapele... Sort of makes it look like a sweetania mahogany for $4.50 a foot.

Did some goofing around earlier this week, flow coating epoxy on a sample with 12% red gel coat dye. Looks like a alien dropped it off from the red planet...

Grin.

Zach