Custom Stain mixes -- my favorite recipe for most woods - Cigar Box Nation2024-03-29T14:30:43Zhttps://www.cigarboxnation.com/forum/topics/custom-stain-mixes-my-favorite-recipe-for-most-woods?feed=yes&xn_auth=noThanks much! It's appreciated…tag:www.cigarboxnation.com,2018-02-24:2592684:Comment:30596412018-02-24T02:31:22.406ZWard Shrakehttps://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/WardShrake
<p>Thanks much! It's appreciated!</p>
<p>Since that initial info seems to have "gone over okay," here's some more. I had written it all at one time -- but I looked at the length, and decided to just post the main bits, for that first day's post. There's still more notes-to-self that I wrote down ... even after this "Next Installment," which is more or less a random collection of tips; and some notes on how I personally "do things".</p>
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<p>I use a graduated (carefully marked)…</p>
<p>Thanks much! It's appreciated!</p>
<p>Since that initial info seems to have "gone over okay," here's some more. I had written it all at one time -- but I looked at the length, and decided to just post the main bits, for that first day's post. There's still more notes-to-self that I wrote down ... even after this "Next Installment," which is more or less a random collection of tips; and some notes on how I personally "do things".</p>
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<p>I use a graduated (carefully marked) measuring glass, to get my percentages right.</p>
<p>To get the liquids out of their cans, with minimal fuss, spillage and general mess, I tried a lot of things. What works well for me is that I took a metal cup (that was originally made for measuring coffee grounds), and I bent the handle up, so it's like a small ladle. That cup stays with my stains - I won't use it for anything related to foods, any more.</p>
<p>I tend to buy all three of the stains in 32-ounce containers: not the smaller sizes of cans. I do that partially because time has told me it stores very well (for years) as long as you're reasonable with storage conditions (not letting paints or stains freeze, etc.) and cleaning the rims of the lids is something you do: so that the can's tops can/will still seal well.</p>
<p>Because it lasts so long, and I use it a lot, I tend to keep my emptied-out cans. I re-label empties as I go. (I do that using green-colored "tough job" or "difficult surface" type of masking tape, which my local building supply place carries. I write on the tape with a Sharpie marker, and because the background of the tape is pretty light in color, it's visible. In fact, so is most of the can behind it; so you may want to use multiple tape layers, for opacity. After I have a new label made, I try to remember to "armor" that new label, right away - before it gets covered in messy fluids -- by covering the new label, all the way around the can, with clear packaging tape. That process helps to make sure the labels are still, on the cans, still in one piece, and still read-able, years down the road.)</p>
<p>Over the years I've learned that some cans don't end up back where they belong, after a job gets done - and it's helpful to have a label saying "Really Is" on any can that really contains what the factory's label says it contains. Trust me - that simple trick has avoided all sorts of confusion, whenever I get my shop areas organized, and wonder what's what.</p>
<p>When I'm mixing up new batches of this stuff, I use 20 ounces of Golden Pecan #245 and to that I add 2.5 ounces of Gunstock #231, and I also add 2.5 ounces of Red Oak #215. That gives me 20.0 plus 2.5 plus 2.5 ounces of material, or 25 ounces total. So in other words, I have a lot of left-overs … hence keeping any empty cans, and re-labeling them. I tend to also mark the cans that are still what the factory put in them, and stick "really is" labels on them - just so I don't get mixed up, later on, and forget what's in what can.</p>
<p>Sometimes, when I have enough left-over cans to allow it, I'll make a 50/50 mix of the two darker stains, so that I can just add 5.0 ounces of that, to the 20 ounces of the base.</p>
<p>Sometimes I'll also make a "half-strength mix" - (usually using smaller quantities: such as some of the amount left over, from the 32 ounces of Golden Pecan that I started with) - with that formula being 90% Golden Pecan, to which I add 10% (total) of that 50/50 blend of Gunstock (5%) and Red Oak (5%). For touch-up work, or on woods you aren't yet sure of, it's a nifty thing to have around - but for most uses, the other mix is fine.</p>
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<p></p> Good info! tag:www.cigarboxnation.com,2018-02-24:2592684:Comment:30594642018-02-24T01:43:28.883ZJBhttps://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/JB247
<p>Good info! </p>
<p>Good info! </p> The pic looks nice.
Staining…tag:www.cigarboxnation.com,2018-02-23:2592684:Comment:30591372018-02-23T07:46:32.842ZPaul Craighttps://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/PaulCraig
<p>The pic looks nice.</p>
<p>Staining and final finish can be intimidating to those without experience with the process.</p>
<p>One thing to remember is that different types of wood will have different results. Harder woods will take more stain to achieve a certain shade than a soft wood. So it's good to start off with a light application first to see how everything will turn out, then add what's needed to even out the final color.</p>
<p>Final finish choices can be Polyurethane, Linseed Oil,…</p>
<p>The pic looks nice.</p>
<p>Staining and final finish can be intimidating to those without experience with the process.</p>
<p>One thing to remember is that different types of wood will have different results. Harder woods will take more stain to achieve a certain shade than a soft wood. So it's good to start off with a light application first to see how everything will turn out, then add what's needed to even out the final color.</p>
<p>Final finish choices can be Polyurethane, Linseed Oil, Tung Oil and Tru-Oil. Some final finishes may add some tinting while others are just clear.</p>
<p>It's always good to test out on a piece of similar scrap.</p> Being a newbie over here, I'm…tag:www.cigarboxnation.com,2018-02-23:2592684:Comment:30590432018-02-23T03:54:06.159ZWard Shrakehttps://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/WardShrake
<p>Being a newbie over here, I'm still learning this system's details ... but hopefully, a photo gets added below (see the attachment) so that you folks can see for yourselves what that custom stain mix can look like. I stained one of C.B. Gitty's "you assemble it" laser-cut boxes a few days ago, so I'll use that as my example.</p>
<p>What's seen here is just one quick (brush it on, even it out, let it sit for maybe ten minutes, then wipe off any excess with a clean paper towel) coat of the…</p>
<p>Being a newbie over here, I'm still learning this system's details ... but hopefully, a photo gets added below (see the attachment) so that you folks can see for yourselves what that custom stain mix can look like. I stained one of C.B. Gitty's "you assemble it" laser-cut boxes a few days ago, so I'll use that as my example.</p>
<p>What's seen here is just one quick (brush it on, even it out, let it sit for maybe ten minutes, then wipe off any excess with a clean paper towel) coat of the stain mix I talked about, above. Here those stained pieces are, with some actual tobacco-industry boxes in the picture, for comparison purposes. One coat is (to my eyes) a hair or two darker, overall, than the Oliva-branded boxes, while being just a bit lighter than the Cohiba-branded boxes. But as you can see, overall, it's "in the ballpark" (in terms of relative darkness or lightness) in both cases. And as stains go, it's very simple to go from bare laser-cut plywood pieces, to something close to "normal" as seen on some common all-wood types of industry-standard boxes.</p>
<p>One coat of unmodified "Golden Pecan," on top of what's shown here, would bring the Gitty-supplied box pieces that much closer to the warmer and more amber look of the Cohiba box.</p>