# Coffee ?



## Dog (7 Apr 2004)

Can you use coffee as a stain and if you can how is it best applied ?

*This is a serious question btw*


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## Aragorn (7 Apr 2004)

I've heard this is done. I think I remember doing it once to darken a stain I was using - I just added half a teaspoon or so. Not sure about using it from scratch though.
Can I ask why you wanted to know?  
Is it just to avoid buying some stain? Or do you want to impart a lovely aromatic odour into your finish! :wink: 

A!


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## Dog (7 Apr 2004)

I was just wondering if it was possible to use it as a water based stain, raising the grain first of course, and if it was a reliable form of stain. Some cheap coffee is a lot cheaper than some coffee coloured stains too!


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## blurk99 (19 Apr 2004)

Not so daft really... SWMBO used it all over the lounge walls...apparently it's rag rolled over a yellow basecoat, but it just looks like a fag smoke stained pub ceiling to me.. but i know nothing.. :wink: 

jimmer


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## Dewy (29 May 2004)

You can use many things to stain light wood. Tea or coffee being 2. I tried both & find the tea works better than coffee. I prefer a weak solution of potassium permanganate (KMn04). It's best to wipe the wood with a damp sponge 1st so the stain is more even then apply with a sponge. Pot perm produces oxygen so you can build up a more natural look like old timbers.
It should be treated with respect because of it's high oxygen content which could result in fire if the crystals are not kept sealed in the bottle when not in use. I learned this from my grandfather who was an Edwardian cabinet maker.


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## Dog (29 May 2004)

Thanks for that. Could you use this method to 'antique' pine or there some other way to do this ?


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## Dewy (29 May 2004)

That's what I use to 'antique' pine. Use a VERY weak solution & build the colour up slowly. I put a few crystals in an old jam jar disolved in water. Pot perm only sits in the surface because it turns brown on contact with the wood. As it oxygenates on contact with organic matter, wear rubber gloves or your hands will be brown for weeks til it wears off.


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## Dog (29 May 2004)

Thanks for the advice


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