Coloured stains for wood?

[Calv]

I'm after a stain for wood, whether it be just a stain that i can put a clear varnish over the top or a coloured varnish, but i'm looking for the typical kiddy's colours like pinks, purples, blues......brighter ones if possible. I would love to be able to colour the wood whilst still allowing the grain to show through.....is this possible?

Calv.

 

[DaveL]

Calv,

The chap you need is Terry, he works for Chestnut, I think he may be off to a show. But I am sure Chestnut do what you are after.

 

[Philly]

Yeah, Spirit stains-they do a tester pack of about 12 for a tenner. You can stain the wood direct or add them to varnish as a tint.
Terry's the man!
Philly

 

[Terry Smart]

Blimey, all these nice things being said about us!

Thanks guys, yes, we supply a range of Spirit Stains; there are 21 colours in the range, 12 Wood Colours and 9 Rainbow Colours Plus, a collective term we use for Reds, Blues, Green etc. These are very vibrant colours and as Philly says they can be used to tint Melamine Lacquer or most varnishes if required. They are also intermixable and we even produce a White stain which can be used to make the brighter colours into a pastel.
They are available as a pack of 9 bottles containing about 25ml of each colour in the range; they can also be purchased individually in larger bottles.
The pack of 12 mentioned is the Wood colours.
Both sell at around £10 (per set).

The stains will accept most finishes over the top, although Cellulose and Meths based ones will require more care in application as the solvent can lift the stain. In itself this is not a problem as it will dry back okay, it's using a brush or cloth to apply the finish because this will drag the colour around! It can be overcome with careful application and a bit of practice. Oils, waxes and Acrylic finishes should present no problem at all.