How to Stain With Acrylic Paints
Staining wood with acrylic paints---or "pickling"---is just as hard as staining wood with oils, gels or dyes. It uses pigment as opposed to the aforementioned methods. While the stain does not seep into the grain of the wood as easily, using acrylic paint opens up the options for coloring your unfinished wood. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Cloths
- Sandpaper (80-grit, 120-grit, 180-grit)
- Pre-stain wood conditioner
- Synthetic brushes
- Acrylic paint (color of choice)
- Water
- Paint bucket
- Scrap wood of the same type you are staining
- Sandpaper 400-grit wet/dry
- Clear finish
Instructions
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How to Stain Wood With Acrylics
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1
Dust the wood with a cloth to remove debris. Sand the wood along its grain (the fibers that stretch the length of the wood). Begin sanding with 80-grit, then 120-grit, then 180-grit; this should leave the suface smooth to the touch. Dust the wood again to remove any dust from the sanding process.
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2
Apply the pre-stain conditioner to the wood with your brush evenly to avoid staining unevenly.
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3
Fill the paint bucket with the acrylic paint. It is best to overestimate how much you need than underestimate. The recommended measurement for paint per square foot is that one gallon of paint will cover 350 square feet. So, if you have an estimated 175 square feet to cover, the recommended maximum amount of acrylic paint you should use is a quarter gallon. This is said because you will use a 1:1 mixture of acrylic paint to water. So if you have an estimated 175 square feet to cover you will fill the paint bucket with a quarter gallon of water and a quarter gallon of acrylic paint for a total of a half gallon. It must be stressed though, that this example is the maximum amount of acrylic to water ratio that can be used. You may also use more water with less paint as long as the total amount of liquid meets the paint to square foot requirement. This leaves the overall intensity of the staining up to you.
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4
Apply the homemade acrylic stain to the wood surface. Work in small areas and avoid blotching the stain as much as possible until the entire surface is covered. Take time with this, even the most experienced craftsman sweats this part of staining.
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5
Sand the stained wood with 400-grit wet/dry sandpaper; it is important to mention that this is more of a wiping motion than a sanding motion. This is to remove any dust caught under the staining or any other rough surfaces in the wood. Wipe the surface with a damp cloth to remove the residue. Wait for the surface to dry.
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6
Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until you have a satisfactory color intensity. Do not sand the last coat.
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7
Apply a top coat of clear finish to the surface with your brush. When your top coat is near dry, hold your dry and cleaned brush at a 45-degree angle and run the bristles gently over the length of your project.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Practice your staining technique on a scrap piece of wood before working on the actual wood.
Always stain wood in a ventilated area. Research the type of wood you are staining and how it reacts to staining techniques. Read all the warnings on every chemical you use.
