# Is is possible to tint watco brushing lacquer with minwax stain



## wouldi (May 11, 2008)

i am making a bed room set for my boss for commision and she wanted me to used minwax ebony stain because she said she wanted it "black" ... well i knew it was going to be a bad idea but i went ahead any way … i would have like to used an alcohol based dye/stain any way so im wiping this stuff off after almost letting it dry on the wood and i just feel like its 3 shads too light now i did straight line sand with 150 before staining so i knew that was going to make it a little lighter but i was wondering is it possible to tint watco lacquer with the stain so when i apply my first coat i can make it darker with a tint coat…... please i need some success stories of you lumber jocks out there to tell me that this is possible … i just dont know if it will mess with the chemical balance to much …. thank you for your help …. a lumber jock with a brush in his hand


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Hey Wouldi
I don't think I would use watco but you might do another coat or two of your alcohol dye to help make it blacker another trick to make your ebonizing blacker is to add indelible ink to your dye the kind you can get in a art supply or stationary store


----------



## Jayjaylove (Jun 29, 2008)

Good luck finding an art or stationary store in the land of sanscreativity….

I'm gonna try to get up to Utrecht (today?) for some canvas & brushes if you want me to pick something up, I could then overnight it to you.

Um, I hope you figure it out dear, I know you've been working hard.

Don't give up!


----------



## KentS (May 27, 2009)

If I' m not mistaken, Minwax is an oil based stain. It will not mix with lacquer. I have mixed Dye stain with lacquer with good results, but I was spraying the finish. I'm not sure about using bruhing lacquer. if you haven't put any finish on yet, you can darken it now. Mixing color in the finish presents a problem with chipping later too. if possible, coloring the raw wood is a better option. 
I frequently shade finishes darker using dye or lacquer stain thinned with lacquer thinner. (Can be done before any clear finish is applied) Do you have spray equipment? If not some of this is irrelavant

Probably way too much information, but maybe it will help someone.


----------



## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

I think TransTint would do it… check it out…

will mix with almost everything…


----------



## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Hi Wouldi's.
I would definitey not tint the finish. I would put on a few more coats of the ebony oil base stain and leave it sit longer before wiping each time. I had one project where I had to match another part of the table and I had to let the oil stain set until it was almost dry to get the dark red I needed so it would match. I use Zar stain almost exclusively and it does darken with successive coats. Let each coat dry overnight. Stick with it to get the color before topcoating.


----------



## jimc (Mar 6, 2008)

I have read that the best way to achieve black is with india ink. Don't have a clue where you would obtain this but you might try an internet search to see if there were any places close by.

Jim


----------



## Gregn (Mar 26, 2010)

I have used India Ink on projects before like name tags and signs. It made white pine look black where I used it. It also takes a oil based finish as well as lacquer.
If you were using walnut I have heard that tea and steel wool will turn walnut black. You need to let the steel wool rust in the tea for a couple of days for it to work.


----------



## huff (May 28, 2009)

wouldi, whatever you do, don't mix your minwax stain with your lacquer. You will have a nightmare. Kent is right, it will not mix with the lacquer. What wood are you trying to stain? Minwax ebony stain usually penetrates pretty well, but you may have to apply more than one application. You may want to expeirment with a sample board and see what happens when you apply the lacquer. I have used stains before, that when dry, I swore it was going to be light, but when I applied the finish it was actually darker than I thought. Also, since that is what the customer requested, you may want to take the sample board to them to show how it looks. Good luck.


----------



## canadianchips (Mar 12, 2010)

I have used Black Walnut Watco oil, to get the darker color you are talking about I added 1/2 pint black enamel tremclad paint. They are both oil based. Its all about "Pigments" 
Back in the 80's when Hunter Green was the decorator choice up here, I used same formula to do Oak Kitchen cabinets in my house at the lake. I used Watco natural as the base and added tremclad GREEN to it.
Yes, the cabinets were stained light shade of green, quite interesting look for the times..And if that didn't make you go EWWW, the counter tops for those cabinest were made from solid 3/4 oak tongue and groove flooring. Stained with the Black Walnut - Black paint mixture. Covered that top with few coats of Black Bison furniture paste wax. The bathroom cabinets were done in cedar, kept the cedar color, the top on the vanity was Purple Heart wood,. This was my own hime that I took chances using these finishes. YES I would do it again. (Okay the Hunter green is not in style anymore,)


----------

