Staining warm wood?

[OkKeith]

I am experimenting with pre-staining some wood for risers, limb tips and such. I have soaked small pieces of the material in the stain over night to get it in deep.

What is the thought about warming either the wood, the stain or both to get better penetration?

Thanks for the help.

OkKeith

[John Malone]

Its been along time but I'm familiar with that process. Basically the wood will expand the warmer it gets therefore it can absorb more stain, in theory. warm stain will also penetrate better, in theory. Try warming the wood real well along with the stain then soak it over night and see how much more stain it will absorb. Id use scraps to play with. The diferance may not be worth the effort to you. I know cabinet guys who will not stain wood in an unheted area because they say it doesnt take the stain as well.
There are many dyes out there aswell.

[OkKeith]

Thanks John!

I didn't think about dyes. I have some anilines around here somewhere, alcohol based I think.

Thanks for the light bulb moment.

OkKeith

[John Malone]

Lots of people like the dyes, they give much better color on certain woods. I don't use them very often so cant give much advice. But the guys I know that do use them know what their talking about so.

[Roy from Pa]

Go for it, Keith. Interested in the results. All I use is aniline with alcohol base.

[OkKeith]

Thanks for the advice guys...

You say that Roy, but your not the one that has to clean up the mess if I blow the garage up trying to heat up stains and dyes!  

I am gonna try it though... just sayin'

OkKeith

[Roy from Pa]

LOL, do it outside..  

[smag]

Alcohol based dyes work best on hard woods. Color stays rest evaporates off.

[John Malone]

Warm the stain don't HEAT it. LOL I know for a fact that alcohol based stuff will do bad things to a shop at the right temps. Don't ask me how I know that.

[Roy from Pa]

How you know that, Johnny?  

[Crooked Stic]

[John Malone]

Its flammable, that's all I'm saying. What happens in the shop stays in the shop, as long as you have a fire extinguisher handy.

[OkKeith]

John-

Has the color wore off of you yet?

That's all I need is to be explosively dyed forest green!

OkKeith

[John Malone]

Oh it wont explode, but its flammable. As long as its a good room temp its fine.
Once i was working in the shop during the winter and i had a bucket full of stain rags that were alittle to close to kerosene heater, it wasnt pretty.