Woodworkers love the look of wood in its natural state: the colors, the grain, the figure. On the projects that we build, a lot of time is spent selecting and arranging boards for the best visual effect. Our finishing regimen reflects that passion. Yet there are times when a hit of color would be welcome.
Too often, commercial furniture uses stains, toners, and glazes to unify the color in different pieces of wood. More often than not, the result is muddy, obscured grain.
Let’s look at three better approaches to add color. They offer options to customize a project while allowing the grain to show through to various degrees.
In the examples on these pages, I’m showing projects made with pine. I have a soft spot for softwoods. The different pine species have a reputation for being troublemakers when it comes to applying stain. Blotching caused by uneven grain density and absorption is the biggest culprit. However, the techniques and products that I’ll share here work just as well with more mild-mannered hardwoods.
DYE
 |
| Pre-mixed water-based dyes offer a wide range of wood tones as well as bold colors. The transparent finish allows the grain to shine through. |
Coming from Wisconsin, I do love the look of eastern white pine. Over time, the color of the wood mellows from pale white to a warm, tannish brown. Depending on the tree, the wood can have dramatic grain and variations in color, with sap and mineral streaks. It’s just lovely.
Sometimes I want the grain and the variations, plus color. The solution is a dye. The pigments in dyes are much smaller than in stain. Blotching is less of a concern. The transparent color allows the full grain pattern to show through. Since I don’t use it often, I like the pre-mixed water-based dyes, as shown at left.
WIDE RANGE OF COLOR.
Mention dye (or stain for that matter) and most woodworkers think of think of wood-tone colors. You know something in the brown/red family. However, dyes come in a full rainbow of hues.
I made a tool chest from white pine. I found a blue dye that gives the wood a worn denim color. Even better, the colors in the pine play with the blue dye creating interesting variations. You can see the effect in the photo below.
APPLICATION IS EASY.
Dyes and stains are very different from each other. So it makes sense that the application technique varies, too. Water-based dye feels like brushing Kool-Aid on your project.
 |
| Work quickly to apply water-based dye with a foam brush. Keep the brush soaked in order to avoid dry lap marks. |
Applying the dye takes a foam brush. Work in small sections, as shown in the upper right photo. Brush on a wet coat, working quickly to avoid lap marks. A good soaking keeps the color consistent across the surface. If you see places that look pale, you can brush over it again to wet the wood with the dye.
On horizontal surfaces, I blot off any standing puddles. An old T-shirt or even disposable shop towels work well here.
Allow the dye to fully dry. I give it a day. The water tends to raise the grain of the wood. I buff the surface with 400-grit sandpaper, then apply a protective top coat. As much as I like water-based finishes, this isn’t the place for them. The water can pull up the dye and dilute the color. A spray finish is ideal.
 |
| The small particles of dye allow the color of the wood to blend with the dye for cool effects. |
SHELLAC
 |
| Premixed shellac is convenient. However, thin it with denatured alcohol to get smooth results. |
As I said, pine ages to a tawny brown with time, sunshine, and use. It’s possible to fast-forward the effect or even steer it toward a specific tone. This is helpful if you need to blend differently col-ored boards into a unified whole. The secret is shellac.
This historic material is usually thought of as a finish. However, it works just as well as a method to add color.
PICK A COLOR.
Due to its long use, it’s possible to go deep down the shellac rabbit hole. Instead, I recommend staying with pre-mixed, easy-to-find cans of shellac. Zinsser makes several varieties of shellac. SealCoat has the least color. When applied, it adds a light straw tone to wood.
Confusingly, the next one up the line is the “clear.” The color is deeper and more concentrated than SealCoat. The “amber” color gives light-colored wood like pine a rich “pumpkin” color.
 |
| A test board is always a good idea. Not only does it let you compare colors, but you can also dial in your brushing or rolling technique. Thin coats brushed in well provide an even color while still letting the grain show up in the final result. |
THIN IT FIRST.
Even though the shellac comes premixed, don’t use it straight from the can. It’s too syrupy to apply in smooth coats. Instead I like to thin it.
For the SealCoat, I mix it one-to-one with denatured alcohol. For the clear and amber colors, I find that two parts denatured alcohol to one part shellac gives me the right consistency for streak-free application.
On large surfaces, I like to use a natural-bristle brush. For small projects, a tightly formed ball of cotton cloth works well.
The shellac dries fast. The first coat is ready for a second coat in under 30 minutes. I apply at least two coats to get a uniform color across the project. Once the shellac is completely dry (I give it a couple hours, at least), then you can apply the topcoat of your choice.
PAINT
Perhaps it goes without saying that a quick and easy way to add color to pine (or any wood) is to simply paint it. That’s what we did on the Nordic wall shelf on page 36. The shelf was made with southern yellow pine. This has a distinct grain pattern. We wanted that to show through even after the paint was applied.
 |
| Thin coats of texture of the grain to show. This enhances the look of the project, emphasizing that it’s made from real wood. |
To do that, we thinned the paint with some water. For application, a small foam roller works best on large, flat surfaces. A small brush is needed to cut along the corners. In the cutouts, a flat artist’s brush works well. Thinned paint applied in light coats yields a look where you can see the grain through as a subtle texture. Just be warned that the first coat may not look the best. There will be uneven areas and perhaps some lap marks. The second coat usually does the trick.
