Anybody use Morrells LightFast Stain before?

[Prizen]

Hi All
I have a project where I need to use Morrells stain (Lightfast). Has anyone used it before? Any tips on how to apply it?

Thanks
P

 

[Richard C-D]

I've used for over 25 years and found it to be a good product but with a few limits. I usually brush it on and then wipe it over within a couple of minutes to remove excess. It needs to be left for at least 2 or 3 hours before applying a finish but overnight better. Sometimes as it dries on mahogany or walnut small dots of stain bleed out of the pores, then just wipe over with a cloth damped with their thinners or meths. It doesn't work well on some woods such as pine , cherry and beech as it can leave areas of blotchy dark colour. This can be remedied by a pre stain wash of thinned animal glue. The stain can be added to Morrells spray lacquers to produce an even colour on some woods but I avoid this as it looks like cheap mass produced furniture. I don't use it as much now as the current look is for lighter woods.

 

[kinverkid]

I don't have as much experience with is as Richard above but I have used it and glad to say after reading how he used it that I used it correctly. My most recent use for it was to 'mahoganyfy' a Murphy bar which is hung on an outside wall of a friends house. I made it from reclaimed Sapele and I'm very pleased with its ease of use and the resulting colour.

 

[Prizen]

Thanks gents, did you find you needed two coats? I have tried it just now on some mdf veneered ash and it didn't seem to go as far as I would have thought. After first coat I can still see the white of the ash in the deeper grains.

 

[Richard C-D]

A second coat won't make a lot of difference but it's worth a try. Morrells thixotropic grain filler would fill the white grain but starts to make the wood look muddy. I like to use van dyke crystals as a stain but on veneered MDF needs to be used with care as it's water based.

 

[XTiffy]

One point I wouldmake is that these "oil" based stains are fugitive in that they do fade. Water stains such as VanDyke mentioned are much more colour fast. I tended to use these oil stains more as a tint in a lacquer, rather than a direct stain. When restoring antiques I always used water stains.

 

[ps.harris80]

What the difference between a wood stain and a wood dye.

I normally use the old Rustin's spirit based dye but was thinking of giving Morrells stain a go as it's half the price of Rustin's but was wondering what the difference was between them, given that both are spirit based, is there a difference between a stain and a dye or is it as simple as a stain sits on the wood surface and a dye seeps into the wood.

Thanks for any help clearing up my confusion.

 

[XTiffy]

I think here there is confusion with terminology. I imagine you are refering to the same thing ie Rustins and Morrells "oil stains". Morrells are a polishing supply company and as such will supply both oil and water stains ( water stains usually in a powder form but also available ready mixed), a third type are spirit stains, soluble with meths or shellac, again usually in powder form.

The modern useage of the term "wood stains" are stains and finish in one, typically used for external timber, Sadolin etc.

 

[Prizen]

I am having issues with applying the stain, in some areas the stain doesn't take and I can see the original wood colour come through. Any thoughts on how to rectify this? Unfortunately I have already applied lacquer too