Varathane 381119 Water Based Wood Stain, Quart, Dark Walnut

I used Varathane 381119 Water Based Wood Stain on a table I built, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. It went on smoothly, dried fast, and had very little odor, which made it easy to use indoors. The color came out even and clean, and it really brought out the grain in the wood. Overall, it was simple to work with and gave my table a solid, professional-looking finish.

Works great and great prices too. Cheaper than priced at the hardware stores. Love that it comes in the small can, so it can be easily used on smaller projects. Highly recommend! Dries almost clear. Has a small tint but much better than other products and water based, so very easy to clean up and won't yellow over time.

This goes on quickly and dries quickly so as to be able to proceed with stain. The conditioner greatly improves the overal smooth appearance of your stain when finished. Also gives you more time to work and slows stain absorption, to keep from getting over-dark.

I've never used a water-based stain before, so this was a new experience and not without lessons learned. I needed something that would hold up to a clear epoxy finish, and this one works. The stain is darker than I had imagined and I used it on Acacia, a hardwood with a fairly narrow wood grain. I can't imagine how dark this would be on a softwood, but it would have to be borderline black. It's also kind of a dustier looking finish than what I'd thought, though that will certainly change when I put the clear epoxy over the top. Overall, this is a good value for the money and I did two bathroom countertops plus a small shelf and still didn't go through more than 1/4th of a quart. It dried quickly and has a good quality in my opinion, with no stain coming off on my hand or a cloth after it dried. That was something I was concerned with using a water based stain. Completely dry in 24 hours, though I could have put additional stain on in under an hour with boards left outside in the sun. Lessons learned: * Work fast - there isn't much time to even out coloring as it starts to dry quickly * Have all your brushes and tools very handy and get the residual spread fast and wiped down or you'll end up with blotches * If working with a large area, have an extra set of hands. One to apply, the other to rub it in and remove it. * Apply lightly as it tends to be darker faster than anticipated. You can always go back and apply more later.

This stuff really makes a difference in results. When I don't use it, the stain it's a completely different color and further away from the desired results and color that is depicted on the packaging of the stain. When I don't use this first, the stain came out much darker and patchy. I definitely recommend going the extra mile and using this on your sanded wood first BEFORE applying your stain. It makes a WORLD of difference. In my photo, the left is without using the prestain and the right is with using it. Take the extra time, do the extra work, it is worth it. Don't be like me and try to skip it because you are tired lol now I have to resand that section of floor and redo it all. SIGH.

Good product!

Easy to use product.

This is NOT white oak , it’s just white. Very different from description- just plain white