[catlike]

I've been trying to find examples of this, but no luck.

I want to stain the wood a not-so-woody color, such as a deep gray. I've looked at water-based stains such as Saman and I would be using Waterlox. The surface, however, would not be a cutting surface. Has anyone seen any photos of wood countertops stained in an "unnatural" color, so to speak?

[TribalDancer]

This is my favorite thread on it:
How I Stained My Butcherblock Countertop

Hint in case you didn't know: you can do a search for "Waterlox" or "stain counter" and look through the threads, and then look at the bottom for "similar threads" and you will find a bunch of discussions and links.

[catlike]

I've read those threads and some other ones. They've been very helpful in detailing the procedure and showing just how beautiful the countertops turn out.

What I was hoping to find, however, was something showing a non-traditional color. I'm trying to convince my husband that I'm not crazy and it could look very attractive and unique. Searching here and the rest of the internet for terms like "stained countertop" comes up with a bunch of unintentional staining threads as well as intentional staining techniques, but I'm still looking.

My best argument so far with the husband is that the cost is negligible compared to other things we've looked at. If we decide we don't like it, we can always rip it out and drop $1600 on Caesarstone, if necessary.

[TribalDancer]

Can you elaborate on "non traditional color"? Do you mean, like, blue or green? Or do you mean darker or lighter? SOunds interesting...

[catlike]

I'm thinking of a deep gray to black with maybe some blue tones in it. (I don't think I could convince my husband to do anything too blue).

Some of these Saman colors were intriguing:

https://ssl.sogetel.net/aquashine/bo...couleurs1.html

I've started looking through professional wood countertop installation galleries. Maybe there will be something there.

[woodswell]

I am not sure you can use a water base stain with Waterlox. Waterlox is a penetrating oil based finish and it may not penetrate properly with a waterbased stain on the wood.

The staining I have done with Waterlox has been with oil based stains based on their recommendation:

Staining: If desired, stain can be added to your first coat of Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish. You can add up to 1 quart of oil-based stain to 1 gallon of Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish (4:1 ratio). We recommend you use an old-fashioned oil-based stain (without additives such as urethane). Test the stain mixture as well as the subsequent coats of Waterlox Original Finishes before applying to the entire surface. This will save you a step and will stain the wood more evenly, especially with pine and maple.
waterlox, tung oil, tung oil finish, waterlox tung oil, floor finishing, floor refinishing, tongue oil varnish, polyurethane, floor finish, wood floor finishing, wood floor refinishing, wood floor varnish, wood sealer, wood floor, hardwood floor, VOC

You might want to check out Sherwin-Williams Wood Classics oil based stain. It comes in a nice selection of colors (unfortunately no color chart online) AND best of all, you can have it tinted to your choice of color. I did find Sherwin-Williams to have more solids and to be slightly more opaque and less penetrating than the Minwax stains. That could be an advantage when you are trying to get a non-traditional color since it will mask the original wood color more.

[catlike]

Ah, thanks for pointing that out. Their site says any kind of stain, but it makes sense that an oil-based one would work better. The Sherwin-Williams line looks like a great product, but I was hoping to find a lower-VOC stain. Unfortunately, those are typically water-based.

I have been reading about aniline dyes, as well. There is a woodworking supply shop near me that I will check out. I may be able to get more opinions there, too.

[Harpy]

catlike, I think Constantines has a store in Atlanta. If they do, they are definitely one place to talk to. Very knowledgeable staff.

Hardwood trim, woodworking hand tools, and more - Constantines.com

[dalbrough]

Originally Posted by catlike

I want to stain the wood a not-so-woody color, such as a deep gray. I've looked at water-based stains such as Saman and I would be using Waterlox. The surface, however, would not be a cutting surface. Has anyone seen any photos of wood countertops stained in an "unnatural" color, so to speak?

Hi,

Just a quick thought - if you want a blue / gray counter why not choose another counter-top material other than the butcher block.

Just curious and not meant to offend - just wondering?

[catlike]

Well, we originally were considering a dark gray honed Caesarstone. However, my husband saw a photo of an Ikea butcher block top that was treated with Waterlox, and he really liked the warmth of the wood and was surprised at the low cost. While I did, too, I didn't necessarily want a wood-colored countertop, so I thought staining it might be a good compromise and would be something unique (and, well, I was liking the idea of cutting the budget significantly). So if this is a no-go or we decide we don't like it, we're back to the Caesarstone.