Stains and Varnish

• Stain is a solution of dye or suspension of pigment in a vehicle, applied to penetrate and color a wood surface without obscuring the grain.
• Water Stain - a penetrating stain made by dissolving a powder form dye dissolve in hot water as a vehicle
• Spirit Stain - A penetrating stain made by dissolving dye in an alcohol or spirit vehicle.
• Pigmented Stain – Also called opaque stain; an oil stain containing pigments capable of obscuring the grain and texture of a wood surface. Applied by wiping
• Oil Stain – Made by dissolving dye or suspending pigment in a drying oil or oil varnish vehicle.
• Varnish is a liquid preparation of a resin dissolved in oil or in alcohol that when spread and allowed to dry forms a hard, lustrous and transparent coating.
• Alkyd varnish – is the standard all-purpose interior variety with decent protective qualities
• Spar varnish or marine varnish – it is a durable, weather-resistant varnish made from durable resins and linseed or tung oil
• Polyurethane varnish – varnish of exceptionally hard, abrasion and chemical-resistant varnish made from plastic resin
• Lacquer varnish – refers to any of various clear or colored synthetic coatings of nitrocellulose or other cellulose derivative dissolved in a solvent that dries by evaporation to form a high gloss film;
• Shellac varnish – spirit varnish made by dissolving purified lac flakes in denatured alcohol