Q: I’ve recently tried to purchase wood stains for a project and have been unsuccessful finding commercial products that were previously available. I also have three concentrations of India ink washes, made with 70% denatured alcohol, but that limits the final color. I was considering diluting Minwax oil-based wood stain with mineral spirits to the desired concentration/intensity to create the effect I want. What do you think? – Dr. Tom Hiser
A: Thinning oil-based Minwax would probably work. However, since it is oil-based, the wood stain will have a longer dry time compared to many of the commercial and homemade washes designed for hobby applications.
I asked around here and Trains.com Director David Popp has used products similar to Minwax’s water-based interior stains. He said you should be able to dilute it with water or rubbing alcohol. David recommends experimenting on some scrap pieces of wood before going all in on a model.
If you go with a water-based product, make sure you stain both sides of the wood. This helps prevent the wood from warping. As a bit of extra insurance, I’d put a few heavy books on top of the wood while the stain is drying.
Good luck on your staining projects!
Send us your questions
Have a question about model trains, full-size trains, or toy trains? Send it to AskTrains@Trains.com.
