Is control (of stain color) an issue with you? Have you ever experienced "stain applicator's remorse"? After applying a stain, have you ever been so unhappy with the color you just wanted to remove it all and start over? Glazing may be just the technique you are looking for.
Glazing is a highly controllable way of adding color to wood. It uses the same basic materials as stain, but in a slightly different way. Instead of putting stain into the wood, you float it in a thin layer between coats of finish. Glaze adds color, but still allows the lighter wood below to show through, giving depth to your finish. The ability to manipulate the color so completely allows you to gain almost total control over the coloring process.
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| The door on the right will look like the one to the left after it is glazed. |
Glazing vs. Staining
Stain is any colored liquid that you apply to raw wood. There's a lot to be said for staining wood. It brings out grain patterns while darkening and changing the wood's color. But stain also can cause problems. Raw wood absorbs stain, so to some degree, the wood controls how much color gets taken in, and where it lodges. That can result in uneven or splotchy coloration and, in most cases, it is very difficult to reverse the stain and start over. Not so with glazing.
Glazing means spreading stain on sealed or finished wood. The stain sits on top of the finish rather than being absorbed into the wood fibers. This allows you to manipulate or wipe off the stain selectively or completely, giving you control over where, and how much, color is added. You can glaze over a newly sealed piece of wood, or over an old existing finish, like kitchen cabinets or furniture, to change colors without going through the rigors of paint removal.
The Materials
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From left to right: An off-the-shelf liquid stain atop a can of gel stain; a jug of ready-to-use glaze; the ingredients for making your own oil-based glaze from scratch; a jug of commercial glaze base, designed to be mixed with the latex paint beside it.
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When it comes to the glaze itself, you have many choices. You can use regular oil-based wood stains, buy ready-to-use glazes, mix your own oil-based mixtures from scratch, modify oil-based paint, or use a combination of latex paint and commercial glaze base to make a waterbased glaze.
The simplest method is to buy off-the-shelf glaze. It is formulated to dry slowly in order to give you time to blend it evenly on the surface. I was able to find pre-mixed waterbased glazes at most of the major home improvement stores, but there were very few colors available. Just across the aisle, stacks of familiar gel and liquid oil-based wood stains offered a huge range of color options, and they'll also work nicely as glazes, provided they don't dry too fast.
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| The left half of this door is raw wood while the right side is sealed. Stain has been applied to both sides, but wipes cleanly off the sealed side while permanently coloring the raw wood. |
If you're feeling more adventurous, want a custom color, or to control the speed at which the glaze sets, consider mixing from scratch. Start with Japan colors, artist's oil colors, universal tinting colors, oil-based enamel paint, or any mix of the four. They are all compatible with one another, and all thin with the same solvents. Add some mineral spirits or naphtha to thin the colorant to working consistency. Naphtha evaporates a bit faster, while mineral spirits (also called paint thinner) gives you a slightly slower glaze. To add lubricity or extend the working time, add a small amount of boiled linseed oil, but don't overdo it. Start with just a teaspoon or two, and add more only if the glaze is drying too fast.
Along with the premixed glazes you'll find glaze base. This is a whitish clear liquid designed to be mixed with equal parts of latex paint to make a custom colored glaze. Since stores will mix paint in every color of the rainbow, you can easily make up the glaze of your dreams.
Working the Glaze
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| 1. Apply a liberal amount of glaze to make sure you get it in all the recesses, then wipe off some of the excess. Don't worry about the puddles in the corners — you'll take care of that during the next step. |
It goes without saying that you should practice all new finishing techniques, including glazing, on scrap wood first. Glazing can be a lot of fun and very rewarding, but it does take some skill.
Start with wood that has been sanded, just as you would for staining. Apply at least one good coat of whatever finish you choose, making sure the wood is sealed. You can glaze over any type of coating as long as it is dry. A smoother, thicker finish will let the glaze move around more easily, whereas a thinner one will allow some glaze to collect in the pores, resulting in a more "woody" look.
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| 2. Use a dry brush to redistribute the glaze evenly over the piece. If the bristles get too wet with glaze, wipe them off on a shop towel or cloth. |
Apply the glaze liberally, making sure it gets into all recesses, then wipe off some with a rag. Use a dry, soft bristle brush to spread the glaze evenly over the surface. The brush will move glaze around, but also pick up excess glaze puddled in corners. If the bristles get too wet, wipe them off with a towel.
Highlighting
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| 3. If the piece requires highlighting, use 0000 steel wool (for oil) or fine nylon abrasive pads (for water) to remove a little more glaze. |
In addition to simply adding a uniform layer of color, you can use glaze to selectively highlight those areas you want to reinforce. For example, you can add depth to carvings by wiping off the high areas and leaving extra color in the recesses. Even flat tabletops and doors can get a "cameo" look by wiping more glaze off the center and leaving the corners or edges a bit darker.
Final Steps
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| 4. If you don't like how the glaze is coming out, grab some mineral spirits (for oil-based glaze) or water (for latex glaze), wipe the glaze off and start over. |
The nice thing about glaze is that if it is not coming out how you imagined, you can grab some mineral spirits (for oil-based glaze) or water (for latex glaze), wipe the glaze off, and start over. When you are happy with the results, let the glaze dry thoroughly (usually overnight, but sometimes longer) and seal it with at least one more coat of whatever topcoat you choose. Since glaze is applied fairly thin, few compatibility issues arise, but to be safe, I generally seal in the glaze with a thin coat of SealCoat™ before proceeding to any other clear finish.
"Pickled" wood is a style that comes into and out of fashion from time to time. The advantage of applying a pickled finish as a glaze is the ability to "work" the finish. As with any glaze, you can highlight or intensify the color ... or even remove it completely and start over. To a large degree, whether you are pleased with how a finish looks is subjective. Proper materials and good technique are the keys to achieving a controlled and repeatable look.
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| Limed or pickled finishes are simply pieces glazed with white or off-white products instead of darker colors. The process and materials are identical. |
Because white pigment does not absorb easily into wood, pre-mixed white pickling stain, like the oil-based one above, can be applied directly to raw wood. The white stain will lodge in the pores of woods like oak and ash, and will be more difficult to remove or manipulate than with a glaze. |