General Finishes Water Based Dye Stain is a thin, ink-like stain that penetrates deep into the wood to bring out figure and grain rather than sitting on top of it the way a pigmented stain does. It's especially suited to highly figured woods like mahogany, walnut, and maple, and it's sold in 15 colors that can be cut with the water-based reducer or mixed into a water-based topcoat as a toner.
One quart covers roughly 120-160 sq ft per coat. It's dry to the touch in about 30 minutes and ready for a second coat in 2 hours under normal conditions — allow extra time above 80% humidity, and 24 hours if you're applying it over an oil-based product. It's water-based and interior use only, and cleans up with soap and water or General Finishes Brush & Gun Cleaner. As with any stain, it needs a topcoat for protection.
- Water-based dye stain, 15 colors, interior use
- Coverage: about 120-160 sq ft per quart per coat
- Dry to touch in 30+ minutes; recoat in 2+ hours
- Best on highly figured woods: mahogany, walnut, maple
- Can be diluted with reducer or used as a topcoat toner
- Cleanup with soap and water