Mix stain and acrylic paint?

[harrisg]

1) Here's an "Inquiring minds want to know" moment. I thought I'd ask before I waste my paint, stain and time. Have any of you mixed acrylic paint and stain? If so, what were your results?

2) In the Scroll Saw Segmentation book, the author suggests painting all parts first with a white house acrylic water based primer . I've struck out on finding this. Should this be easily found, where at and do you do it?

Harris

[SharonW0111]

Harris I use acrylic paints as a stain on some things-- just thin with water--but I may be wrong ( heaven forbid) but I think he is meaning just base coat with a white acrylic paint--found any craft store or wally world in the fabric/craft dept.. personally I don't think you can color stain--isn't it already colored? I did try using acrylic with glue and that works -- maybe he means adding acrylic with polyurathane and stain/varnish at the same time... Good luck
ohhh but try on scraps before you put it on your project..
Sharon

[eendreno]

paint with stain

hello- i've mixed paint and stain on at least a dozen times. i have used cross brands, behr's and cabots. if they are acrylic they will be compatible. i proved this to myself staining a severly weathered cedar shake house. the home owner wanted it stained.she also did not want it painted,and did not want to see the black discoloring. one part paint,one stain,she was happy and i was out of there after one coat. i persnally don't like any of the acrylic primers. i used a zinser fast drying oil.i've used this on exterior projects as well as fine interior woodwork. it will dry in under an hour at room temp. then you can cover it with acrylic. you might want to thin it with paint thinner. give it a try eendreno

[Neal Moore]

Harris....Typically, segmentation isn't painted; however, it can be. I suppose it depends on what the project is and how many colors are required to achieve the effect you're looking for. You might want to consider using leather dye which is available in several colors. Another option, which I have never tried, is using food coloring. I read somewhere that it works. To achieve a deeper color you simply re-dip the segment after it has dried, much like an Easter Egg. Take a look at the gallery under "segmentation" at a few of the pieces Toni, Mooner and I have done. Most of those were colored with only two or three colors of stain. I'm not sure what exact colors Toni and Moon use but I stick with Dark Walnut, Golden Oak and sometimes a little Colonial Maple for highlights. I use Minwax brand but any brand will work just fine. Be sure to post a photo of your completed project in the gallery as I'm anxious to see what you're working on. BTW...don't even try to mix acrylics and oil based stain. Acrylics are water based and you will wind up with one big mess!!!

[BobD (Archive)]

A lot of carvers <I know, a bad word over here> mix oil paint with oil based stains--or even just BLO--to get the colors they want.

Bob

[Old Mooner]

Why is that a "bad word" "over here"? Some of us are ambidexterous (no, it doesn't hurt) and some of us can even do two things at once. I still have trouble chewing gum and riding a bicycle, but some things we never achieve. I happen to know that Neal Moore and I are "ex" carvers and sometimes I still go out behind the barn and sneak in a carving or two. Yuk, yuk.
Moon

[BobD (Archive)]

I'm one of those "carvers too" (hanging my head in shame)...right now I'm working on a songbird from Lori Corbett's new book and am starting a native inspired War Club (Haida) with my own Celtic intrepretations on it...

Just haven't been in the scrolling mood lately--plus I've got a new video game that's taking up a lot of my time--Battlefied2--I was just promoted to lance corporal (it's all infantry-based)...so I'm spending a lot of time slapping cyber C4 on opponent's armored personell carriers or hiding in cyber brush waiting for an unsuspecting sap to step into my crosshairs <grin>

Bob

[harrisg]

Thanks to all of you for the info. The question came to me at night and I was curious as to whether it can be done.

I know from looking at some of the books that by adding water to acrylic paint, you can make a nice wash and the grain can still be seen.

As to painting segmentation, some of the projects in Scroll Saw Segmentation are painted and it made me think about some of the beautiful photos of sunsets in different places that I have taken. My thoughts are, after I have some experience making segmented projects, I'd like to take some of these photos and make my own patterns. We shall see...

Harris

[sheltiecarver]

Harris,
Many of the carvers (nope! I don't consider that a bad word - as a matter of fact - I am one!) that I know use a stain first, then a very thin wash of either acrylic with water or oil colors (artists oils) thinned with turps over that. I would think it would work out awfully well for your sunsets to have the grain showing through the suggestion of color, as opposed to the rather garish look of solid colors - unless, of course, that was the effect you were after. I would definitely experiment on scrap before starting on something that sounds like it is going to be as spectacular as what you're describing.
Good luck with it, whatever you decide!
Sandy
(And let us know how it turns out) (please!)

[SharonW0111]

Awww Come On Bob -- I started out as a carver--
My first shope was doing relief carving --back then we didn't have all the fancy smancy tools they have now--all we had were exacto gouges and blades and a good variable speed Dremel.
I get the wish books from carvers every once in a while and I want to do relief again but you can't buy the cheap replacable blades any longer .. besides I am happy scrolling
Sharon
Besides carving tools are way to expensive..

[BobD (Archive)]

We've got a new book that will be coming out in April on making your own tools, Sharon...so maybe it's prime time to start carving again <grin> It even shows how to make a forge out of a wok <grin>.

Bob