Varathane 381118 Water Based Wood Stain, Quart, Espresso

I used Varathane 381119 Water Based Wood Stain on a table I built, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. It went on smoothly, dried fast, and had very little odor, which made it easy to use indoors. The color came out even and clean, and it really brought out the grain in the wood. Overall, it was simple to work with and gave my table a solid, professional-looking finish.

Works great and great prices too. Cheaper than priced at the hardware stores. Love that it comes in the small can, so it can be easily used on smaller projects. Highly recommend! Dries almost clear. Has a small tint but much better than other products and water based, so very easy to clean up and won't yellow over time.

I've never used a water-based stain before, so this was a new experience and not without lessons learned. I needed something that would hold up to a clear epoxy finish, and this one works. The stain is darker than I had imagined and I used it on Acacia, a hardwood with a fairly narrow wood grain. I can't imagine how dark this would be on a softwood, but it would have to be borderline black. It's also kind of a dustier looking finish than what I'd thought, though that will certainly change when I put the clear epoxy over the top. Overall, this is a good value for the money and I did two bathroom countertops plus a small shelf and still didn't go through more than 1/4th of a quart. It dried quickly and has a good quality in my opinion, with no stain coming off on my hand or a cloth after it dried. That was something I was concerned with using a water based stain. Completely dry in 24 hours, though I could have put additional stain on in under an hour with boards left outside in the sun. Lessons learned: * Work fast - there isn't much time to even out coloring as it starts to dry quickly * Have all your brushes and tools very handy and get the residual spread fast and wiped down or you'll end up with blotches * If working with a large area, have an extra set of hands. One to apply, the other to rub it in and remove it. * Apply lightly as it tends to be darker faster than anticipated. You can always go back and apply more later.

A lot easier to use than oil based. Ive been using this in place of painting for projects and it works great. Dries a lot nicer than oil based and super quick cleanup

Cans were dented and damaged