Water-Based Wood Stain for Chair Frames and Cane, 8.5 fl oz

New natural cane is pale, and it can look very bright next to a chair frame that has had decades to darken. This water-based stain helps in two ways: it refinishes the wood of the frame, and it can tone new cane down so it sits better next to the old wood. It comes in an 8.5 fl oz bottle in natural, golden oak, walnut, dark walnut and teak.

On the frame:

• Sand the wood bare and smooth, and wipe off the dust. Old finish or wax left on the surface keeps stain from taking evenly.
• Wipe the wood with a damp cloth, let it dry and sand lightly with fine paper. Water raises the grain, and doing it now keeps the stained surface from feeling rough.
• Stir the stain well before and during use.
• Brush or wipe on a thin coat, then wipe the excess off along the grain with a clean cloth.
• Let it dry, and add another coat if you want it darker.

On cane:
Natural cane has a glossy outer skin that takes stain unevenly, so it can look patchy or streaky. Always test on an offcut of the same cane first. Let a newly installed seat dry out completely, apply thin coats rather than one heavy one, and wipe off the excess as you go.

Stain adds color but no protection. When it is fully dry, protect the frame with paste wax or a clear finish. Clean brushes and spills with water while the stain is still wet.

Test every color on a hidden spot or an offcut before you do the whole chair. The same stain looks different on oak, maple, beech or pine, and on new cane next to old. The clean and refinish project page lists everything for the whole job.

Choose the color by testing, not by its name. The same stain looks different on oak, maple, beech or pine, and an old frame has its own color under the finish.

To match a frame, find a hidden spot under a seat rail, sand a small patch bare and try two neighboring colors side by side. Thin coats let you build up slowly; adding a coat is easy, but taking color off is not.

To tone new cane, test on an offcut, one thin coat at a time, and stop when it sits comfortably next to the frame. It rarely needs to match exactly, because cane and wood never look quite the same.