Water or alcohol stain under lacquer?

[Jude]

I want to do a cherry red stain under lacquer. Should I use water or alcohol based stain? Do I need vinyl sealer, or can I use thinned lacquer?

[ScottR]

You may use either under lacquer, and you can use the vinyl sealer or thinned lacquer as a sealer. I have done all of these combinations successfully. One thing the vinyl sealer has over thinned lacquer is the greater amount of solids. It cannot be substituted for pore filling....but it helps. particularly on close grained woods that do not normally get filled.

SR

[Jude]

Thanks, I've heard of issues with stain bleeding based on the finish solvent.

[ScottR]

If you are talking about dyes like Transtint and Nitrocellulose lacquer, you will not have any bleeding issues as long as your dye is dry before you spray the lacquer.

SR

[Jude]

I would be using Stew Mac colortone in either water or alcohol. I'm just trying to decide which.

[ScottR]

I have used both, but these days I choose alcohol over water. Alcohol does not raise the grain like water and dries faster.

SR

[Drak]

I actually go the other way.

If it's bare wood, I will usually default to water-based first.

It may just be my imagination, but I think waterbased dyes give what I call

'Comic Book Colors', very bright and colorful.

Alcohol to me gives a more subdued, not quite as in-your-face look.

Both are right, waterbased gives more color (to me) but will raise the grain.

Alcohol doesn't raise the grain but gives a slightly different, more subdued look (to me).