> G'day mates!

> Got lots of clear cedar out here on the west coast of Vancouver Island but
> having a heck of a time finding redwood. Have even phoned all the
> lumber/finishing stores on the Canadian mainland with no success.

> Question of the week: Why can't I stain some of my cedar a darker colour?
> A friend in the home decorating business tells me that I will notice the
> difference right away - a flat, consistent, un-natural tint. But thought I
> would pose the question to this forum, anyone out there stained there
> cedar a darker colour? were you pleased with results? would you do it
> again?

> thanks in advance!

> Warren

hey Warren :)

We're holding on to that redwood down here in the Central San Juaquin Valley, California.

On that stain, yes, you must stay away from the oil based stains. However, if you find something that you wish to use, and it will not affect the adhession (?)of the resin to the wood, then you can apply it with out the loss of figure in your wood. Wipe the stain on really wet, and leave it to soak in. When it starts to look dry, rewet the applicator and go over the area and wipe it off. Gerally, all the streeks will come off and you should have a good even color change. However, if there is a variation in the density of the strips, you may get a very different affect on each of them. The stain will be absorbed much more readilly in the softer woods. Before you try any stain on your boat, I would lay up a small panel of plywood with the stain, let it dry as directed by manufacturer, and try applying a layer of fiberglass to it and check for adhession. I presume that you are aware of the color change in your wood when the resin is applied. It will darken and richen somewhat.

Hope there is something in there that helps you.

Rehd