The number one question I’m asked is…
“Can I apply your water based finish over oil-based stain?”
As you’ll see in the video above, the answer is… YES!
And I’ll show you exactly how to do it.
It’s not complicated, but there are some steps that must be performed in the right way…
And in the right order.
So, give the video a look, then let me know in the comments section below if you have any questions or personal experiences applying water based finish over oil based stains.
Thanks Jeff. I use a lot of gel stains for refinishing or trying to get a specific effect. I’ve had problems before with my clear coats turning purple over dark stains. I usually use either General Finishes or Old Masters. I’ve been letting the stains dry at least 24 hours and most of the time 36 or greater. Wipe with 50/50 then a very light coat of Ultraseal and have had pretty good luck with going over these types of stains. If I don’t wait for that long, I find I’m picking up stain and moving it around and that’s not a very nice look. Thanks for expanding on the process.
What about underneath an oil based stain as a pre stain conditioner? Can the EM1000 be used as a pre stain conditioner on maple wood to prevent blotching, with a minwax oil based stain next, and then finishing with EM6000? Or maybe Em1000, oil based stain, EM1000 tack coat, Em6000 final coats?
MJ – It is best not to use EM1000 as a prestain sealer underneath an oil/solvent-based stain without creating a test panel to confirm that the two different products are compatible.
If you do find that the two products work in unison then proceed.
-JW-
I am preparing to finish a steamers trunk with an oil based stain followed by a light coat of water based poly followed by a water based glaze effects finish. Finally with two coats of water based poly. Do I need to wipe down the stained surface with the 50/50 denatured alcohol before applying the poly? Are there any other nuances I should be aware of?
Jerry,
Yes, we always recommend the wiping down of oil based products after they have thoroughly dried with a solution of 1:1 water and denatured or isopropyl alcohol. This ensures the surface is clean from any residual oils or wax that might be on the surface after the product has dried. We also recommend that your first coat over the stain be very thin to help with bonding to oil based product.
-SK
I am a painting contractor. My work with fence stain is limited. My customer has a nice, eight foot fence and appears to have a rich oil stain on it. She wants to have a solid or semi solid stain on it. Those products seem to be waterborne stains, which is what I have found at Sherwin Williams. My question is; can I put this water based stain over that transparent oil stain? If so, what prep work is involved?
Hi David,
Thanks for commenting on this post. We do not recommend our stains for this type of application. These stains are designed for interior projects or light duty exterior projects and they need to be topcoated with the appropriate clear coat. They are not a finishing exterior deck or siding stain. I recommend you look for an alternate product. Thank you for your interest in our coatings.
-Seth Kline
I want to use white oak with linseed oil for penetration and water based poly for finish on piece that will be in the weather, do I need to use a marine product as well or instead of?
Mike,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Yes, you can use linseed based penetrating oils under the Emtech and Emcat+ finishes, but it is very important that you immediately wipe the dried oil with a solution of water and alcohol mixed 1:1 to remove any residual oils that reside on the surface of the wood fibers. Doing so will allow the first tack coat of the water-based finish of your choice to bond to the substrate without adhesion or film formation issues.
See the following blog post which describes the basic principles of this process: “Water-Based over Oil Stains”
-JeffW-
Can the em2000 still be diluted with 20% water to be used as a penetrating sealer coat?
Eric,
Yes, Em2000wvx can be reduced with water 20-25% to create a penetrating finish.
-JeffW-
I am finishing a coffee table that I stained with Miniwax oil based stain. I want to paint the bottom of the table white, but I don’t want the white to fade to yellow, so I want a water based white paint over the stain to then create a rustic look. What is the best way to prepare the stained wood that I want to paint white? Also, I’d like to use the same final finish on both the stained top and the painted bottom with a water based Poly. Would I prepare the top the same as the bottom to use the same finish? There is no finish on the stained wood at all and it has been drying for a few days already. Hope you can help!!
Tonya,
Thank you for your inquiry.
We recommend that you use our Emtech EM6500 Pigmented Lacquer in Bright White as the pigmented color coat that is to be applied over the Minwax Stain. Ensure that the Minwax stain has dried for no less, and no more than 12-18 hours before you apply the EM6500 over it. Here’s a link to our blog post, How to Apply Water-Based Finish over Oil-Based Stain.
Once this is completed you can apply our Emtech EM9300 Polycarbonate Urethane over the EM6500 to create a hard, protective candy-coat shell.
-JeffW-
Thank you so much for this helpful walk-through! There’s so much vaguely-worded advice floating around online and this video is the exact opposite.
I’m in Canada and it seems like denatured alcohol is not available to the public. Is Methyl Hydrate a suitable replacement? I can get 99% isopropyl, but it’s much more expensive and limited to small bottles at the pharmacy. I’m trying to be a small supplier for a flooring store, and need to colour match stains for transitions and stair nosings to whatever laminate flooring the customer chooses. The top coat really needs to adhere well, given that it’s being walked on!
Cam, please accept my apologies for the late reply to your follow-up question. Yes, methyl hydrate is OK to use. Denatured alcohol(ethanol) is a substitute for methanol in the US due to its high toxicity rating.
-JeffW-