Thread: Staining a Bucky!?

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I know its been asked, but I can't find any specifics.

I want to stain my bucky to get rid of the new look. So here's the questions... Oil or Acrylic. Wipe on Wipe off or Spray. Walnut, Golden Oak, etc. Any advice will be appreciated.

How do you stain?

I use Minwax - Fruitwood stain for an aged bone look. I just brush it on, and let it dry. If it looks blotchy, all the better! You can also use darker colors for a rotted corpse look.

I just did a Lindberg skull in Minwax Gel Stain (Aged Walnut, I think). I'm liking the look of it, and easy to apply. I'll be doing Bucky's body in the same stain.

I've used watered-down acrylic paint as a wash to stain a bucky. It works quite well but you need to use a little artistry in order to get the amount of stain "just right". (Too thin and it just washes away, too thick and it looks like paint.) You also need to experiment a bit with applying the wash and then wiping some (most?) of it off to get the right look. I found that the best results were achieved by using two separate washes, each a slightly different colour. (Let one coat dry before applying the second coat.) It's actually very easy to do once you get into it, you just need to experiment a bit.

I've also used MinWax stain (Puritan Pine) and it works brilliantly. Just slop it all around and you're done. (Well, almost. The downside is that it takes a long time to dry -- around 24-36 hours in my experience.)

Either method works well and gives you a significantly better looking skull.

I've tried both methods and I prefer the acrylic paint. For me it, was better color control and a heck of a lot easier to clean up. Drying time for the gel/stain was too long esp., if you live in an area that has high humidity.

I agree with using the Minwax gel stain (in Aged Oak for the dirty look or Mahogany for a dried blood look). Use the Mr. Miyagi technique of "wipe on--wipe off". You have to use latex gloves when applying the stain, and the stained area is a bit sticky for a couple days, but the results are great on a bucky. I prefer gel stain to acrylics.

thanks for all of the comments!
Im leaning toward gel stain, but with the high heat and humidity, I think acrylic washes may work best for me. I'll give them both a try and see which I prefer!

I used MinWax aged walnut, brush on, brush off excess, hang to dry. You may have to come back and wipe off a drip or two though.