Varathane 381119 Water Based Wood Stain, Quart, Dark Walnut

A solid option that feels easy to use but still high quality, especially for indoor DIY projects. The consistency is smooth and forgiving, making application straightforward even for beginners. It spreads evenly, gives you time to work, and has very low odour, which is a big plus for indoor use. Cleanup is simple with just soap and water. The Dark Walnut colour is rich and warm without being too dark, and it enhances the natural wood grain rather than covering it. One coat gives good coverage, with the option to build it up for a deeper tone. It also dries quickly, which makes it ideal for faster projects, though you’ll want to work steadily to avoid lap marks. Downsides: Slight grain raising (a light sand helps), and it doesn’t have quite the same depth as oil-based stains. Overall: A reliable, beginner-friendly stain that delivers clean, consistent results with minimal hassle. Rating: 4.5 / 5

Works great and great prices too. Cheaper than priced at the hardware stores. Love that it comes in the small can, so it can be easily used on smaller projects. Highly recommend! Dries almost clear. Has a small tint but much better than other products and water based, so very easy to clean up and won't yellow over time.

Bought this as an external protectant for my above ground planters. I love the dark color! It coats very well, wipes away easily, dries very fast in the sun (VERY FAST). It smells like stain, but I did it outside and in CO there is always a wind of some sort so it wasn't all that bothersome. It cleaned up pretty easily as it's water based. All in all it was a good value. I used 2 of these to stain both planters. I'd use it again easily.

This is a very nice stain. Just keep in mind that any water base stain has to be spread on the wood surface very fast. That's why water base stains are recommended to be prayed, not rubbed on like lacquer or oil stains. Water based stains dry super fast & gives very little working time. But the results are beautiful. I highly recommend to try using it on a small spare scrap wood to get the feel of how fast water base stain dries. Especially keep in mind that since it's water base, if swells up the wood. So wherever you have 2 laminate woods butting up with each other, the line across where they both meet will raise up. Careful on the edge banding edges also where the water base stain can get in, ungluing & lifting the edge band.

I used Varathane 381119 Water Based Wood Stain on a table I built, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. It went on smoothly, dried fast, and had very little odor, which made it easy to use indoors. The color came out even and clean, and it really brought out the grain in the wood. Overall, it was simple to work with and gave my table a solid, professional-looking finish.

I just finished a desk build project where I integrated an epoxy resin river with LED lights. I wanted dark wood, but didn't want to break the bank on a walnut slab. So, I went with butcher block countertops from the big orange hardware store. They're made of hevea wood from Vietnam. Very solid, maple-like hardwood that's really inexpensive... but it's white wood. So, I wanted to stain the wood a dark walnut color. I did my due diligence and found out that you absolutely, positively must use water-based stain when it may come in contact with epoxy. Guess what my local big orange hardware store doesn't carry? Water-based stain... Amazon to the rescue. Not only does this go on really well and was the color I wanted (after a couple of coats), it is super easy to clean up! When I accidentally brushed some onto the epoxy, it was as simple as wiping it up with a damp towel. pay attention though... that wet towel dragged across the actual wood will pull up the stain. All in all, I'm really happy with the end result! (Side note: the pictures give the stain a slight yellow tint. It's a much deeper brown.)

It is more like paint then stain.i return mind for a completed refund.the stuff is no good.go with the best mine wax stain

A lot easier to use than oil based. Ive been using this in place of painting for projects and it works great. Dries a lot nicer than oil based and super quick cleanup