Over the years I used the long defunct Flo-stain petroleum based floquil products for staining wood and over a base coat of tan paint for simulating wood on styrene. For me was a quick and easy method with predictable and acceptable results, but my stash of Flo-stain is all but gone.
Tested with some petroleum based Minwax wood finish stain I have on hand, worked marginally with bass wood, but not at all with the base coated styrene.
I’m aware of Doctor Ben stains, but have not tried any. The sharing of other alternatives would be appreciated.
Exactly which of the Flo-stain flavors are you looking for? If your local hobby shop deals with Hobbytyme distributors, Hobbytyme still lists a number of flavors in stock. I have an account there, so if you tell me which flavor you want, I can tell you how many they have. Then your local HS can contact them and get it for you.
A lotta “stains” are just thinned down paint. You might try making your own stain by just cutting some paint with the right thinner (water or mineral spirits or lacquer thinner, depending upon the paint). I have had good results with Minwax on full scale wood shop projects as well as HO projects. Minway is only good on wood, it is a penetrating resin finish that soaks into the wood and then hardens. Does not make a surface film. In fact, I wipe down a fresh minwaxed surface with clean rag while the Minwax is still wet to clean off what does not soak in. You gotta be careful with glue. If you get glue on the wood surface, Minwax will not soak in and it will leave a mark.
For painting styrene to look like wood, light gray auto primer in a rattle can will give a nice driftwood gray look, good for things like flat car decks and unpainted stuff like fences and cedar shakes. It dries dead flat and will take any kind of top coat or drybrushing.
Thanks for the information. Maxman, Flo-stain Oak #110723 is my favorite and is petroleum based, price sticker on near empty bottle is dated 1989, $1.29, bought it at the long defunct LHS. Miss that old shop, was just across town and had a good stock of train stuff, not to mention a friendly and knowledgeable owner, but I digress. There is a chain type hobby shop in a nearby city called Hobbytown, they carry next to nothing that’s train related, but I do patronize them from time to time for basic hobby supplies.
Just so you know, Hobbytyme is a distributor, not a hobbyshop.
In any case, the Flostain oak is not available at that distributor. The do have natural, driftwood, black, brown rust (#1 and #2), dark gray, mud, and a couple others in limited quantities. The current msrp is $5.45 per bottle. Inflation sucks!
Thanks, and I wholeheartedly agree with your statement about inflation. My father’s meager machinist union pension today buys nearly half of what it did in 1990.
Check w/ a paint store that deals in Zar heavy bodied oil stains. This is probably one of the only “true” oils still available to the consumer. Zar has quite a list of colors available. I have used it for decades for funiture, cabinets and moldings. Minwax used to be a fairly decent product, but it is mainly only vehilcle w very little pigment.
A pint of Zar stain thinned will last you for many years of hobby work. You can thin 1:1 and still vave better penetration and control over Minwax. It will not fade out when vehicle evaporates like most other stains.
thanks for the tip. I know what you mean about the newer Minwax stains seeming to have less pigment. Seems that many excellent wood finish and protective products have disappeared or have become less effective with forumula changes. Probably due to VOC regs.
I went and re-visited Hobbytyme’s website. The only "wood"colors I see as still available are Natural (FLO110657), Brown (FLO110659), and Driftwood (FLO110661). The other stains available are Gray, Winter Wet Effect, Oil & Grease, Green, Concrete, Mud, Rust #1, Dark Gray, Black, and Rust #2.
Since Hobbytyme is a distributor, you will need to find a hobbyshop that deals with them. The only other kicker is that Floquil packaged these in 1 ounce bottles, 6 to a package. These are also being closed out, so quantities are limited.
I don’t know where you are located, but Hobbytyme’s dealer list shows them having dealers in about 45 states.
Back in the days when I built wood ships, I used to get all my stains and paint finishes from this place. I used the gel stains. About the smallest container though, is 1/2 pint. Although in ship building in some cases, not enough. They have water based and solvent. Might be worth a look: