wood stain vs oil vs varnish

[Halloween Jack]

hi all,

i've fitted some new bannisters, they're natural light pine at the mo' and i'd like them to be a dark, but not reddish, wood colour.

possibly dark oak, or jacobian dark oak.

i bought oil, but it barely changes the colour.

should i have used stain instead? or varnish? what product would be best for my needs?

cheers

 

[Robbie uk]

Oil is not really the best thing to use on internal handrails . Yes it protects but the wood is not sealed and as such would still accept finger grease etc which would go into the grain. Best to use a seperate wood stain, like Colron, Blackfriars, or similar. Then apply several coats of a good polyurethene satin varnish to protect it.

 

[Halloween Jack]

great. thanks mate.