[farmgal-va]

With the price of wood stain at local stores being very pricey, I'm looking for a homemade type stain that would look good and also help preserve yellow pine.

 

[RonM]

Never heard of homemade woodstain, you could mix a commercial grade with linseed oil to stretch it....Burnt motor oil would be illegal and flammable..

 

[paradox]

Google can be a fabulous tool...

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-make-homemade-stains/index.html

 

[DEKE01]

The DIY stain is water based. Assuming this is used on the exterior, wouldn't it be better to use some sort of oil based stain to seal the wood as well? Years ago I used teak oil on a picnic table but that would get pricey fast on a cabin.

Here's what I found on homemade sealants

http://www.ehow.com/info_12111684_homemade-deck-sealer.html

 

[Belfrybat]

I discovered a homemade wood stain last week when needing to do a small project. Don't know how it would work on a larger one. Just take a fine grade steel wool pad, put it in 1-1/2 cups vinegar in a covered jar. Let set until the wool pad is dissolved (mine didn't completely). You can change the depth of the stain by diluting with water. Undiluted it looks like a deep walnut stain. You can also add regular food colouring to change the tone. I was extremely impressed with it. Of course, it needs a top coat of varnish to make it weatherproof.

 

[fishhead]

Trappers have dyed traps for generations using walnut hulls. I would think that if you could get them you could boil up some walnut stain that would work for what you want. Other nut hulls may work too.

 

[Darren]

A local sawyer painted his buildings with a mixture of kerosene and something else. I couldn't smell any odor.

 

[RonM]

EPA took real creosote off the market.....

 

[Darren]

Creosote is still used for railroad ties. There's a tie treatment plant about an hour from here. You can smell the fresh creosote on the trailer loads of ties at the local truck stops.

EPA still approves creosote for industrial use. Same for CCA.

http://www.rta.org/faqs-main