Review on SamaN Interior Water Based Wood Stain - Natural Stain For Furniture, Moldings, Wood Paneling & Cabinets (Black TEW-108-12, 12 Oz) by Steven Emberling

My husband and I made a king-sized headboard for our bed. We bought B-Board from Home Depot, had them cut it to size, grabbed some matching trim and used the SamaN for stain.I did this paint job outside. There was barely any smell at all. After I sanded the pieces and brushed the sand dust, I used a piece of an old towel to apply the turquoise stain and another to wipe off the excess stain to reveal the grain. I was able to do one coat on each piece of wood. It dries quickly, within a minute.Once all the pieces were stained, I used SamaN white stain to whitewash the turquoise a little, again with a clean old towel to apply the stain and another to wipe the excess. You can see the result in the indoor shots, first few photos. Once again, it dried very quickly. We thought the color was too bright for our room so I came up with a solution.I applied Paine’s Grey acrylic paint color to some of the grain to have it stand out more with a craft brush (I used a round, number 2 if I remember correctly), using just a little water and wiping with yet another towel where necessary. At other points I did not wipe the grey, just applied with a brush. It took awhile. Knowing this ahead of time, I mixed the grey with a paint retarder because acrylic dries fast. After I finished the grey, I touched up a few spots by applying a teeny bit of stain here and there.Paine’s Grey is a bit transparent so it’s a good color to do highlights of the grain. I used just a little of my Liquitex brand but one could use any brand.I let the whole thing sit until the next day but it’s not necessary because the SamaN doesn’t need to cure! It goes on smooth, dries fast and looks beautiful within minutes. The fact that I used relatively cheap B-Board made it more labor-intensive applying the stain because of the occasional little splinter. Just a few spots but enough to be a pain. I would choose a more expensive wood next time that sands smoother.Please wear rubber gloves otherwise your palm will be turquoise. No worries though! I got quite a bit on one hand and it came off with warm water and soap. That’s what is great about water-based paints!My husband installed the piece using screws, 4 small L-brackets for the bottom to support the weight a bit, and tiny finishing nails for the trim with flat heads. It came out beautifully. The first two photos of the finished headboard are at night with the wall lamps on. The last photo was taken in daylight. The photos don’t do the headboard justice.This handmade headboard would be $700-800 in a store or shop. We did it for under $100 all told.Love this stain and will use it again and recommend to others.