I’m refinishing an old side chair which has a very dark brown finish that resembles paint more than it does stain. I have stripped it (scraping and sanding in lieu of using chemicals as the owner wants to leave the old and fragile upholstery in place ) and would welcome any thoughts on concocting a suitable stain/paint and  selecting an appropriate topcoat. The original color almost totally obscured the  grain, except where wear had exposed the wood beneath.  Chips and dents over the years had left dozens of uncolored areas which, even after a thorough cleaning with mineral spirits would not accept dye or pigment stain. It appears the chair had been given a clear coat sometime after much of the color had been chipped away.

My question first is this: how can I best achieve a very opaque color coat? It will need to be custom mixed.  I have mixed Minwax Jacobean with a heavy dose of burnt umber artist oil color, and am reasonably satisfied with the color match.  I think a small amount of yellow/red will have me there.  As I’ve tried this approach before, I do know the concoction takes forever to dry. I will add a small amount of Japan drier to the mix this time around.  What I don’t know is whether I’m likely to have trouble later, having mixed a stain this way (i.e. starting with a Minwax stain – comprised of who knows what  – as opposed to using a totally homemade recipe). Anyone have thoughts about the maximum amount of artist oils to use for this kind of a stain or for a homemade one? Or is there a better way to achieve a very opaque effect, short of painting the chair?

Which brings me to the second question: is there in fact a clear line between a paint and a stain? Or is it simply a matter of degree of penetraton?  I’ve seen this kind of finish on several pieces and am having trouble accepting the fact that anyone would have “painted” over a fine looking wood in the first place. 

What about a topcoat? Any suggestions? I’m thinking of clear coating with shellac.  This will need to be a hand applied topcoat, since I’ve not been able find a tape that will stick well enough to the upholstered area to allow me to mask that off.

All thoughts will be much appreciated.

Joisey Girl