Minwax 308064444 Express Color Wiping Stain and Finish, Emerald

Used this on a wood guitar amp cabinet and it worked great. All I did was spread it on with a wood-staining cloth in the direction of the grain. I worked quickly without going over it a bunch of times. It dries with a nice even sheen. Also, it seems to level out really well as it dries, so don't worry if your application isn't perfect. I had good results with two applications. I used it over Minwax Express Color.

Like all Minwax products, Express Color Wiping Stain provides an easy, effective way to stain or color wood. But forget the instructions on the tube. After shaking well, REMOVE THE TOP COMPLETELY by unscrewing it. Don't even bother to try and squeeze the stain out... you'll end up making a mess. Slowly tilt the tube, placing a small amount on a clean soft rag. If you apply it directly to the wood you run the risk of creating a dark stain, depending on how quickly you begin to wipe and how porous the wood may be. Apply the stain to a rag and wipe on, spreading it out evenly. It does dry quickly, an hour or so to the touch, three to five hours for a second coat, overnight before using a clear coat or putting it into service. Cleanup is easy with hot water and dish soap. Finally, if you plan to wash the rag after use, be sure to wash it with other non-critical rags. Any color remaining in the rag can bleed into your other items in the wash.

I purchased this stain/finish for a countertop project I was doing in my laundry room. I was hesitant due to some past experiences with attempts to stain wood but this product is great. I followed the directions carefully and am extremely happy with the results. The product is virtually odorless and water-soluble so I could have applied it inside but I took the boards outside on a warm, sunny day and applied two coats with a cotton cloth (waiting at least one hour between coats as per instructions). After the first coat I was a little frustrated because the results seemed to lack "depth" of color but the second coat transformed the simple pine boards into a rich, deep mahogany color. Clean-up was simple although I strongly suggest using gloves. By the way, the coverage is great...the counter measures approximately 6' x 3' and one tube of this stuff was just enough for two coats. In the future I am going to use Minwax's blue or green color on some smaller projects. While I am certain some more experiences professional woodworkers might balk at this type of product, for a novice like me it was wonderful!

The ease of use. Very nice that it’s not thin and drips. Color is beautiful.

I use this a lot, and often buy out all the Home Depot's inventory. Sadly, Home Depot decided to stop selling these. I use it primarily as a glaze to create a mahogany grain on cheaper woods. I use a base of mahogany and "age" it with walnut and some windsor blue and black acrylics. I love that it's water based, so the clean up is easy. Very low odor, and dries fairly quickly. It is the consistency of a thick mayonnaise, so I often dilute it with water, which doesn't seem to affect the application or the absorption. I hope that Minwax never discontinues this. The shades are pretty spot on to the wood type they want to mimic, so this gets an A+ rating from me. There is another product that is very similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/Minwax-30451-12-Ounce-WoodSheen-Rosewood/dp/B002KHCL8U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452582716&sr=8-1&keywords=minwax+rosewood but has different shade choices and is thinner in consistency. Very odd. It would seem to me that Minwax ought to just combine these products into one line, all in fliptop tubes, since it's so much easier than bottles with caps. Just my two cents.