Woodworker's Journal Magazine Click Here to Subscribe Sign Up to Get Free Plans Visit Our Online Store Stain Without Pain March 23rd , 2012 by Michael Dresdner Leave a Comment In September I wrote that , while stain is often superfluous , especially on prime woods , it can be a lifesaver on plain or uneven woods . At the time , I promised I’d revisit the topic and offer a few tips on how to stain without making wood look muddy , fake , or painted . Well , today’s the . day First , some basics . Stains can be colored with pigment , which is ground-up colored dirt , or with dye , which dissolves . Pigments are relatively large particles suspended in liquid , but dyes dissolve , becoming vastly smaller particles the size of a molecule . Here , size . matters Dye Flood dye onto plain poplar or