Posted by Mark Bronkalla on May 05, 2003 at 20:28:39:
In Reply to: How do I stain the frames, with epoxy ecapsulation? posted by ken on May 05, 2003 at 13:29:16:
I would recommend leaving it natural. The epoxy will highlight the wood just like a varnish coat.
Over time, you will clean off drips, runs sags, round over corners, etc. At several point you will cut through the coating and would mar the stain which would be hard to match.
If you REALLY want to stain it use a non-grain raising dye such as Behlens Solar Lux or TransTint in alcohol. The trans tint is not color fast enough for exterior use, but should be fine inside.
If you want a more amber color, varnish the epoxy when you are all done with the interior (also provides UV protection). Note, the varnish will not stay on in the bilge as moisture permeates the varnish and causes it to lift off over time. It is better to use an epoxy paint there.
Adding color to the epoxy for a stain like effect is VERY hard to get even coloration.