Staining bamboo

[VintageVeloce]

I have a bamboo desktop that I want to stain a dark color. I've heard bamboo is "different" to finish. Does anyone have any experience with staining bamboo and any tips?


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[Thorold]

I believe the problem is that most of the top is epoxy used to bond the bamboo together. I can't think of a way to stain it.

 

[zeeway]

You can lightly sand, apply a gel stain, wipe to get the wood grain effect you want, then clear coat with poly over that. This creates more of a faux finish than a true staining of the bamboo, but it does work.

 

[6PTsocket]

What is that bamboo laminate you are using? I have a couple of bamboo cutting boards branded Simply Bamboo. When a piece from the edge of the middle layer fell out, I saw that the core layer was just really loosely pieced bamboo scraps. Worse than the cheapest plywood. I made a patch out of a piece of an old chop stick. It is much lighter on color so the board must have been stained at some point.

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[Vintage Veloce]

Yikes. Sorry, posted that pic from my phone, and didn't realize it would come out so huge.
I've seen contradictory information on the Internet as to whether I should use an oil or water based stain...

 

[cbracer]

Bamboo is a *hard* wood so stain doesn't take to it too well. I've tried. On yours you will have to sand off all the existing finish, then try an espresso stain, almost black. Problem is you will loose the "grain" look the darker you go on bamboo.

 

[RocketScott]

Most of the dark bamboo flooring is 'carbonized'. I'd sand it down and hit it with a torch.


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[6PTsocket]

Bamboo is a *hard* wood so stain doesn't take to it too well. I've tried. On yours you will have to sand off all the existing finish, then try an espresso stain, almost black. Problem is you will loose the "grain" look the darker you go on bamboo.

Bamboo isn't wood at all, it is a grass, a hard grass. They manage to lightly stain it with all the grain showing. I have seen it tinted green, brown, yellow, etc. I have no idea how they do it.

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[Voi]

Really depends on what finish is already on the top. A lot of those have a UV cured finish similar to that on engineered wood floors.

In that case you could do the gel stain like the previous poster mentioned but my concern would be the next top coat not adhering to the underlying finish. And with a gel stain on a desk top you really need a finish clear of some sort. Gel stain can smudge off on your arms even after it dries.

On the other hand, if the clear will stick to the current finish then you're fine. I believe the gel stain faux finish is probably the easy choice.

If you knew the top wasn't finished or knew you could completely remove the finish I would go with an aniline dye stain.

 

[6PTsocket]

After extensive research. I googled and got a few hits, lol. They say to sand with 220 and stain, and sand with 220 and stain and sand with 220 and stain....... until something happens.


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[jask]

use a gel stain it will give a more even finish.