Can I mix cans of Minwax stain?

Tom Baugues

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Lafayette, Indiana
I recently got about 20 cans of stain from my fathers woodworking shop. He is not able to work in his shop any more so he gave them to me. Many of them are stains that I already own a can of myself. To save self space can I mix partial cans together?
 
I'm not an expert with stains, but I'd mix them as long as they looked OK and didn't feel like roofing cement when you're stirring them.
 
We should all know this already but I'll say again just in case someone missed it.

Many years ago most of a family we were friends with were wiped out in a house fire started by Minwax stain soaked rags thrown in the trash.

A rag soaked in oil based stain is a silent WMD waiting to happen ------- use caution!
 
If both cans of stain are still good, you won't have any problems with the mixed stains. Bear in mind, you have get all the "sludge" (pigment) out of the bottom of the can or the new mix may be slightly off color from what you expect (lighter).
 
fred nailed it and i have done it tom myslef.. just remeber that what you have wont match a new can of you need more to finish a project.. in that cse you should mix old with new to get blend
 
I don't know about stains, but found out the hard way, don't mix water base and oil base paints... it usually turns into jelly.

Han an occasion years ago that we pulled panel off a wall in our house and wanted to paint the room... I had two partial cans of paint both the same color and the wife okayed the color, so I mixed them and painted the room.... discovered about as I finished that one can was a water based flat nterior wall paint and the second was an oil based enamel gloss for door frames and trim work.... I had shiny streaks and flat streaks on the walls and the paint kept getting thicker and thicker as I worked... I always read the cans since then.
 
I would mix them. You can get a paint strainer to strain out the lumps. With stain it's not as critical as paint because you will wipe off the excess and the small lumpy stuff missed by the strainer as well.

Mix away.

DON'T = throw oily rags into ANY pile - whether trash or not.

Even in a pile on the floor - then can self ignite.

Drap them - single layer - air on both sides - like on a clothes line - and let them dry at least 2 days before discarding. They should be dry to the touch - and feel stiff.
 
Thanks guys, I did mix them and was able to get rid of about 10 quart cans. I set them out to dry and our city will pick them up as long as they can see for sure they are empty or completely dryed up.
 
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