i would definitely check in and get confirmation that it is compatible.  i have stuck with the mohawk and have not experimented with minwax..... 

$30 will be cheap compared to re-doing it if it doesn't work. 

you can also make your own stain with denatured alcohol and a compatible colorant.  i have done that before with no problem.

not saying it doesn't work.  i would just want to confirm it works and not a problem.  btw....you mentioned you only wanted to stain a small piece?  what part would that be?

h 

It is a small laser-cut wooden American flag that I want to stain a solid color and inlay on the deck right in front of the cockpit. I will probably end up just purchasing the Mowhawk just to be safe.   

I used wood dye on my Peapod by General Finishes available from Woodcraft. Maybe there is a store near you. Water based and very easy to work with. $20.99 pint

Dean

The 2 big compatibility issues with epoxy and stain are:

    1. The stain blocking the absorption of epoxy applied over the stain; and

    2. The epoxy dissolving and smearing the stain

A petroleum (or almost any oil) based stain will will cause problem #1. True water-based stains are usually not a problem but you have to beware of products that use water as a carrier. In that case, the pigment is not dissolved in the water. It's suspended, instead, and as the water evaporates the pigment settles onto the wood, possibly reacts with other ingredients in the stain which activate it and then gets absorbed into the wood. Depending on the formulation, that could result in a coating that doesn't absorb or bond to the epoxy.

Problem #2 occurs to some extent even with Mohawk. Nick Schade mentions in one of his videos that he actually uses the effect to even out the coloration on stained wood on his boats. As long as most of the stain is left in place it's not a problem, but if the stain is very epoxy-soluble you could end up with a mess.

The best approach would be to experiment with scrap wood (and report your results back here when you're done so that the next person will know what does or does not work). Of course, that could end up more expensive than just buying a bottle of something known to work.

Good luck,

Laszlo

   This being a non-structural, small, low-risk piece, I might even consider using some "standard" office highlighters for the colorant.  You could get any shade you desired in a multi-pack. And have a nice, well-controlled applicator "built-in" as a bonus part of this method. Of course you might try a little experimenting first with scrap wood, to see how well the epoxy goes on the surface after the highligher is dry - making sure it doesn't dissolve it too much or something. I'm betting everything will work fine. My biggest worry might be uv fading over time.  No idea if that would be an issue or not.  Might never know unless someone tries! 

All that said, I've used plenty of Behlens/Mohawk alcohol based stain and that always worked fine and has a proven track record.

Good info Laszlo.

BTW. When using water based dye like I did, it's wise to "Raise the grain" by spraying the wood first with water, dry, then lightly sand and apply the dye.

Like mentioned I did a test on a scrap and had 1, 2, 3, 4 coats. Then decide on what you like.

Also with wood dye you can re-wet the and remove some of the product. Not so friendly with stain.

Post your results here and best luck.

Dean

   Thanks for all the help! Talked to Woodcraft today and they are sending me a sample size of their Unicorn Spit water-based wood dye. They said it will work so a sample size will be just enough to test it and then do the piece I need!

   Nice! Bravo on the sample

Dean

   Nice! Bravo on the sample

Dean

   Nice! Bravo on the sample

Dean