Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - What type of stain are the DIY shows using?

I have refinished several pieces of furniture by stripping it down, applying a stain, and then sealing it with several layers of varnish. This process takes me about a week. I tried the stain with the polyurethane included and it was very streaky (even with multiple coats). On the DIY network, the decorators apply a darker stain to furniture and it is ready to use the next day. What kind of product are they using? I have a light colored wood chair that I would love to stain very dark.

Thanks,
Judy

I have no idea what stain they use on those show. Often their painting/staining methods and selection of coatings make me cringe :eek:

For a wiping stain to work the wood needs to be raw - either new unfinished or stripped and sanded. It can be difficult to correctly apply more than 1 coat of stain. If a wiping stain can't get the piece dark enough, I'll spray on a coat of tinted poly/varnish. As you have found it can be difficult to brush. To get good results with a brush carefull attention must be paid to make sure it is applied evenly with no runs, sags, puddles or lap marks. It also can't be touched up.

Tinted poly should always have a clear coat of poly applied over it to protect the color.

Do you buy the tinted poly in a spray can or do you use a spray gun to apply it?

I often make my own but I do use a cup gun w/compressor when I spray it. Minwax polyshades is the most common commercially prepared tinted poly. The only spray can of poly I've ever seen is the regular clear poly.