<p>I'll suggest something to try on some scrap plaster to see if you can come close.</p>
<p>Stain brings out the wood's grain because the surface varies in porosity; more porous areas get darker.  Plaster is uniform and extremely porous, way more porous than wood.  Stain adds color to the wood's own color, plaster starts as a white background.  So just applying stain to plaster won't match the color on wood.  The only way to potentially come close would be to experiment along the following lines.</p>
<p>First seal the plaster surface with an almost clear finish that approximates the color of the bare wood.  One way to do this is by adding a tiny amount of &quot;natural&quot; wood stain to a compatible clear finish.  Use a glossy-type finish because you want only the finish's resin, not the fine powder that is added to create a matte finish.  You will also probably need to dilute the finish with an appropriate solvent to a low viscosity that absorbs well into the plaster.</p>
<p>Apply a light coat of this to the test plaster and let it soak in and dry.  You will need to be very methodical in trying varying ratios of stain to finish, viscosities of the finish, and amount applied.</p>
<p>You can always apply another coat of the mixture for more color and better sealing, but you can't undo too much.  You will need some amount of sealing everywhere, but a coarse brush might provide a little better simulation of the color variation of a wood surface.</p>
<p>The goal is for the finish to be absorbed and almost seal the plaster.  You might try multiple light applications where you wipe off any excess that doesn't immediately absorb, and let the coat dry before applying the next.  If some does not absorb and leaves a shiny surface, lightly buff it to matte with very fine grit sandpaper.</p>
<p>Once you have an almost-sealed plaster surface with a color that matches the bare wood, apply a light coat of the stain and immediately wipe off the excess.  Let it dry.  If the color is too light, apply another coat in a similar fashion.</p>
<p>If the color comes out too dark, you might be able to lighten it a little by using very fine grit sandpaper to lightly buff the surface.  Another method that might help is to use an appropriate solvent (as described on the container for cleanup), on a rag and wipe off some of the stain.  This may be hard to judge because the cleaning solvent and stain is likely to be partially absorbed into the sealed plaster and can appear darker until it is fully dry.</p>
<p>There are a lot of variables, so to get it right will require a lot of scrap plaster and experimentation to perfect the process before using it on the actual piece.</p>
<p>Unlike with wood, most of the stain will remain a thin surface coating.  If the piece will be handled, you may need to apply some type of protective finish coat after the stain is fully dry.  This will probably be another area requiring experimentation to avoid the finish coat dissolving some of the previous coatings and creating unexpected patterns or artifacts.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-14T21:37:46.040Z
2022-03-14T21:37:46.040Z
fixer1234
<p>I made a small plaster jar, and I want to paint it the same color as the wood table. My question is, can I use Jotun Woodshield Exterior Stain on the raw plaster jar; will (this) wood stain stick on plaster? If not, what is the best paint for plaster?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.jotun.com/pk/en/b2c/products/exterior/woodshield-exterior-stain.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Here</a> is the product description.</p>
<p>I do not need it to be 100% as the table color, but at least close to it.</p>

<painting><paint><plaster><staining>
Can I use Jotun Woodshield on a plaster jar?
John John
# Can I use Jotun Woodshield on a plaster jar?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-03-14)

I made a small plaster jar, and I want to paint it the same color as the wood table. My question is, can I use Jotun Woodshield Exterior Stain on the raw plaster jar; will (this) wood stain stick on plaster? If not, what is the best paint for plaster?

[Here](https://www.jotun.com/pk/en/b2c/products/exterior/woodshield-exterior-stain.aspx) is the product description.

I do not need it to be 100% as the table color, but at least close to it.

**Tags:** painting, paint, plaster, staining


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-03-14. Score: 5

I'll suggest something to try on some scrap plaster to see if you can come close.

Stain brings out the wood's grain because the surface varies in porosity; more porous areas get darker. Plaster is uniform and extremely porous, way more porous than wood. Stain adds color to the wood's own color, plaster starts as a white background. So just applying stain to plaster won't match the color on wood. The only way to potentially come close would be to experiment along the following lines.

First seal the plaster surface with an almost clear finish that approximates the color of the bare wood. One way to do this is by adding a tiny amount of "natural" wood stain to a compatible clear finish. Use a glossy-type finish because you want only the finish's resin, not the fine powder that is added to create a matte finish. You will also probably need to dilute the finish with an appropriate solvent to a low viscosity that absorbs well into the plaster.

Apply a light coat of this to the test plaster and let it soak in and dry. You will need to be very methodical in trying varying ratios of stain to finish, viscosities of the finish, and amount applied.

You can always apply another coat of the mixture for more color and better sealing, but you can't undo too much. You will need some amount of sealing everywhere, but a coarse brush might provide a little better simulation of the color variation of a wood surface.

The goal is for the finish to be absorbed and almost seal the plaster. You might try multiple light applications where you wipe off any excess that doesn't immediately absorb, and let the coat dry before applying the next. If some does not absorb and leaves a shiny surface, lightly buff it to matte with very fine grit sandpaper.

Once you have an almost-sealed plaster surface with a color that matches the bare wood, apply a light coat of the stain and immediately wipe off the excess. Let it dry. If the color is too light, apply another coat in a similar fashion.

If the color comes out too dark, you might be able to lighten it a little by using very fine grit sandpaper to lightly buff the surface. Another method that might help is to use an appropriate solvent (as described on the container for cleanup), on a rag and wipe off some of the stain. This may be hard to judge because the cleaning solvent and stain is likely to be partially absorbed into the sealed plaster and can appear darker until it is fully dry.

There are a lot of variables, so to get it right will require a lot of scrap plaster and experimentation to perfect the process before using it on the actual piece.

Unlike with wood, most of the stain will remain a thin surface coating. If the piece will be handled, you may need to apply some type of protective finish coat after the stain is fully dry. This will probably be another area requiring experimentation to avoid the finish coat dissolving some of the previous coatings and creating unexpected patterns or artifacts.


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