Has anyone ever used wood stain to change the color of cork handles? Would like to know if this is OK.
Just want to add you have a great site and Ive learned a lot for a new rodbuilder.
Thanks Peter
Fort Myers FL

Wood stain will work , but if you sand it, it will go back to cork color. Not very many things penetrate cork very deep, unless you use a vacuum chamber.

Peter-
Curious about the same thing recently and tried some on some scrap-filler in cork did not take stain as well as the cork did. You might try on some extra-but I would guess that it should be same type/same vendor as what you intend to use so that the fillers are the same. I broke a piece after it dried and what Tim says is so-I was surprised how little it penetrated. The U-40 cork seal will darken the cork a little, that's something else you could try.

Peter,
If you do a SEARCH here (click on the SEARCH button in the red bar at the top of the message list) and type in cork stain and select ALL DATES, you will get 386 posts dealing with staining cork.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

tested it a few years ago...quite happy with the result, i put on a good layer of stain and let it sit till almost dry then wiped it off...left to dry and repeated...

still have the original here and without any protction there is minimal fade...did 1 for a client and he rubed bee's wax onto the cork to protect it after the cork was dry and it still looks fresh...

HOTRODS - Perrie Thomas Custom Rods
[www.perrieshotrods.com]

Here is a picture of some cork grips that I did a few years ago using Minwax stain [www.rodbuilding.org]


I applied 1 coat of Minwax oil base stain, let that dry overnight and then 1 coat of Satin Minwax Spar Urethane. Let that dry overnight and then buff with #0000 super fine steel wool. The final texture does not seem to differ much from that of the cork without any finish and it doesn't rub off or stain the hand. Have had good luck using this method and it seems to hold up over time well.

Bob
La Pine, Oregon