Cabot's Stain And Varnish

Please read reviews before buying product – I certainly wish I had read these reviews before buying and using. We wanted to change the colour of the legs of our new lounge suite which were plain pine. It says on the tin that the grain of the wood still shows through - that seems to be untrue. After two coats - recommended by Bunnings - it was just like putting on two coats of gloss paint. … Read more

We now have to return to the lounge suite manufacturer to replace the legs to the orginal - which was honestly much better.

Extremly Poor Quality Product – Extremely difficult to mix thoroughly due to solidified gunk stain ( walnut ) which had settled in the bottom of the can. Took me 45 mins to stir a 1 litre can I applied it to new tassie oak timber I bought for shelving. Had sanded with 180 grit to fine finish and vacuumed all dust etc. Shelves are only 300mm wide but is not possible to maintain… Read more

a wet edge as product dries so quickly even though working in well ventilated shaded area on 25 degree day. Resulted in a very patchy look after one coat - will have to sand heavily in dark splotchy areas in an attempt to obtain some uniformity of colour before the next coat BUT will probably take the product back to Bunnings rather than apply a second coat as so unsatisfactory. DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT

No experience. Good results – I have had no experience with staining and little painting experience. Advice and help from Bunnings Epsom was fabulous. Even went above and beyond to try and match an old stain color. Followed application instructions from the tin and the results were very good. I had no trouble with patchiness or streaks and the second coat went on well. The final result is even and exactly what I had expected. Show details ·  1

A1 Results - Golden Elm – I highly recommend this product, I’ve got a maple veneer door that was lacquered and had an injury that needed some Stain/Varnish, it was the best stain I ever used for touch up purposes, no patches no problems, I stirred it just like tech support said I called tech support and read instruction prior to use, A1 finish for touch up work. It was water based stain and varnish I used for the project.  Show details ·  1

Great stuff! – Just had the window frames done by a Professional and the finish is sensational! Absolutely no complaints - preparation is everything ... quick drying and water clean up ... get back to you in 30 years when the frames need doing again ... Show details ·  1

Bad product – My can was full of gunk and sediment when the Shop person mixed it with stick- being my about 7th can of product I thought that not right- it went on purple dull greyish with sediment which wood not mix in. Dreadful product this Waterbase- don’t use it cos thick an all wrong. Show details

Do not use this terrible product – I prepared a light coloured timber floor exactly to the directions - sanded to bare timber to a 120 grit finish, applied one coat of CFP floor as a sealer and then lightly sanded with 240 grit. I applied one coat of this with an 8mm nap roller and it looked terrible. It was impossible to stop roller marks forming and every movement of the roller… Read more

was visible. I have done a lot of staining/painting etc and this is the worst product I have ever used. I don't see how you could ever stain a floor with this and get a good result. Do NOT use this !

Some experience necessary before using this product – Hi I have just finished 7 pieces of bedroom furniture using Cabot's stain and varnish oil based for the first coat and finishing with Cabot's Clear oil based. Over the years I have painted many pieces of furniture but found this to be the most difficult so get some experience before you take on a big job. Firstly, stir, stir, stir as you go… Read more

because it settles. I found that it is not an option to use the last bit of the can. Leave at least 24 hours between coats. You can thin a little with a few drops of turps Have several plastic pots or containers on hand and only pour out the amount required for the next application. Do not return left over to the can. Make a pad from T shirt material and throw it away after every use. Have spare brushes that you clean regularly- normal, foam, or self made applicators Learn about tipping off Keep the item away from a dusty atmosphere as little nibs will appear in the finish. Probably unavoidable in a domestic household. Takes a long time to cure. Result is OK but has been quite a challenge which does not make me keen to try it again.

Terrible. Will not use it again – I have a wooden kitchen table that is some 25 years old and over the years the stain has become patchy. I decided to clean it up. I bought paint stripper and removed the existing varnish coat (very successfully) and sanded back to the wood. The table was all set to be coated. I bought Cabots 2 in 1 as I thought it would be easier than having to… Read more

stain and the varnish. I applied the first coat and it was a mess. The stain was blotchy leaving broad brush marks and a very uneven colour finish. I wish I had read the reviews before using this product. I will now have to re-strip the table and do it the "proper" way (that is stain first then varnish). Sigh...

Horrible – Agree with Paul B. Even with a good brush and lots of care it is unbelievably streaky. An even colour is one of the only things that matters with a stain and this product fails. More coats just makes it darker but still uneven. Buy a separate stain and a clear finish. The 2 in 1 product is hopeless. Show details

Terrible second coat – Same problem as Paul B on 6th Feb. Same brush as well. Stain separating out in small globules. The first coat went on brilliantly, the second coat 24 hours went off fast and is terrible. I will now have to do it again. I am doing this indoors at 22 degrees. Not happy Show details

Terrible product – Applied to wood veneer drawer fronts. Took ages to dry (days at 15-20°C), then the 3rd coat lifted the previous coats so I'm going to have to start again. Its doesn't go properly hard, what a terrible product. In this day and age, you'd think a better formulation was possible. Wouldn't recommend and I'll take it back. Wish I had read the other reviews first. Show details

Terrible finish – I wanted to stain newly made Pine furniture, Plantation Pine being traditionally hard to stain or dye due to uneven density , I decided to try a 2 in one product. On application found the product doesn't flow evenly leaving the finish streaky, almost like the stain pigment separates from the varnish even if you brush it out, after a 24 hour dry… Read more

time, I lightly sanded the product smooth with p240 , removed the dust and gave it a good wipe down with a damp Turp soaked clean rag and let dry completely, thinking once the timber was sealed with the first coat it may flow better, I applied the second coat, this turned out even worse, the product appearance was even more streaky and uneven than the first coat, and seem to tack off way too fast, I gave up after coating a couple of panels,

Then I Googled the product reviews.........seems I'm not the only one who has had issues with finish The brush I am using is a good quality Monarch for oil based paints, turps is the Diggers brand from Bunnings, Auckland Temperature is 24 deg, humidity is 49%

I decided as a last resort before completely sanding it back and starting again to spray apply it, Cabots say "we don't recommend to spray this product" but believe me it but this is the ONLY way to apply this product to get a acceptable finish. I used a 1.8mm tip in a Devilbiss pro gravity feed gun, product thinned with turps 5% I wont be using this product again, back to traditional dyes and polyurethane

Bad product – I wish I'd read these reviews before using this product. I used Stain and Varnish (cedar/oil based) it to varnish a window frame. Product came out much, much darker than I expected (ie than the display sample in Bunnings). I gave it two coats as directed on the instructions. It looks like brown paint. It took days to strip back the old varnish… Read more

and sand down the window frame, only for it to be ruined by this product. I would definitely not recommend Stain and Varnish to anyone. It's too risky both from a cost point of view (buying a product that's nothing like the sample) and from a time point of view (hours wasted).

Horrible product, needs to be pulled off the shelf and reformulated! – I purchased the cabots stain & varnish in colour ‘hickory’ to restore some pine dressers. After spending a good 20 minutes stirring the gunk from the bottom of the tin, I applied with a brush/wipe technique as per the instructions. However, the formula left the timber looking mouldy, rotten and totally uneven! Timber was evenly sanded & wiped… Read more

before application. I ended up restarting because I thought i might have done something wrong, but same result second time! Hoping to get a refund as this is ridiculous.

A difficult profuct to work with – I found this profuct to be very difficult to get an even colour. I if there was any overlap the colour became darker. I had to work fast as the finish dried to a tacky consistency and that ment working at a faster pace than I wanted to. I made a blanket box from New Zealand pine and found the moulding or end grain was darker than the rest. Over all I would not choose this product again due to the above . Rob. Show details

Beware of this product – Bought Cabot's Stain & Varnish Oil Cedar for two counter tops in in the downstairs unit. Both wooden counter tops were new. Wish I had read the reviews first as they are both ruined. This product is impossible to spread without blotches and brush marks, it is far too thick. Also no matter how much you mix it in the tin the stain comes out in… Read more

patches, which you have to try a mix with the brush on the surface. For the second coat I purchased a top of the range varnish brush which did help, but not enough to make it a success. I have varnished floors professionally for years and have never used such a terrible product. If you plan on using the Cabot's Cabothane over the top, read the product review first as it also gets 2/5 stars. Emailed my complaint to Cabot's and never got a reply. In retrospect I would stain first then use a good quality clear varnish over the top, just not Cabot's.

Beware this product ruined my timber floor! – Brand new timber floor. Bought Cabots water stain. Like previous reviewer says d it goes on unevenly. The floor is now a series of blotchy patches looks absolutely crap. Person who applied it has been using stains for 40 years never seen a product that was so rubbish. I would never ever use again! We can’t sand it off so I’m not sure what to do now except put carpet over it :) Show details

Extremely disappointed - would never use again or recommend this product – I had a brand new door, side panel both with 'heavy' timber mouldings and door frame fitted and I chose this product because I have been using Cabots stains etc for over 40 years and always been more than happy. I searched TouTube for videos for both how to 'paint' a paneled door and how to apply this product and found a few which I watched and… Read more

took note of iformation which would help me before starting the job.

I gave the entire surfaces a light sanding using 180 grit paper before the the first coat and also a light sanding using 240 grit paper after the first coat.

Firstly I found this product extremely difficult to apply evenly resulting in some areas being darker than others and although it states to use LIBERALLY on the label it resulted I had difficulty preventing runs even using a lightly loaded Shur-Line (brand) synthetic brush. It also dried VERY quickly especially on the first coat which made blending from the new area being painted to the previously painted area almost impossible unless working extremely fast even though I limited each new area to probably by panel. I have now applied THREE coats (as per the label) and it still looks 'blotchy' but as it is semi-transparent I don't think a fourth coat will fix that.

I spent nearly $3000 for the door and side panel and fitting and I am very unhappy with how it looks.

As mentioned above I have been using Cabot's products for over 40 years but I don't know if I would ever use them again. I have never had such problems using stains, varnishes or paint either oil or water based in the past.

Maybe if the product was applied with a spray gun it might work better but using a brush was virtually a disaster.

I would never recommend this product.

Cabots did see my review and contacted me and asked for more information and photos to be sent which I did. I was then contacted and advised that my 'case' would be passed onto other people at Cabot's It is now over 2 weeks since that was advised to me. Surely 2 weeks is long enough to wait so I have given up on them. Maybe after viewing my photos which didn't show the problem as clearly as with the 'eye' as often photos don't they considered that the uneven darkness/lightness (blotchy appearance) was within acceptable (to them) standards.

To be avoided IMHO – Bought this from Bunnings a couple of days ago. I live in a unit and had a new external door fitted. Bare timber. I gave it a light sand to smooth out any imperfections. Wiped it down thoroughly with a dry cloth so that there was no residual sanding dust on the surface. Applied one coat of Cabots, Australian Red Cedar, exactly as instructed on a… Read more

sunny day with low humidity. 24 hours later the surface is still tacky and the finish is awful. I will give it another coat after the first coat dries and see if that improves it. A very poor product. Cannot recommend.

Awful finish , very disappointing – I used this product 5+ years ago to recoat doors and windowframes on our 100 year old home. Previous products unknown. On this occasion the results were outstanding. Currently am recoating the rimu kitchen cabinets. What a mess. I have sanded until old product was removed x 2. Changed the brush.Stired the tin everytime I remove the lid, so its… Read more

well mixed .Stripes is all I get. This doesn't seem to be the same product that I have previously used, although it is in the same can, same finish. I have now applied it to unfinished shelf and it seems to draw out something in the natural timber. Timber is not tanalised . It went on well, then it went stupid. I'm unimpressed. Wont use this again. This is my 4th, 1 litre can. I'm very disappointed, it's not like I don't know what I'm doing or am a newbie at this.

Disappointing outcome – I used this product on my coffee table, the reason why i chose stain and varnish is that it is easy to apply and quick to dry as i was advised at bunnings however it took me almost 2 weeks to finish my project cause i had sand it and paint it twice here is a list of pros and cons Pros -Easy to apply -Quick dry Cons -Patchy finish -Brush strokes… Read more

-You have to apply many coats to get a darker look minimum 7 coates. - You loose the natural grain or look of the real wood. - easy to get scratches.

Not recommended at all.

Very patchy ..stripped effect ..flat and shiny stripes – 3 coats ...light sanding in between with at least 8 hours drying time between coats. I now have a striped walnut dining table. Any tips how I can flatten the gloss without having to strip it back and start again with a different product. Show details

What a shocker of a product! – This Cabots Stain and Varnish is an absolute horror show of a product. I will never ever use Cabots again. The Stain is almost like that Primary Paint you give to kids about 6 years old. Do not destroy your furniture with this product. After two coats it has a putty like finish that needs to be scraped off, not sanded because it just clogs up. And… Read more

yes it was properly dried for 3 days before i removed it. If i lived near the Cabots Factory i'd throw the rest of it through their window.

Undesirable outcome – Should have not trusted the in-store sample, as per other reviews came out mission brown, destroyed my brand new front door. Cedar does in fact look like brown paint not the rich red display sample of stain. Have no idea what to do now unfixable. Show details

Terrible finish – Wish I had read reviews before buying and using this product. It does not enhance the timber and looks as other reviewers have stated like mission brown. Absolute rubbish, but the old stain then varnish products not easily available very disappointed and won't trust Cabots again. Show details

Poor product. Expensive, and waste of money – Absolute garbage. Followed instructions to the letter. End product was an uneven colour coverage looking terrible. Sanded back as per instructions and applied second coat. Still rubbish. Colour had no depth at all. Ended up removing the whole lot and did it again using stain only then clear coat (using a different product) Show details

Perfect for my project! – I made a large picture frame and used the walnut gloss and could not be more satisfied! I applied it with a rag and it is perfect. I have had many compliments. Show details ·  1

Great product. Requires care though – Paint drying times and application were as per the can. While it can be time-saving, you have to follow the tin directions and be patient. If you rush it you'll wreck it. I learnt that the hard way. I had a bit of an issue with brush strokes initially. I worked out I had been applying it too thick, a cheap brush didn't help. Switched to a roller… Read more

for my next attempt and much happier with the result. Sanding with 240 grit between coats has left me with a glass-like finish. If you exceed the three-coat system it literally looks like there is a pane of glass covering the surface. Bear in mind this is polyurethane so feels plasticky compared to more traditional finishes, particularly if applied thick. For best results, allow time for it to fully cure then sand between coats.