We annually tend to a fair number of stake blinds that are 12 feet wide, four feet deep, and about six foot high across the back -- a fair amount of square footage. I am looking for a cost-effective way to coat both new construction blinds and some of our older ones with a flat, dark stain or paint that is inexpensive enough to justify purchase but will still provide some good protection. We have been living off the "oops" shelves at the local HD and Lowe's, but painting 36 sheets of plywood for new builds this year, it seems like there ought to be a better way. The good stuff (heavy stain with the long life) is going for $166 for five gallons, and that is a little rich for the program. Anybody got any ideas for mixing/stretching/blending/buying cheap that would help? Thanks, Rufus
Looking for cheap blind paint/stain ideas
- Thread starter R T Brinn
- Start date
Capt Rich Geminski
Well-known member
Go to your local painting contractor. Usually have gallons of odd stuff. My local guy puts out pallets of odd stuff annually when it warms up. When mixed up, usually comes out grey. We use scrap rubber roofing from contractors.
Chuck J
Well-known member
Rufus
My old boss had a nasty recipe for a stain he used on plywood end walls of greenhouses, if I recall, it was one part tar based basement coating and one part diesel fuel. I think he used creosote until he couldn't get it any more. It was very dark, very unpleasant to work with, and stayed a bit tacky...but it was cheap. You might try upping the diesel portion a bit and letting it dry in the summer sun. I defiantly wouldn't use in on seats or anything you will lean on regularly.
Chuck
My old boss had a nasty recipe for a stain he used on plywood end walls of greenhouses, if I recall, it was one part tar based basement coating and one part diesel fuel. I think he used creosote until he couldn't get it any more. It was very dark, very unpleasant to work with, and stayed a bit tacky...but it was cheap. You might try upping the diesel portion a bit and letting it dry in the summer sun. I defiantly wouldn't use in on seats or anything you will lean on regularly.
Chuck
Jeff Reardon
Well-known member
Chuck J
Well-known member
Jeff
Usually environmentally friendly and cheap do not go hand in hand...that said, I think I'd want any oil based stain to be sun-baked before putting in where it was in or pretty much on the water. And I did preface my post with the fact that this stuff is nasty...like decoy with a pole up it's bung NASTY.
Just trying to be helpful...
Chuck
Dennis Smith
Active member
I would try Thompson's Waterseal and try to get some powder stain or something to color it. You could and use a powder stain for denatured alcohol and, after it dries, coat it with Waterseal. You could a plastic pump sprayer to apply it.
.
.
Thanks for the ideas -- already working on trying to get some contractor "seconds". Given the fact that the blinds are over/adjacent to federal waterways with lots of visibility and participation by trained federal biologists and others, reasonably sure the do-it-yourself creosote would earn some unwanted recognition, probably with a citation -- and not the big fish kind! Thanks, Rufus