Try "MinWax" oil base wood stains. That's what I use on some projects. It's been on some of my planters and wall tiles for years. Can't imagine why or how you are scruffing your pieces with your finger nails. My fingernails, when I have them, would break! And I'm not usually sliding my planters around, just lift and place. Billie

Thanks Billie,

I will try the oil based instead of the water based wood stains.

The reason I even tried the fingernail thing is because I noticed that just by lying a piece on its side to work on or whatever, when I sat it back up there are spots where the color has come off on the side that had been touching the table. So I tried to scratch with my fingernails and sure enough the color scratches off quite easily. I don't have much in the way of fingernails either, it's just that easy to scuff off the color.

A

When I'm painting or staining and have to lay the area that's been painted on a hard surface to paint the other side, I lay it on an old towel. Billie

I live in rainy hot tropics.... the cement gets a full beating and all kinds of wood stains would pop off the surface in a month. I decided at that point to start some serious studies..and the books say do not use oil based and or...paints that have large amount of chemicals. This is where I got it that you have to use paint and cement pigments and add cement to a ranch dressing state....I do add bonding agents at times. If the item is old cement it will stick better so I alway tell people it is better to let it sit a year or two if you can wait. I read somewhere that to use a water based matt spar varish... as some pigment are on the surface....the water base varish will bond with the cement instead of sit on the top... I have yet to see, but walking on it every day...plus the weather it has yet to pop or even discolor. I put my objects on turn tables...yes I made some big ones....but until they are fully dry you can get nicks and paint knocked off. For items that are not exposed to alot of abuse...I use water based paints and a matt spray fixative....note a art museum restorative told me it is great chemically. WE will see...smile.
Di