After Staining a Table

This mail service shares tips about how to stain and seal wood. Staining and finishing wood is an easy way to make information technology beautiful and durable for whatever project.

How to Stain and Seal Wood: An Easy Tutorial

I love staining wood. It is such an easy way to give a slice more depth or to add together a classic impact to a piece and go far await more than expensive. For instance, the piece I'm working with for this postal service volition be the new height to an Ikea dresser. Major upgrade!

And the process isn't equally difficult as you lot probably recall it is, either. I was intimidated when I first started learning how to stain forest, but I really think staining is an easier process than painting. Applying stain is so forgiving–you don't have to worry near brush strokes because unfinished wood is going to soak in your stain even so it wants to soak it in.

Applying polyurethane afterwards staining is a little trickier, but the ability to sand out issues and apply multiple coats makes it pretty forgiving besides. Then if you want to learn how to stain and cease wood, sit down and get-go taking some notes!

Here's what I'g using for this tutorial:

• A piece of unfinished wood
• Minwax forest stain in Ebony. You can see other colors hither. I like to Google the color to find finished pieces photographed in dissimilar lights. Remember that different woods volition each take on stains a little differently, so only be flexible!
• Minwax polyurethane semi-gloss finish
• A piece of #220 dust sandpaper
• Tack cloth, a rag, and a dispensable brush. You want a cheap brush for oil-based paints so you lot can throw them out when yous're washed. You don't want that stuff going down the drain.
• Miscellaneous: Drop material for piece of work area, screw commuter to open up cans and stir, disposable gloves

(Remember to wearable a mask and eye protection while sanding and working with forest, and clothing an appropriate mask while working with paints, stains, and finishes. Follow the directions and warnings from your particular brand. Do not use any tools without proper training, precautions, and supervision.)

A note on sanding woods earlier staining it…

The piece of woods I'm working with for this tutorial is unfinished. That means that information technology has no primer, paint, or finish of any kind on it. It's okay if you desire to stain a finished piece of forest…you just have to sand everything off first! Forest must exist unfinished to be stained. If it isn't unfinished, the stain won't exist able to soak into the wood.

You lot can utilize an electrical sander, a handle paw sander, or even just a piece of sand paper. Sandpaper comes in grades (or grits). The higher the number, the finer the class. Medium grits are typically best for removing finishes (#120 and #150), and very fine grits (like#220) are used to buff a piece of wood before sanding or between cease coats.

As you're sanding the finish off, use a dry paint brush to brush the dust off every few minutes to monitor your progress. When you've removed the finish completely, brush off the bulk of the dust and wipe downward the unabridged piece using tack cloth.

Beneath are earlier and later photos of a demote I used an electric sander to sand the end off of. In  the second photo, I had completely finished sanding down the tiptop, but I merely gave a low-cal sand to the body since I wasn't staining that part–but painting it.

And hither's how to stain and seal wood:

Step 1: Prep the forest

If yous didn't accept to strip a finish off of your piece, get ahead and use a fine dust (like#220) sandpaper to smooth your piece. Interruption down the edges for a more finished expect. Then, using tack cloth, wipe downwards the piece to remove any small pieces of dust.

Stride two: Apply forest stain

Open and stir your stain. Then, beginning on i side of the piece, get-go painting the stain on in the direction of the forest grain. Yous don't need to use too much; a lilliputian bit goes a long way. If you put a lilliputian flake likewise much on, but gently castor it out over the unstained areas.

Lookout for side drips. (Annotation: I practise non use pre-stain wood conditioner, but if y'all'd like to, here is one that has good reviews.)Make sure you apply your stain in a well-ventilated surface area. Y'all don't desire to exist trapped in a room with this stuff, peculiarly if y'all're using an oil-based stain. I usually stain in the garage with a fan on or outdoors if it's nice enough.

When you've finished painting the stain on, let information technology sit for 5–xv minutes to soak in, then grab your rag and gently wipe the piece down. This removes whatever backlog stain. Add a 2nd glaze if you'd similar the color to soak in a bit more. After this, let the stain dry out for about 24 hours (up to 48 hours if you're working in a super humid environs).

Tip: If yous're working with a smaller piece, you don't need to utilize a brush. Only dip the rag in the stain and wipe it on the piece!

Subsequently staining wood do yous have to seal it?

Yes! Wood stain is beautiful, but it's only half the job. I mean, unless you're using a two-in-one stain and sealer, which I don't trust. Call me onetime fashioned. It's like two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. Sounds like it will salve time, but I question the efficacy. I may be totally wrong, but I am not a fan of ii-in-ones 🙂

Later staining wood, you have to seal if because the woods remains a porous surface. If you're merely using a regular stain, it can provide some degree of protection compared to totally unfinished woods. Merely it isn't skillful enough. If you set up a drinkable on a piece of wood that you've stained past not sealed, for example, it's going to leave water rings that you can't wipe out.

This is why I always recommend using some sort of sealing or finishing method on your stained DIY pieces. A adept finish allows y'all to easily wipe down a piece to keep it looking brand new. Oh—and sealers and finishes frequently requite your piece a dainty polished look, too. Oil-based sealers and finished tin bring out some beautiful colors and wood grain patterns, too.

Piece of stained wood not yet sealed

Just after staining wood, how do I finish it?

So now you know that I recommend sealing wood afterward staining it…only if you're wondering how to end wood after staining it—the answer is, it depends. There are a few ways to seal or finish forest after staining information technology. The preferred method I'll talk well-nigh today is using a polyurethane or polycrylic (oil- or water-based, doesn't matter).

More on this question:

• I as well have a postal service about the differences between polycrylic and polyurethane, as well as how I decided which 1 to apply on my big butcher block unfinished Ikea Gerton wood desk acme.
• Likewise, if you want to read a bit well-nigh protecting wood using oil, check out my post on how to protect unfinished ipe wood using oil.
• I don't always use wax, just it's a mutual method—check out Rockler'due south post for more on that.
• I mentioned I likewise don't use wood conditioners, merely if you want to cheque out more than on that topic, you can mosey over to Minwax's website.

Step 3: Seal or "finish" the stained wood

Subsequently the stain has dried, it's time for the kickoff finishing coat. Remember, you put the stain on unfinished wood, so you need to seal the stain to protect information technology. Open and stir your polyurethane then brush a coat on. Information technology will bubble equally you brush it on. That's okay, just slowly brush over the bubbles to polish them out. Many of the bubbles will too pop every bit the finish dries. Again, lookout man for side drips!

Oil-based polyurethanes tend to be much trickier equally far as dripping does. Monitor the sides of your project and the undersides for about 15 or and so minutes for drips. Even if you grab the first round of drips, more might sneak in every bit the urethane settles. And remember—oil-based stuff STINKS! Work in a well-ventilated surface area and clothing a mask.

Water-based polyurethanes and polycrylics accept much less of a stench. They besides don't drip as badly in my experience, and they are forgiving to apply. AND they dry much, much faster, decreasing the required fourth dimension between coats. All the same, water-based urethanes seem to require more than coats for durability, and if y'all're looking for a deep, high-gloss end, oil-based is the all-time bet.

Step 4: Sand and add more coats every bit necessary

When the first coat of polyurethane dries, catch the #220 grit or higher sandpaper andvery lightly do a quick sand over the entire slice. This will smooth out the surface and get rid of the bubbles that didn't pop when the first coat was drying. Use your fingers to feel the surface earlier and later on sanding to see the divergence.

When y'all're done sanding, wipe downwardly the slice with your tack cloth and apply a second coat of polyurethane. I oftentimes practise 3 coats of oil-based urethane, 4+ of water-based urethane, especially on pieces for my girl. She's a wrecking brawl. Y'all tin can exercise more than coats if you'd like. Just remember to sand lightly between coats.

And that'southward it! Isn't it pretty? It's such a dainty way to upgrade a low-end piece of furniture. I put this on my Ikea Rast dresser to upgrade it. If y'all like woodworking projects that involve staining, bank check out my doll business firm book case build plans, my DIY paver and wood outdoor java tabular array, and our Air-conditioning unit screen.

HAPPY STAINING!!

PIN MY Postal service ABOUT HOW TO STAIN AND SEAL Forest!

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Source: https://www.bybrittanygoldwyn.com/how-to-stain-and-finish-wood-2/

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