how.to.properly.stain.wood.pdf
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How To Properly Stain/Finish Wood

Pictures of Furniture Woods

More Photos of Furniture Woods

The purpose of wood stain is to make cheaper wood look like expensive wood!

For the love of all things that are good in this world, DO NOT STAIN walnut, cherry, mahogany or any other expensive hardwood! Only use finish to enhance its natural beauty.

Softwoods (ex. pine) do not take dark stains well, typically because of the sap content.

Lighter Colored Hardwoods (ex. white oak & ash) are the best woods to stain because they are porous.

Minwax Wood Stain Colors

There are two types of stain: oil-based and water-based stain.

You can tell the dark spots are where the curved part is not sanded enough before staining.

This could be the sap content or the stain was not evenly applied.

Your stain will be blotchy if you have dried glue in the pores of your wood. Make sure you wipe this off before the glue dries during your glue-up time.
Your stain may also become blotchy if you use too much stain, or you do not properly sand your project during prep time.

You can always put more stain on, However you cannot take stain off!

Use 80, 120, and 220 before sanding. Many times you will spend more time staining/finishing that the time you spent constructing your project.

Use 0000 steel wool or sandpaper with grit 400 or above to sand between coats of finish to get the sawdust out of your finish and make it less bumpy to the touch.

Wet sanding is just getting your wood wet, which makes the wood expand and swell, and sanding the wood. This will make your surface even smoother.

Polyurethane Finish comes in four varieties. (shown above) Polyurethane is basically liquid plastic (until it dries on your project). Because it is a chemical, you need good ventilation to use this project. Open the back door if you are finishing with Poly.

Shellac is actually a natural product (it's made from combining a secretion from the female lac bug with a solvent such as alcohol). It comes in liquid or solid form. Shellac is very forgiving finish and perfect for beginner woodworkers. If dissolved with enough denatured alcohol, the shellac will self level itself and you can put several thin layers on for a finish. 

Videos how to use oil based stain.

Two common finishes that are food-safe are mineral oil and beeswax. You would apply this to any woodworking project that will be in contact with wood. (You do not want to eat plastic!)

Water-based paints are often known as latex or acrylic.

Oil-based paints are often known as enamel.

You need mineral spirits to clean a brush that has been saturated with oil-based paints.

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Cleaning up after you stain/finish your project.
1. Make sure the lid is properly on the stain can.
2. Put the Paint or Stain back in the Paint cabinet.
3. Put the paint can opener away if you used one.
4. If you used a rag, throw it away.
5. If you used disposable gloves, throw them away.
6. If you used a water-based stain or paint, wash your brush out.
7. Set your project somewhere where no one will run into it and get wet paint/stain on them.
8. Wipe off the counter top and floor if you made a mess.