Free Tip #7
Posted by Jennifer on Monday, September 7, 2009
Staining Woes
Putting a stain on wood is often a learning experience for the average person. Many of you have probably seen a popular stain comercial or two that show someone streaking a beautiful stain across a piece of wood. The piece all of a sudden is complete with a finish and theres no need to do anything else. But what really happens when you just put a stain on a piece of furniture? 10 times out of 10, the stain will go on as you wish for it to appear as a completed piece but then dry out and lighten in color. The reason behind this is that the stain still needs some sort of finish to go over top of it and enhance its color. Stain is not a finish. Although a new fad of tinted polyurethene is on the market today, I suggest using a stain and then clearcoat. A stain must be locked in with some sort of topcoat finish whether it be wax, poly, water-based or laquor to name a few.
Stain can also run and over lap. The best way to combat this is to use a gel stain. Most oil-based stains tend to really get in the wood grains and give a blotchy appearance. Gel stains give a more uniform color while also maintaining the true color on the can or sample. I like gel stains particularly because they can help blend in poorly grained wood surfaces and also save time in the toning process.
Stain needs to be wiped off as well. This may sound funny to a pro, but some users simply think that they can just wipe it on and leave it. You have to buff or wipe off excess stain.
Last, take your time! If you're staining a chair do a couple spindles at a time or small area. This will give you a better result.
Putting a stain on wood is often a learning experience for the average person. Many of you have probably seen a popular stain comercial or two that show someone streaking a beautiful stain across a piece of wood. The piece all of a sudden is complete with a finish and theres no need to do anything else. But what really happens when you just put a stain on a piece of furniture? 10 times out of 10, the stain will go on as you wish for it to appear as a completed piece but then dry out and lighten in color. The reason behind this is that the stain still needs some sort of finish to go over top of it and enhance its color. Stain is not a finish. Although a new fad of tinted polyurethene is on the market today, I suggest using a stain and then clearcoat. A stain must be locked in with some sort of topcoat finish whether it be wax, poly, water-based or laquor to name a few.
Stain can also run and over lap. The best way to combat this is to use a gel stain. Most oil-based stains tend to really get in the wood grains and give a blotchy appearance. Gel stains give a more uniform color while also maintaining the true color on the can or sample. I like gel stains particularly because they can help blend in poorly grained wood surfaces and also save time in the toning process.
Stain needs to be wiped off as well. This may sound funny to a pro, but some users simply think that they can just wipe it on and leave it. You have to buff or wipe off excess stain.
Last, take your time! If you're staining a chair do a couple spindles at a time or small area. This will give you a better result.