Advice on staining wood?
- Thread starter becact
- Start date
. After applying the poly, I sanded it down with 0000 steel wool, then waxed it with car wax. It looks great!
flyguy1821
Member
Personally, I have never used automotive wax on woodwork but if the results look good, so be it. I have used beeswax polish before and was pleased with the results. Here is a link for some.
Beeswax Polish
Beeswax Polish
Well, I didn't actually polish and wax the stained wood, I polished and waxed the polyurethane. When I was finished with the poly, it looked glazed over and plasticy. The look of the poly interfered with the look of the wood, in my opinion. Also, the poly didn't appear 100% even, being a little more glossy in some areas than others. Maybe I applied it wrong, but that's the way it was.
I discovered the steel wool and wax method by searching on google for ways to finish poly. Some people also say to sand down the poly with 1000 or 2000 grit sandpaper, but it wasn't necessary for me.
I sanded the poly with the steel wool until the appearance of the poly was totally uniform. When I wiped up the steel wool shavings and poly dust with a damp cloth, tack cloth, and then mineral spirits, the finish looked matte. The I simply waxed the poly with a motorcycle wax I had laying around called S100. It is one of the best carnauba waxes out there.
The result is that the wood really comes through now with no interference from the poly. It just looks like very nice, oiled and shiny wood, with the benefit of the protection of poly and the wax (water resistance).
Here are a few photos! I installed new hinges and knobs, too.
That little strip of molding on the canopy is hiding the seam where I extended it. It was only about 6" high before, now I have about a foot of clearance for my lights.
Just for a comparison, here is what the stand looked like initially. You can see how much molding I added, I think it really makes the stand look more elegant!
I discovered the steel wool and wax method by searching on google for ways to finish poly. Some people also say to sand down the poly with 1000 or 2000 grit sandpaper, but it wasn't necessary for me.
I sanded the poly with the steel wool until the appearance of the poly was totally uniform. When I wiped up the steel wool shavings and poly dust with a damp cloth, tack cloth, and then mineral spirits, the finish looked matte. The I simply waxed the poly with a motorcycle wax I had laying around called S100. It is one of the best carnauba waxes out there.
The result is that the wood really comes through now with no interference from the poly. It just looks like very nice, oiled and shiny wood, with the benefit of the protection of poly and the wax (water resistance).
Here are a few photos! I installed new hinges and knobs, too.
That little strip of molding on the canopy is hiding the seam where I extended it. It was only about 6" high before, now I have about a foot of clearance for my lights.
Just for a comparison, here is what the stand looked like initially. You can see how much molding I added, I think it really makes the stand look more elegant!
Reefjeeper
New member
That looks Great! I hope my staining looks that good when I start mine. It's kind of scarey thinking about messing up all the expensive oak with a bad stain job. I think I might had that part of the project over to my sister who's the staining kid in the family. She has that knack for finding cool old furniture in dumpsters and refinishing them to look amazing.
I can't wait to see the whole tank together becact!!
Ryan
I can't wait to see the whole tank together becact!!
Ryan
Well, the good thing is that if you mess up, you can always sand it down and start over!
Some lessons I learned:
-Many thin coats are better than trying to get it all on at once.
-Applying the stain with a rag is the way to go. Put it on thin enough so you don't need to use a brushing motion except maybe for your last coat (ie- rub it completely in).
-If you mess up and the stain is too thick, wipe it up with mineral spirits before it dries completely. It's way easier to get up when it's semi-wet than when it dries. If it dries you'll need to sand it off!
-When sanding between stain coats or sanding the poly between coats, sand very lightly so as not to go through the stain (I did this a few times, but it is barely noticeable). I used 320 grit, but I would suggest maybe 600 grit to lessen this chance.
-Brush from the center into the recessed parts like internal corners and molding edges, don't start at them or stain and poly will pool there.
You can also buy a cheap little wood table and try that first before going all out on the stand! Try to find one that has lots of crevices and nooks and crannies, so you can experience trying to stain these challenging areas.
Some lessons I learned:
-Many thin coats are better than trying to get it all on at once.
-Applying the stain with a rag is the way to go. Put it on thin enough so you don't need to use a brushing motion except maybe for your last coat (ie- rub it completely in).
-If you mess up and the stain is too thick, wipe it up with mineral spirits before it dries completely. It's way easier to get up when it's semi-wet than when it dries. If it dries you'll need to sand it off!
-When sanding between stain coats or sanding the poly between coats, sand very lightly so as not to go through the stain (I did this a few times, but it is barely noticeable). I used 320 grit, but I would suggest maybe 600 grit to lessen this chance.
-Brush from the center into the recessed parts like internal corners and molding edges, don't start at them or stain and poly will pool there.
You can also buy a cheap little wood table and try that first before going all out on the stand! Try to find one that has lots of crevices and nooks and crannies, so you can experience trying to stain these challenging areas.
Reefjeeper
New member
Great idea on the cheap table, I have an old oak end table that would be great to practice on. I will do that!
tongabranch
New member
I guess its a little late but, maybe others will read this too...
BIG +1 on the guy who said the grain was closed up from the 220 sanding..very true!! Thats why the wood gagged on the stain.
Also, way too much use of mineral spirits. It is not a good idea to use mineral spirits to wipe the wood after sanding. Just use a damp cloth, then let it dry( again, right on cabinet shop owner). A wood conditioner is good for softer woods, it won't do any harm on oak, so use it if you want. Its aways a good idea to use a sanding sealer before you poly. It raises the grain ( similar to the damp cloth), and will draw out any left over particles.
Apply ANY oil base product ( stain, poly, varnish, etc) with a good quality, china bristle brush. Stain may also be applied with a rag, a little old school action.
Do Not wipe your poly with mineral spirits after. It will make it look chalky/faded....think about it.
spraying on your poly is a very nice way to finish your project. the only draw back is. You will not be able to go back and touch up the poly later (with a brush), without it showing up ( scratches, accidents, etc.). The spray finish will have to be touched up with a sprayer. Hard to do to with a tank in place. The spray and brush textures show up differently. Both are nice....spraying on multiple thin coats is the factory look.
Hope this helps someone.
long time carpenter
BIG +1 on the guy who said the grain was closed up from the 220 sanding..very true!! Thats why the wood gagged on the stain.
Also, way too much use of mineral spirits. It is not a good idea to use mineral spirits to wipe the wood after sanding. Just use a damp cloth, then let it dry( again, right on cabinet shop owner). A wood conditioner is good for softer woods, it won't do any harm on oak, so use it if you want. Its aways a good idea to use a sanding sealer before you poly. It raises the grain ( similar to the damp cloth), and will draw out any left over particles.
Apply ANY oil base product ( stain, poly, varnish, etc) with a good quality, china bristle brush. Stain may also be applied with a rag, a little old school action.
Do Not wipe your poly with mineral spirits after. It will make it look chalky/faded....think about it.
spraying on your poly is a very nice way to finish your project. the only draw back is. You will not be able to go back and touch up the poly later (with a brush), without it showing up ( scratches, accidents, etc.). The spray finish will have to be touched up with a sprayer. Hard to do to with a tank in place. The spray and brush textures show up differently. Both are nice....spraying on multiple thin coats is the factory look.
Hope this helps someone.
long time carpenter
