Couple questions about staining the stand

[Reggae Fish]

Well, I'm going to try to get this stand/tank up soon. Just a lot of distractions and I just need to focus a bit.

Besides the stain, do I need to seal it??? I know that may sound stupid but I've never stained anything.

I'm going with marine paint for the canopy inside. What should I all do in the marine paint? Should I use the paint or the stain on the "piano style" door of the canopy? If I do the paint, I'll see white when I open it.

Can I stain inside if I open some windows? I'm a little worried about dust, etc... in the garage

 

[marino420td]

I recommend getting a wood conditioner and applying it before the stain. This is a thin liquid that will help the stain take evenly so there are no dark splotches. Use a good stain (not a stain and polyurethane all in one) and test on scrap pieces of wood so you will know how long to leave it on to get the color tone you want.

After the stain dries thoroughly, I would run some 600 grit sandpaper over it then use a tack rag to clean off the dust.

This is where the fun begins. I would apply several coats of polyurethane to seal it. I used a water based polyurethane on my stand and it worked great. It dried really fast and was easy to clean out of the brush. After each coat dries, again sand with 600 grit paper, wipe clean with tack rag and do it all over again. At least 3 coats, more if you have the time and patience.

Oh and buy a good, quality brush to apply the poly with. It will cost you a little bit but it is worth it. Don't use a cheap brush. You can even use one of those sponge brushes if you like.

The trick to getting a smooth finish is to use long, light brush strokes. Apply the poly then very lightly take the brush the entire length of your workpiece to smooth out the brush marks. Good sanding between coats is a pain, but very necessary for a smooth finish.

Here is a link to Minwax's how to website. Excellent reference material.

http://www.minwax.com/how-to/basics/

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[pewter_jean]

OK, you know what my important bit of advice is. No sense in making me live through that again.:eek2: :eek1: