The lost art of Staining

This is a topic that I have been neglecting to post because of the fact that it has become a lost art over the years. I believe it is because of the fact that it is so much more easier to paint over something then to put in the time and effort it takes to do a nice stain. We need to become more old school in our treatment of our wood, and there is no better way then to apply some stain.

I know that some of you are saying to yourselves that you are afraid to mess up and have a horrible looking project well I am going to go over the basic techniques with you to help you do a great stain job every time.

First thing you must do is Prep, this means that whatever the project is(cabinet doors,vanity,kitchen table,etc...) you must sand off the old finish(If there is one)and make sure you are very diligent when doing so,get in all the nooks and crannies so that the wood looks like new. Always sand with  the grain of the wood.Try to sand out any dings and dent that you may find. Start with a medium grade sandpiper and gradually move up to a finer grade.

After you have removed all the old finish you must go over the whole project with a Tack Cloth to make sure there is no dust or debris left to mess up your finish. When you are confident the you have a smooth and dust free project then you can do what were here to do.

Now the fun part the Staining, make sure you have a pair of rubber gloves and a good staining brush to apply the stain. Make sure you brush it on in one direction and don't forget all the nooks and crannies,
don't be afraid to apply too much you will be wiping off the excess. After it is all covered let it dry for about 10 minutes and wipe with a clean rage. Let dry for about 4 hours and apply a second coat if you wish to darken up the color or just let dry over night.

When you are pleased with the finish apply a good Polyurethane(water based or Oil) and your project is complete. Hope this was helpful. Send me pics of projects that you have completed, I would really enjoy seeing them.