Wood staining, anyone really good at it?

[HighLife]

Just wondering guys, who is really good at wood staining?

I got a raw wood stand and i want to stain it...can you give a noobie some advice on the process, items needed, brands of stain etc etc. Im completely lost and helpless when it comes to wood staining.

[Uncle Erik]

Does the stand need any finishing? I'd pick up some 220 and 400 grit sandpaper before finishing. I'd also get a can of mineral spirits or denatured alcohol.

Pour the alcohol or spirits on a rag and wipe it down 3-4 times, letting it dry between coats. This won't take long, maybe 2-5 minutes each time you wipe it, depending on the weather. This cleans out the wood, which sometimes still has sap or other stuff on it. If those are there when you stain, it will come out blotchy.

Next, give it a quick sanding with the grain using 220. When it feels smooth all over, raise the grain. Get a hot cup of water from the sink (hot from the tap, don't worry too much about this), dip a rag in the water, and rub the stand with the grain. You want to get it wet. After it dries,
you'll feel the grain standing up. Sand it back down with the 220 then raise the grain again. It'll only come up a bit the second time, then sand again with 220. This will keep the grain from rising when you stain. After this sanding, use the 400. You can go through high grits if you want it smoother.

Now it'll be ready for stain. There are a few ways to do this (e.g. chemical stains, aniline dyes, water based, alcohol based, and many others) but for simplicity, I like the Minwax oil based stains. Pick the color you like or you could mix colors to get the one you want. Simply wipe on with a cloth, let sit a few minutes, then wipe off the excess. You can do this several times to get the color you want.

Let dry a few days and finish with a polyurethane finish. You can get ones that wipe on and self-level. I think poly is the best for dealing with a potentially sweaty headband. You can also wax the stand after finishing. Like waxing your car, it offers additional protection and looks good.

[HighLife]

Awesome, thanks Eric...i got one of those TTVJ raw wood stands this weekend at Can Jam. I thought it was be awesome to really make it stand out with a few nice staining job.

Is it better to sand and stain with the grain of the wood or against?

Also, i want to get a dark red color...is there a stain for that or do i have to mix something? Im thinking its pine wood, its like a white-ish color.

[Bigguy]

Use the bottom of the stand to check the appearance of the stains before you commit to the visible areas. Stain makers usually have samples of the colors where you purchase it. If it is pine, it will really soak it in quick with not always the best results because it is very open grain. Light even coats work best. Make sure the wood is dust free before any finishes are applied as well as the area where you do the work. Let it settle too, airborne particles are the enemy of a smooth finish. You will still get some but you want to minimize as much as possible.

[HighLife]

thanks for the tips bigguy...im pretty sure its pine...i have a pic of it. I just had to have it =) So todd sold me the only one he brought with him eheh.

[HighLife]

Correction, i think its maple...could still be wrong though.

[cyberspyder]

OH yea, if staining, you might want to try a wash coat of shellac or 'pre-stain' first to reduce blotcheness. Also, what about an oil finish? Something like Watco's Danish Oil or polymerized tung oil?

[leftnose]

Make sure you use a sanding block with large flat surfaces like that.

[HighLife]

hey guys, thanks for all the help.

I have started my stain after doing some steps prior to that.

I started off with 100# and sanded up to 220, then did a final sand of 150 cause i wanted to keep the color dark. I used some hot water and raised the wood 3 times during sanding, letting it dry for a hour.

I did 1 light coat, then let it dry for a few hours, did another coat before i went to sleep last night. Its almost perfect color right now...its still alittle tacky though. Im using Minwax (dark mahogany), which seems to be a oil blend.

I noticed there are some spots where the stain isnt getting to. Its little tiny spots in the wood...im thinkin of sanded it down and doing another coat.

Is it ok to sand the wood once its stained?