How to Stain Wood

[Datmothafacker]

i bought an AK 47 with wooden stocks, looks very pale, dull and boring. i saw some people stain the wood to bring out a dark cherry color, how would i go about that?

[le9it9amer]

I'm using this to make a corner office table

[JohnWrot]

Great video! I wish all posts were as straight-forward and helpful as this one. And God Bless You and your Wife! Yay Marriage! : )

[QuentinLars]

thanks for posting this.. very helpful. however I have a snag. the person I'm helping didn't wipe at all which gives the wood a lacquered appearance. the oak that you stained looked great after you wiped it.

[MrNightwings74]

I actually made a mistake of adding too much stain and i didn't whipe the ecess stain that i added. I achieved a nice very dark walnut look so i learned alot from your video thanks i subbed. Hey guys if you overstain its ok you can always sand and repeat the process.

[bigdio2]

after staining the wood to make the grain darker could you cover it all in a coloured varnish

[gratefuldeadQPO]

Can I brush on lacquer instead of polyurethane? Which looks better?

Thanks

[HomeAdditionPlus]

@gratefuldeadQPO I prefer the polyurethane.

[edgewalker02]

@gratefuldeadQPO I've heard that poly is more durable, but though lacquer shows wear faster, lacquer can be reapplied without sanding, and/or buffed to remove shallow damage or scratches. The application process is different. Lacquers are in solvents that can be hazardous. It dries faster and needs more ventilation. The type/amount of color imparted is different too. There are several products that are called "lacquer" that are fairly different, so make sure you know what you're buying.

[supercooled]

Why is wiping the stain off after every coat a necessary step? You mentioned in another comment that it helps or prevents a darker stain but I'm actually trying to achieve that look. I have some furniture from Ikea which are what they call Dark Brown Beech/Birch and it's the look I'm going after. The item I want to stain comes in unvarnished "solid wood" what ever that means. Also is there a difference in sanding before or after staining? Some of the edges are a little rough so I will sand

[HomeAdditionPlus]

@supercooled You can leave the stain on longer to darken up the wood, however, you should still wipe it down to ensure an even distribution of it on the wood.

[XCyclonusX]

I have a balsa wood project I stained. I applied 3 coats waiting and sanding 6 hours between each coat and throughly wiping it with the grain between each coat. Its now been drying for almost two days and I still get traces of stain on my fingers if I touch it. Because its balsa if I apply any more pressure to it when I wipe the excess from the wood I fear I might break it. Will stain always do this until I apply polyurethane?

[HomeAdditionPlus]

@XCyclonusX I have never stained balsa wood so I can not really comment on this. Hopefully someone else on this channel can lend some advice.

[scrappmutt2]

Do you just throw away the rag after wiping the excess or clean it in a washing machine?

[HomeAdditionPlus]

@scrappmutt2 Lay it out fully on a bench or equivalent and let it dry. Once dry throw it away. Leaving it wet and bundled up in a trash can could cause it to self-ignite.

[scrappmutt2]

@HomeAdditionPlus I built and stained the desk I'm sitting at and went through 2 or 3 rolls of paper towels doing it. Just seemed like such a waste. Guess thats the price paid for a superb finish. Thanks for the reply

[monsterman1122]

do i need to wipe the wood after every layer?

[HomeAdditionPlus]

@monsterman1122 Yes you should

[aburrajan]

i also created a hole in the drywall in my closet, can u tell me how can i put up a new dry wall...appreciate the help thanks

[HomeAdditionPlus]

@aburrajan Do a search on my video about repairing large drywall holes. If it is a small hole, then you can patch it using some fiberglass mesh tape and some joint compound. Just apply multiple layers of joint compound and sand either in between the coats of joint compound or at the very end. With each new coat of joint compound fan it out a little more.

[aburrajan]

hey mark, thanks for the informative upload...i stained the window frames in my house and i did get the color i wanted, i had done this before watching the video and i realised that i did not wipe down the wood after applying the coats, is that going to affect the wood adversely in anyway? i appreciate the help thanks

[HomeAdditionPlus]

@aburrajan No. if you got the color you wanted your fine. Wiping off the excess helps to prevent the wood from getting too dark and for shortening the drying time.

[PowerOnWheels]

what if you spray painted the wood and then try to stain the wood.Is it possible to work to see the wood stain after you spray painted it?

[HomeAdditionPlus]

There are stains that you can spray on with spray cans. Surf the net and you'll find a few vendors.

[WakingTheDemon132]

@PowerOnWheels ya but its gonna take some time and alot of striper

[AlgisKemezys]

Great now I can make a stained porch this afternoon.

[CompassionateBishop]

My mom and I just bought a new door. Before we got a chance to stain and finish it water got on it and is now this light purpleish colour. I have yet to find a way to get it out. The wood is mahogony. If we are to pretreat it and then stain it with a few coats of a natural colour will it still be visable? I have tried google and there is nothing!

[jws54]

Here is how I do it. First,sand the damaged part with400 grit,wet/dry paper.Go light like a surgeon, not heavy like a butcher.Sand with the grain.You are feathering the edges. Next I use powdered aniline dye dissolved in it's medium, to color in the repair using an artist's brush. I start light in color. I seal with an are-sol of lacquer sanding sealer.Light coats. I use more color with a fine artist's brush.This builds up the repaired feathered edges. Top coat with are-sol lacquer, adjust sheen

[HomeAdditionPlus]

@jws54 Thanks for the tip!

Mark

[jws54]

@HomeAdditionPlus

You are most welcome. You may want to check out MOWHAWK finishing products.

They have many things to make problems disappear. It's an RPM company, which must be the parent co. of many smaller lines like Behlen and James Day.

There is excellent instruction available there, and like anything, several ways to tackle a problem. A friend told me years ago to start light in color, as the most common mistake is to go too dark. Which I have done several times.

Thank you.

[smilevtstyle]

hi, i have a dilemma. i placed the lid to my acetone bottle on my dining room table and it ate away the finish in the shape of the lid. is there a way i can just fix that one area without restaining the entire table?

[HomeAdditionPlus]

I had the same thing happen, and I have yet to figure out a way to fix the table.

[jws54]

@smilevtstyle

Yes. there is a way to make a repair that will be acceptable.

[HomeAdditionPlus]

@jws54 Please provide some details on how to make the repair.

Mark

[NASIMNASIM]

i was trying to stain my stairs...and I actually painted the stain on..and never wiped off the excess with a rag...It took almost 4 days to dry..Thanks for the post..

[Magnitude101]

this is a real job for staining thanks heaps really helped me in my new portadavis home

[777savva]

i'm going to stain my new stairsase treads, very helpfull, thanks..

[Jesushobo]

Question:

If I am using hard wood in a light natural color, can I successfully use an ebony stain? Also, will it get dark enough if I apply enough layers?

If I am applying it to wood that will be handled constantly, does it wear down if I don't apply a clear coat?

[HomeAdditionPlus]

I would suggest trying a sample of the wood. Either a separate piece, or on the backside of the furniture.

Stain soaks in to the grain, so unless the grain is removed from constantly handling I do not believe the stain will wear down. This said, I still think you should put a clear coat over the stain for protecting the wood.

[wiggs1982]

For any of you who are applying MinWax to your wood floors, make sure you at least abrade or remove the old polyurethane. I have had to fix this mistake made by many customers.

[dfmy111]

thanks good job

[scrappmutt2]

This may be a stupid question, but what do you do with the rag after you wiped it off? Throw it in the washer and reuse? i went through a whole roll plus of paper towels staining my desk, seemed like such a waste.

[HomeAdditionPlus]

I typically allow the rag time to fully dry out and then throw it away.

[q1s3d45g6]

So your using your contractor saw as a workbench?

[HomeAdditionPlus]

It is an old contractor saw without the saw in it. It works great!!

[countdown2xstacy]

What stain should i use for an indoor handrail oil base or water base ??

[MarcoTUV]

both are good options water based dyes faster but have no shine

so if you use water based maybe you want to use clear varnish one coat for medium shine or many 3 or more coats for "acrylic look"

cheers

[abrayer21]

can you use a water based conditioner, and then an oil based stain? i want to do it right, but i'd hate to buy a whole new can of stain for such a small project.

[PeaCocksDude]

very helpful thanks

[belalaszlo65]

Thank you for the clear and helpful directions. Great stuff!

[williamjhitchcock]

Thnx!

[6of6]

Nice. Thank you.

[kay139o]

is this a water base stain?

[HomeAdditionPlus]

It is an oil based stain.