WoodWorkers Guild of America » General Discussion

1. 

   gbreton
   

   member
   Joined: May '12
   Posts: 13

   I'm still a newbie at woodworking. I have nearly finished a coffee table that I plan on staining. I have seen all kinds of recommendations on the internet and hoped to get some resolution here.

   First, to what final grit should I sand? I've read that going too fine can lead to closed pores that won't accept the stain well.

   Second, is there anything in particular I should be concerned about when applying the stain? Anything to help or worry about with exposed end grain? I plan on using a water based dark stain (the wife hasn't yet picked out a final color).

   This table will be outdoors but under a roof with screened in sides. What type of varnish would be best to protect it the most?

   Thanks for any suggestions!

   Gary

   # Posted 12 months ago
2. 

   dalepage
   

   member
   Joined: Mar '12
   Posts: 17

   Gary,

   Be sure to test your stain on a scrap of the same wood in your table before you commit to the project. The sample stain may not look the same on your wood. Also, if your wood is not all from the same tree, it may take the stain differently.

   You probably want to seal the end grain so it won't absorb so much stain and be darker than the faces of the boards. There are commecial applications for this, usually called "sanding sealer" or something like that. Watch out for excessive sanding on end grain. Unless you keep your sander or sanding block 90 degrees to the end, you'll end up with a beveled end which will stick out like a sore thumb.

   Sand to 150 grit on a scrap and stain it. If you can see sanding scratches, you need a finer grit. Don't skip grits. Example: First with 100 grit, then 150, then 220 if needed. Each successive, finer grit takes out the scratches of the previous. Skipping too far in fineness will mean you have to sand longer to take off the previous scratches. It's counterproductive.

   I would only use finer than 220 grit when scuffing up a coat for a second application. Then I'd use 320. I don't think multiple coats would be worth the trouble for an outdoor table. Follow the directions on the container.

   For outdoor use, I'd use spar varnish, a waterproof marine varnish.

   Hope this helps.

   Dale

   # Posted 12 months ago
3. 

   gbreton
   

   member
   Joined: May '12
   Posts: 13

   Dale,

   Thank you for taking the time to give the advice. I definitely will be testing on some scrap wood before I apply it to the project. After I posted this question I found a "Feature Length" video on the WWGOA site that described staining and top coats quite well. I'm glad you suggested the spar varnish as that was what I was considering using.

   Thanks again for the help!

   # Posted 12 months ago

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