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WOOD FINISHING TIPS
AND SUGGESTIONS
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If you are working outside, don't select a spot under trees because bugs, leaves, and sap can all ruin a finish,
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If working outside, pick a warm sunny day with little or no wind and a day with a low probability of rain. It doesn't take many rain droplets to ruin a finish. Wind blows a lot of fine debris which will be embedded in a wet finished surface,
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Use saw horses and needed lengths of 2" X 4" wood to support the shelves and vertical supports at a comfortable working height.
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Be sure to use drop cloths (plastic ones are cheap and effective)on the floor or concrete to avoid spills that are difficult to clean up. Spread the drop cloths before any of the cans of the finishing products are opened. Weight down the corners of the drop cloths to keep the wind from blowing them away.
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Keep the cans of wood finishing products on the floor or ground to revent spills from ruining your finish.
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If you purchased good quality brushes, make sure that when work stops the brushes are soaked in the appropriate solvent. Remove as much of the solvent as possible with newspapers, paper towels, or rags. Wash the brushes in warm water and liquid detergent dish soap, like Dawn, to thoroughly clean.
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Brushes can be used to apply all of the wood finishing products mentioned, including the stain. Many people prefer to use rags for stain because of better control. Make sure that you use clean, lint-free rags. The best way, however, to apply a lacquer or polyurethane finish is by spraying. There are many low-price sprayers available for occassional use.
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Spraying equipment, like a High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) sprayer, is a good investment if you plan to do a lot of finishing. Prices range from $100 to $1,000. Even equipment on the lower end of the price range can produce good results.
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Pre-stain wood conditioners should be used with woods with tight closed grain, such as maple, birch, and most of the softwoods, such as pine, fir and spruce. These woods are difficult to stain without producing a blotchy surface.
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Pre-Stain wood conditioners and wood stains are very thin liquids with good flow characteristics, which makes them difficult to apply without splashing. Be careful when applying these products with a brush because whatever is within 5 feet of your shelves may be splattered.
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Vertical surfaces are vunerable to drips and sags, especially when using low viscosity finishes. A number of thin coats is far superior to one heavy coat. The first coat in particular should be very thin to assure good adhesion for the later coats.
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With each finishing step, start with the shelf upside down and apply to all surfaces. When dry, turn over and apply to the top surface. When dry, turn the shelf up so that it is resting on the back side. Next apply to the front and side trim. This will help prevent drips.
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Keep all pieces of the shelving unit at the same step of the process, i.e., apply wood conditioner to all shelves and verticals before proceeding on to the sanding sealer step.
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The usual sequence of the finishing steps is as follows:
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Sand all wood surfaces carefully using 220-grit sandpaper [refer to tips and suggestions on sanding unfinished wood],
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Apply wood conditioner,
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Apply wood stain,
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Dye stain - transparent, penetrating, alcohol-soluable base stain, which adds depth to the finish,
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Wiping stain - non-penetrating, solvent-based stain which is partially or competely wiped off before stain dries,
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Apply sealer (sanding sealer),
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Sand lightly with 220-grit or 280-grit sandpaper,
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Apply coat #1 of lacquer or polyurethane,
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Sand lightly with 320-grit sandpaper,
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Apply coat #2 of lacquer or polyurethane,
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Sand lightly with 400-grit sandpaper,
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Apply coat #3 of lacquer or polyurethane, and
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After you are finished applying a coat to one or more surfaces, check all surfaces for drips. It is difficult to apply a coat lacquer or polyurethane and not have some drips or sags. Make sure that you fix them quickly before the coat starts to dry. After several minutes the coats will become tacky. At that point, any attempt to repair that finish coat will make the problem worse. Marks will be created in the finish that you'll have to work very hard to remove after that coat dries.
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Once a coat of sanding sealer, lacquer, or polyurethane is dry, you can repeat the sanding steps and apply another coat.
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