Tip #20
Finishing & Finishing Techniques (continued)
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Staining

Stains will enrich the tone and bring out the grains of otherwise ordinary wood. There ore two types to choose from - water stain and oil stain. Water stains are more permanent and penetrate deeper than oil stains, but oil stains are easier to apply and will not raise the grain of the wood.

Apply stain with a brush or a sponge, then wipe off the excess with a rag. Brush a little water or linseed oil on end grains before staining to keep them from absorbing too much stain and appearing darker than the rest of the project.

After the stain is dry, apply a wash coat of one part shellac, seven parts alcohol. This will keep the stain from bleeding into the finish. If you use lacquer as your final finish, use lacquer sealer for a wash coat. Sand the dry coat with 6/0 - 7/0 sandpaper and wipe clean.

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