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Is it better to sand or strip furniture?
Stripping is Faster and Often Safer. Stripping a finish is faster than sanding to remove it. But more importantly, sanding cuts through stain and patina (the color changes in wood caused by light and oxidation), and it does so unevenly. Jan 3, 2018.
Do you need to sand wood before staining?
Sand Thoroughly The best way to stain wood is to prepare the wood surface by sanding it with a sanding block or orbital sander. Sandpaper with a lower grit number will make wood rougher, allowing more stain to absorb and create a darker color.
How much should you sand wood before staining?
Sand the wood twice with a medium grit sandpaper (100 to 120-grit) and twice with a fine grit sandpaper to remove any imperfections and prepare the surface for stain. Clean the wood with a damp rag twice, which serves to both remove any debris and condition the wood.
Do you have to sand furniture before restaining?
Even after using the chemical stripper, you’ll still need to sand the wood. While sanding doesn’t emit harmful chemical fumes, make sure you still have enough ventilation in whatever space you’re working in, as sanding does release dust and debris into the air. Recommended supplies include: Sanding block or sandpaper.
Can you sand stain off?
Sand out the stain If you’re applying a new stain, it should mask any residual color. Once you’ve finished machine sanding, we recommend you sand by hand with the grain of the wood using the same grit sandpaper you were using in the machine. This will erase any machine marks.
What is the best way to sand furniture?
Use a coarse sandpaper, a sanding block or a power sander to strip the finish off the surface. Sand until the surface is smooth and most of the shiny surface is gone. Once the majority of the old finish is off, switch to a medium grit sandpaper and continue to remove any patches of finish still sticking to the wood.
What happens if I don’t sand before staining?
You need a smooth surface with no blemishes because stain will highlight scratches and dings in the wood. Always sand down to clean wood (if you have enough meat left of the wood) before applying any stain. Too fine and the wood won’t be able to accept the stain.
How do you know if you’ve sanded enough?
The best way to know when you’re done sanding is to scribble a light pencil line across your wood before you start. Once the line is gone, move up to the next grit. Repeat up to the highest grit sandpaper, then wet your wood with mineral spirits to confirm there are no remaining marks.
What happens if you sand after staining wood?
Sanding before knocks down the fibers. Making it wet with stain or other finish sometimes makes the fibers stand up again – called raising the grain. Sanding after an early finishing step will knock down this fuzz and make your surface and finish appear smoother than if the grain were left raised.
How do you sand a dresser before staining?
As you would when staining a dresser, apply sanding sealer to help the wood absorb the stain. Shake the sealer container and apply two coats with a paintbrush. Wipe it down with a cloth and let it dry completely. Sand with a medium-grit sandpaper with the grain and then wipe again with a clean cloth.
Can you sand wood too much?
If wood gets over-sanded in one spot, it starts to become uneven, with a distorted sort of appearance. This can happen to even the most experienced woodworker. Usually this starts simply by attempting to sand out a discoloration, defect, scratch or gouge.
What grit sandpaper should I use to remove stain?
Stain is notoriously hard to remove from wood. Some types dye its surface, while others carry pigment deep into the pores. The only real solution is to remove the top layer of wood by sanding, and light-duty sandpaper just won’t cut it. The best all-purpose sandpaper for removing stain is 100-grit.
Can you stain over already stained wood?
Already Stained and Finished Wood If the object you’re hoping to stain has been sealed with a topcoat, you won’t be able to restain it, but you can go over it with a coating or a colored stain blend. To prepare, clean the wood surface with a strong degreasing cleanser and wipe it down with a damp cloth or sponge.
Can you stain old wood?
Clear finishes and transparent stains are fine for new wood, but for older decks, Starling recommends using a semitransparent stain. ”The grain still shows through, but the pigment gives the old wood a clean, uniform color and helps the new wood blend in,” he says.
How long after staining can you sand?
When using Water Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner, allow it to penetrate for 1-5 minutes, then remove any excess. Since Water Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner causes the wood fibers to swell, you will need to lightly sand the surface with a fine grade sandpaper 15-30 minutes after application.
What kind of sandpaper do you use on wood?
On most raw woods, start sanding in the direction of the grain using a #120-150 grit paper before staining and work up to #220 grit paper. Soft woods such as pine and alder: start with #120 and finish with no finer than #220 (for water base stains) and 180 grit for oil base stains.
