Expert: Jamie Yocono - 2/22/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I'm refinishing an old church pew and need advice about the next step.  I have sanded the wood and filled the cracks with wood filler.  Do I now need to rub it with some sort of liquid before applying stain (the wood is walnut and the stain is green)?  What is the best way to clean off the dust from the sanding process?  Also, I'm a bit concerned that there is some residual stain from before, but the pew has detailed decorations that I can't entirely get into with sandpaper--is this going to cause a problem with the green stain repelling? Thanks for your help!

ANSWER: Hi Laura,

I'm not sure what you mean about needing to "rub it with some sort of liquid before applying stain". When I am refinishing something (which isn't that often), I sand the finish off the wood, and then inspect it for any repair it might need. Sounds like you did this, and filled some areas with wood filler.

Next, I generally blow off all the dust with an air hose. If you don't have access to an air hose, vacuum it off.  This will get rid of much of the dust that in in the pores of the wood, thus enabling you to see what the wood looks like.

If there is still some color/stain that you want to remove, you might try wood bleach, which will take a little more color our of the wood. You can buy wood bleach at any good paint store in your town. Here's a little info about it; some people swear by it!

http://www.realmilkpaint.com/oxalic-acid-bleach.html

The wood bleach will really help in making the wood more uniform in appearance. With a little luck, it will lighten some of the residue in the pores, so that your new stain application will look it's best.

There are two types of wood finishes - penetrating ones, and surface ones. Those pews probably had a surface finish, like varnish, on them. If you've done a good job of removing it, the stain should penetrate the wood pretty well. I recommend testing a small area first, to make sure you get the results you 're looking for.

Good luck, hope this helps.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com
My woodworking blog: www.wooditis.blogspot.com





---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Sorry, the liquid that I was referring to was some type of oil, like a linseed oil.  Do I need to apply something like this to protect the wood?  Thanks!

Answer
Laura,

Any oil you apply will essentially seal the wood. So if you want to stain the wood a different color, you need to do that before you oil the wood.

Here are your steps:

Strip and sand the wood
Clean the wood, either by blowing or vacuuming it
Stain (if desired)
Apply oil (if desired)


And finally - some people use oil because it brings out a depth of color on the wood. I like a synthetic oil better than boiled linseed oil. Boiled lineed oil never really dries enough for my satisfaction. Look for synthetic oils like Watco Danish Oil or Tried & True Danish Oil, which have driers in them. These will give a better finish on your piece.

Finally - if you want a ton of protection, consider putting a varnish on over the oil. The oil brings out the color, the varnish protects. But you have to wait until the oil finish has cured, usually a week in winter, but just a few days in summer. The oil has to completely dry before putting anything on top of it.

I like a nice satin spar varnish, which gives you the ultimate in protection. McCloskey's is a good brand, so is Man O War spar varnish.

Good luck, hope this helps.

Jamie
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Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com
My woodworking blog: www.wooditis.blogspot.com