Congratulations on your purchase of Ready-to-Finish furniture!
Each piece of real wood furniture is an "original", the result of
nature's handiwork. Every item has its own grain pattern and color, according
to the character of the wood. Light and dark areas, such as knots, blend during
the finishing process to produce the uniquely attractive look of real wood furniture.
While you may paint, varnish, or finish your furniture in other ways, we will
talk about one of the most commonly used finishing processes - staining and
top coating. To help you get the best results, here are some tips to keep in
mind as you prepare to finish your furniture using this method.
Preparing The Surface
Your furniture has been pre-sanded, but most unfinished pieces need additional
fine sanding. Sand lightly over the whole piece using 100 to 220 grit sandpaper
(grit depends on the type of wood). The objective in pre-sanding is to remove
any dirt or oil that may be in the wood during shipping. Also sand any areas
that are not very smooth. You don't need to sand extensively, just enough to
get the super rough areas. The main reason for not sanding much is because once
you put a wet substance on wood, it swells the grain and makes it rough again.
This is very normal. The sanding you do between your coats of finish will smooth
this out. This step should only take you 5 to 10 minutes.
Staining
Once you have sanded your piece, wipe off the dust created by sanding with
a dry cloth. You are now ready to stain your piece of furniture. Stir the stain
to be sure it is thoroughly mixed. Using a cotton cloth (old T-shirt), wipe
on the stain with the grain. Do a test spot in an inconspicuous area so you
can be sure of the stain color before proceeding. Stain one surface area at
a time. Once you have stained it, you should go back over it and smooth out
any rag marks you may have created while staining with a clean rag. Let your
stain dry a minimum of 8 hours. We recommend over night in more humid conditions.
If you desire the color to be a little deeper and darker, add one more coat
of stain the same way you did the first. More than two coats of stain will not
do much to the color. Once the staining is done, do not sand, only sand after
the Clearthane.
Applying The Top Coat
You are now ready to put on your first coat of finish. Make sure that the
stain is completely dry before you put your finish on. Apply the Clearthane
the same way you put on the stain, with a cotton rag. Again, wipe it with the
grain and just what the wood will accept. Let that coat dry overnight. The next
day, lightly sand with the grain using 600 grit sandpaper or 0000 steel wool.
Your piece of furniture is going to be pretty rough, but this is normal. Wipe
off the dust with a dry cloth. Apply your second coat of Clearthane the same
as the first. Again, lightly sand the entire piece after the second coat is
dry. This time it should be almost completely smooth. Again, wipe off the dust
with a dry rag. This is your last coat of finish. Apply it the same as the first
two. Let it dry overnight. If it is not as smooth as you would like it to be,
you can apply a fourth coat. Sometimes this is needed because the wood absorbed
more of the finish. After your final application, do not sand. It is ready to
use.
Enjoy your masterpiece!
Leading the way with Quality Furniture that is made with Real
Wood.
