Sanding, Staining, and Finishing Tips for Kit Furniture
Sanding
The most important element in obtaining a fine finish on furniture is the surface preparation. Taking the time to sand a piece thoroughly will pay off in all the subsequent steps. Shaker Workshops furniture kits are sanded to a medium grit finish (120 grit) on our machine sanders. This produces a good basis for the final sanding. However, since the pieces are sanded by the regular mechanical motion of the machines, patterns of sanding marks are often left on the surface. If sufficient hand sanding is not done in preparation to staining, these regular marks will be highlighted by the stain.
California Residents: Click here for Proposition 65 information.
Begin by sanding all the kit parts with 120 grit sandpaper. Sand with the grain and until all machine sanding marks are removed. Working with good light is essential. A raking light across the surface will help to show up any irregularities. If you are sanding a large piece such as a table top, you can use an electric orbital or oscillating sander to help speed up the process of removing the machine sanding marks. Be sure to sand by hand, using a sanding block (a 3” x 4” x 3/4” block of scrap wood with the sand paper wrapped around it) afterwards. Sand with the grain to remove any swirl marks left by these sanders.
At this point you can choose between two techniques. One, assemble the kit first, then do the final sanding and staining, or two, continue to sand with finer (180 grit) sand paper and stain the parts before assembly. Staining the parts before assembly reduces the number of corners and intersections of parts where staining an assembled piece may be difficult, but necessitates care in assembly to avoid marring the stained surfaces--and stain must not be allowed onto surfaces that will be glued, as it will prevent full adhesion. If you assemble first, be sure to sand the piece carefully afterwards with 180 grit sand paper. Pay particular attention to any areas where glue may have gotten on the surface or where the grain may have been raised by water in the damp rag used during clean up. Glue spots will show up as light areas where the stain could not be absorbed completely, and raised grain will show up as dark areas where the rougher areas held on to more pigment. Be sure all surfaces are sanded thoroughly and equally to obtain an even stain color. All the 120 grit sanding marks should be removed by the 180 grit sand paper. Round all sharp edges slightly. Often people are tempted to sand the parts with even finer grits of sand paper. This is OK if the piece is to be oiled with no stain applied. If stain is going to be used, sanding with sandpaper finer than 180 grit will cause the wood to stain lighter and often times more unevenly because the surface is too smooth to hold the pigment when the excess stain is wiped off.
Staining
We unfortunately are no longer able to supply stains directly. However, this does not keep us from sharing our preferences and recommendations. While you are welcome to select any finish you desire from the options available to you at your local hardware store, home supply center, or online, General Finishes is reputable and well known brand of oil- and water-based finishes available at distributors throughout the US, as well as through sites such as Etsy, Amazon, and Rockler.
In general water-based formulas provide a product that is safer and less toxic to people and our environment than older solvent-based stains. However, being a waterbased product it may look somewhat different than our older solvent based stains. Many of the ingredients used in older stain formulations are no longer used today. Also, new stains will apply differently than solvent based stains. We recommend that you read instructions carefully and practice on a piece of scrap wood of the same species or underside of a table top, and be sure you like the look before staining the entire piece. This test piece should be sanded to the same degree as the rest of the kit. It is best to let the stain on your test piece fully dry and then apply a coat of the final finish to accurately judge the color.
If, when you begin to stain, you do not like the look of the result (i.e. machine sanding marks are still visible, glue spots appear, etc.) stop staining and correct the problem immediately. Do not continue to stain hoping that it will look better when it dries. It will not, and you will be left with the prospect of sanding all the stain off.
Different types of wood will absorb stain differently. Maple will absorb less stain than pine and the resulting color will be lighter. If you are staining a furniture kit that contains both maple and pine parts (the Bed for example), stain the maple parts first, and then match the pine parts to them by thinning the stain.
Finishing/Sealing
Once the furniture kit has been stained and you are satisfied with the result, a final finish must be applied over the stain to lock it in and seal out moisture. If there are any areas of stain that need touch up or repair, be sure to do this before applying the final finish. Polyurethane, shellac, varnish, or oil and wax may be applied over stains. We personally prefer Odies Oil, a hardening oil and wax finish, as it is very forgiving and does not require a dust-free environment to achieve a suitable, polished look. An oil and wax finish has several advantages over “hard” (shellac, varnish, or polyurethane) finishes. These are:
Ease of Application
Oil finishes can be easily wiped onto and off the object being finished. Since the excess oil is wiped off while it is still wet, there is not the problem of drips and runs associated with varnishes and shellac.
Appearance
Oil finishes provide a pleasing, clear, low gloss look to wood surfaces.
Repairability
An oil finish, if scratched, can be easily repaired by applying another coat of oil finish to the damaged area.
A Natural Product
These days when synthetic materials are increasingly used, many people like using oil finish because it is a natural product derived from plants.
Appropriate
Oil finish is a historically appropriate finish to use on many types of reproduction furniture including Shaker reproductions.
If you have further questions about finishing your Shaker Workshops® furniture kit please contact us!
The most important element in obtaining a fine finish on furniture is the surface preparation. Taking the time to sand a piece thoroughly will pay off in all the subsequent steps. Shaker Workshops furniture kits are sanded to a medium grit finish (120 grit) on our machine sanders. This produces a good basis for the final sanding. However, since the pieces are sanded by the regular mechanical motion of the machines, patterns of sanding marks are often left on the surface. If sufficient hand sanding is not done in preparation to staining, these regular marks will be highlighted by the stain.
California Residents: Click here for Proposition 65 information.
Begin by sanding all the kit parts with 120 grit sandpaper. Sand with the grain and until all machine sanding marks are removed. Working with good light is essential. A raking light across the surface will help to show up any irregularities. If you are sanding a large piece such as a table top, you can use an electric orbital or oscillating sander to help speed up the process of removing the machine sanding marks. Be sure to sand by hand, using a sanding block (a 3” x 4” x 3/4” block of scrap wood with the sand paper wrapped around it) afterwards. Sand with the grain to remove any swirl marks left by these sanders.
At this point you can choose between two techniques. One, assemble the kit first, then do the final sanding and staining, or two, continue to sand with finer (180 grit) sand paper and stain the parts before assembly. Staining the parts before assembly reduces the number of corners and intersections of parts where staining an assembled piece may be difficult, but necessitates care in assembly to avoid marring the stained surfaces--and stain must not be allowed onto surfaces that will be glued, as it will prevent full adhesion. If you assemble first, be sure to sand the piece carefully afterwards with 180 grit sand paper. Pay particular attention to any areas where glue may have gotten on the surface or where the grain may have been raised by water in the damp rag used during clean up. Glue spots will show up as light areas where the stain could not be absorbed completely, and raised grain will show up as dark areas where the rougher areas held on to more pigment. Be sure all surfaces are sanded thoroughly and equally to obtain an even stain color. All the 120 grit sanding marks should be removed by the 180 grit sand paper. Round all sharp edges slightly. Often people are tempted to sand the parts with even finer grits of sand paper. This is OK if the piece is to be oiled with no stain applied. If stain is going to be used, sanding with sandpaper finer than 180 grit will cause the wood to stain lighter and often times more unevenly because the surface is too smooth to hold the pigment when the excess stain is wiped off.
Staining
We unfortunately are no longer able to supply stains directly. However, this does not keep us from sharing our preferences and recommendations. While you are welcome to select any finish you desire from the options available to you at your local hardware store, home supply center, or online, General Finishes is reputable and well known brand of oil- and water-based finishes available at distributors throughout the US, as well as through sites such as Etsy, Amazon, and Rockler.
In general water-based formulas provide a product that is safer and less toxic to people and our environment than older solvent-based stains. However, being a waterbased product it may look somewhat different than our older solvent based stains. Many of the ingredients used in older stain formulations are no longer used today. Also, new stains will apply differently than solvent based stains. We recommend that you read instructions carefully and practice on a piece of scrap wood of the same species or underside of a table top, and be sure you like the look before staining the entire piece. This test piece should be sanded to the same degree as the rest of the kit. It is best to let the stain on your test piece fully dry and then apply a coat of the final finish to accurately judge the color.
If, when you begin to stain, you do not like the look of the result (i.e. machine sanding marks are still visible, glue spots appear, etc.) stop staining and correct the problem immediately. Do not continue to stain hoping that it will look better when it dries. It will not, and you will be left with the prospect of sanding all the stain off.
Different types of wood will absorb stain differently. Maple will absorb less stain than pine and the resulting color will be lighter. If you are staining a furniture kit that contains both maple and pine parts (the Bed for example), stain the maple parts first, and then match the pine parts to them by thinning the stain.
Finishing/Sealing
Once the furniture kit has been stained and you are satisfied with the result, a final finish must be applied over the stain to lock it in and seal out moisture. If there are any areas of stain that need touch up or repair, be sure to do this before applying the final finish. Polyurethane, shellac, varnish, or oil and wax may be applied over stains. We personally prefer Odies Oil, a hardening oil and wax finish, as it is very forgiving and does not require a dust-free environment to achieve a suitable, polished look. An oil and wax finish has several advantages over “hard” (shellac, varnish, or polyurethane) finishes. These are:
Ease of Application
Oil finishes can be easily wiped onto and off the object being finished. Since the excess oil is wiped off while it is still wet, there is not the problem of drips and runs associated with varnishes and shellac.
Appearance
Oil finishes provide a pleasing, clear, low gloss look to wood surfaces.
Repairability
An oil finish, if scratched, can be easily repaired by applying another coat of oil finish to the damaged area.
A Natural Product
These days when synthetic materials are increasingly used, many people like using oil finish because it is a natural product derived from plants.
Appropriate
Oil finish is a historically appropriate finish to use on many types of reproduction furniture including Shaker reproductions.
If you have further questions about finishing your Shaker Workshops® furniture kit please contact us!