|
Working Your Way for that Great Woodworking
Finish:
Very Simply yet Exquisitely
Elegant
There
is a big difference between an average piece of woodwork and
the elegant ones. Their finish! Your woodworking projects may
be durable and perfect, but without finishing them with the
best finishes, they are nothing but plain pieces of woodworks.
That is the reason why you have to choose the right finishes
that not only suits to your taste, but also enhances the looks
of your woodworking projects.
CHOOSING THE PROPER SANDPAPER
The
very first step to finish your woodworking project is to have
them sanded. Whether you opt to select using any type of power
sander or to sand manually by hand, you have to select the
correct type and grit of the sandpaper. Sanding using the
incorrect sandpaper can possibly cause irreparable damage to
your woodworking project
-
Sandpaper is graded based on the
number of abrasive particles per square inch that
make up the sandpaper. The lower the number is, the
coarser the grits become. Coarse sandpapers are
grade 40-60 grits, medium sandpapers are 80-120
grits, fine sandpapers are graded 150-180 grits,
the very fine ones are 220-240 grits, extra fine
sandpapers are graded 280-320 grits, and finale the
super fine ones are graded 360 grits above. Sanding
using the finer grits removes the scratches that
are left by the previous paper and eventually
leaves a very smooth finish.
-
You may also see sandpaper that is
either rated as “closed- coat” or “open-coat”. The
difference is that the grit particles of the
“closed-coat” sandpapers are grouped more closely
together, while the grit particles of the “open-coat”
newspapers have larger gaps between the particles.
Generally, “open-coat” sandpapers are better for
woodworking because it clogs less, specifically when
working with softwoods that contain resin.
There are five basic types of
sandpaper that is available. However, not all of them are
good for woodworking.
-
Silicone Carbide
Paper- It is
usually dark gray in color, and sometimes-even
black. This is mostly used for finishing metals, or
for wet-sanding, with the use of water as a
lubricant. Though there are some advanced finishes
that make us of Silicon Carbide Paper, this is not
generally used for woodworking.
-
Ceramic Sandpaper-
This is made from the
most durable abrasives available and it can remove
and ample amount of material in a hurry. This is
often used for belt sander belts, but can sometimes
be used for hand shaping of wood. It leaves a very
rough finish, so you must exercise proper care when
you use the Ceramic Sandpaper, most importantly on
veneers and plywood, where it can easily sand
through the finish layer and ruin a
pice.
In
general woodworking applications, you will likely find that
beginning with carrying coarse-grit papers, particularly the
Aluminum Oxide papers, then followed by the finer-grit Garnet
papers, can produce an impressively smooth finish that can show
off your woodworking skills and give you a very nice platform
for staining or even painting your woodworking
project.
HAND SANDING
If
there is an adage for woodworking; that would be that nobody
likes hand sanding. With the fast improvement of the power
sanders, hand sanding has really come a great way. But there
are still distinct benefits to breaking out sheets of wood
paper and putting a lot of effort into it. As you will soon
discover, the benefits are actually worth your time and energy
spent, because no matter how good power sanders do, nothing
still beats finishing your projects with a final hand
sanding.
-
Generally, sandpapers come in 9” x
12” sheets. It is best advised to cut them in half
vertically, then take each half then cut them in
half in the opposite direction. This will give you
four pieces of paper at a 4 ½” x 6” size. Wrap one
of the pieces of sandpaper around your sanding
block, and you are good to get to work.
-
Like any task, there is a correct
and the incorrect way how to sand. The most obvious
thing you will always want to sand with the grains,
and not across it. Keep the flat side of the
sanding block in close contact with the wood
surface. When you with the grain, it is fine to get
close to the edges but you have to exercise caution
that you must not round-over the corners. If you
intend to soften the corner, try using a sanding
block to sand a chamfer to the edge.
-
When you can visibly see the
surface fully sanded with your desired finish, set
aside the sanding block and lightly sand them with
a fresh piece of sandpaper with light hand
application. Clean the surface to prepare them for
finishing by removing the dust with either a clean
cloth with mineral spirits or a tack
cloth.
APPLYING A GEL STAIN
FINISH
Considering a gel stain to
finish your very fine woodworking project is one great
option. Gel stains are very easy to apply and you can
take control the depth of color in your desired results.
However, there are still some issues that you need to
consider when you decide where to use a gel stain or
not.
-
As soon as you are done with the
sanding, vacuuming them for possible sawdust is
very important. After you vacuum, follow it with a
tack cloth. You can also wipe the whole project
down with a clean piece of cloth and denatured
alcohol to make sure that the project is completely
clean from sawdust. The denatured alcohol can
quickly evaporate and cannot discolor the
wood.
The main idea behind the use
of gel stain to finish your woodworking project is to
spread them onto the wood in a thick layer for a number
of minutes, and then wiping them with a piece of clean
cloth. This will give you the chance to control the
evenness and the depth of the color that is being applied
because the more you wipe away, the lighter the color
level of the stain becomes.
Use a clean brush or rag to
apply a generous layer of stain to the surface that is
being stained. This can be similar with spreading a thick
ketchup and this will appear uneven at first. This is
just normal as long as there is a complete coverage. The
can of the gel stains have instructions that will tell
you how long to leave the stain on the wood before you
wipe them off.
-
When it is the time for you to
wipe off the gel stain, you have to make sure that
you wear the proper protective gloves, use a clean
piece of cloth and wipe with the grain. Keep
focused on the evening of the color at your desired
level. Keep rotating to a clean spot on your cloth
and make sure that you even out your desired
color.
-
There are some concerns in dealing
with gel stains. One of them is wiping off stains
that are on nooks or crannies on your woodworking
projects. For example, when you apply a gel stain
on your table, you might have a hard time removing
the stain out of the junction where the rails or
the legs meet the tabletop. If stain is allowed to
dry in this junction, it will be very visible and
more difficult to attend to later. Subsequently, if
you find defect in the stocks that have not been
filled before staining, the gel stain will be very
difficult to remove out of the defect and will
appear an unwelcoming color than the rest if the
project right after it dries.
TIPS ON STAINING
FURNITURE
Staining furniture is
actually a do-it-yourself project that is practically
very easy to accomplish. It does not need a lot of
materials, and it is fairly affordable.
-
What You Will Need-
Staining furniture is
considerably a very low-cost project. You only need a
sand paper, tack clothes, a can of stains, foam
brushes, plastic tarps, lots of cotton lint-free rags,
newspapers, a paint tray, and a finish layer like wax
or polyurethane.
-
Staging Your Project-
Assemble first all the
materials you will need and set up one work area for
your sanding and another one for finishing and
staining. Plan carefully on sanding and cleaning the
furniture one day, staining it the following day, and
putting polyurethane on them on the next.
-
Keep Dust Down-
Make sure to wipe down with
a clean cloth each piece of project right after you
sand them. Set the cleaned projects in a sheltered work
area, like your garage or your basement, to keep them
away from dust until they are finally
stained.
-
Test Stain Colors-
Be sure to first test stain
color as well application techniques. Home centers
present sample boards of how stain colors appear on
different types of wood so you can choose the looks
from light to dark, colored or plain, as needed. There
are manufacturers that recommend an application of the
pre-stain sealer to even out your finished
product.
-
The Type of Stain-
There is a very wide range
of stain products that you can find at your local home
centers. Feel free to describe your projects to the
professional who are working in the centers and they
are more than willing to give you some recommendations.
The only thing to avoid is the “all in one” stain type
and the polyurethane products. These products offer
less control over color, and since they are not “wiped
off”, there is a chance that the wood grain can be
masked or even tend to appear muddy.
-
Stir Stain Well-
To mix tint properly, shake
the can of the stain gently but thoroughly. When you
open the can, stir it again with a paint stick then
pour half of the content to a small try or jar. Working
from the smaller jar can let you stir and mix the stain
using your brush, insuring that the color remains
evenly distributed as you work.
The
finish of your woodworking projects should be of the best
quality. After all, this is one of the many ways on how you can
show your fine woodworking skills, right?
|
