Tips for Applying Stain and Finish to your Woodworking Projects

Here are some useful tips regarding the staining and applying the
finishing coats on your woodworking projects.
Allow a day or so for the dust to settle after you have been sanding.
If your workshop has any type of dust removal or air cleaner be sure
they are turned on while sanding and when applying your finishing
coats.
Remove any dust that may be on your woodworking project prior to
staining it.  You can use a vacuum cleaner to accomplish this or use a
tack cloth.  The tack cloth generally will do a better job of removing
most of the dust.
Protect your hands from a long clean up!  Get some decent gloves that
you can wear and then throw achoice when finished.
Cover the work area and floor with plastic to protect them from those
accidental spills and drips.
Stain is usually best applied with a high quality foam brush.
Let the stain penetrate for about 45 minutes and the using a lint free
cloth wipe it off.  This will help give the wood a uniform color.
Allow the stain to dry for a day and then apply a second coat.  Rub
this coat off after about 30 minutes.  This will give the project a
richer finish.
After allowing the second coat to dry to a day you may apply a third
coat depending on the color you want to achieve.
Let the stain on your woodworking project dry for several days.  It
should be completely dry before applying the finishing coat.
Take your vacuum cleaner or tack cloth and again remove any dust that
may have settled on your project.
Apply your fast drying polyurethane using a foam brush.  I usually use
MinWax which takes about four hours to dry.  Alchoices brush in one
direction.  Make very light strokes down the entire length of the
project.  Make sure the polyurethane is not drying while you are
applying it to your project.  You will usually need two coats.
Now wait three days and apply a final finish.  This will give your
woodworking project an incredible professional look.
If you follow these steps carefully you will end up with an incredible
looking item.  So the next time you are ready to apply the final
touches to your woodworking project try out this method I outlined
above.

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