I recently completed a tool chest with frame and panel construction. I want to stain it with water stain, but I have never attempted something this complicated. There are lots of recessed panels, nooks and crannies that are difficult to get stain into. My experience in the past with water stain is that if a section of it dries before you are finished staining the entire piece you can get streaks where you go over a dried area.
Previous jobs have always been large areas applied with a sponge, sometimes taking only a few minutes.
Should I try a paint brush, or spraying?
Replies
I bet with a little planning so you don't get interrupted by the need to turn things around or to fetch extra rags to wipe off excess, you can bring it off in roughly the same way. On vertical surfaces start at the bottom and work up. That way any drips or runs are over still well dye, not over bare wood.
If you can, do the top separately so dye doesn't drip down the sides.
Of course spraying can be used. When dye is sprayed, the idea is to spray evenly and not need to wipe off excess material.
Steve,
If you are not spraying the dye on, do you always wipe it off with a rag.?
I do, but it's not always essential. Dye colors relatively evenly and the best way to get a darker color is to mix a more concentrated dye from the start. Then it is flooded everywhere so that the entire surface has enough dye to color it thoroughly. This isn't what you do if you spray the dye. Spraying, you can creep up on the color with multiple coats of dye, with no wiping.
There is nothing to be gained by letting excess dye "puddles" dry on the surface where it could conceivably muddy the finish applied afterward.
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