Seven Steps to the Perfect Wood Finish

Wood is a wonderful material to work with and it can be manipulated to create all sorts items ranging from small décor materials to huge pieces of furniture to an entire house. But without a good protective finish, no matter how big or small your woodworking project is, it's not going to last long unprotected. Follow these seven steps and you'll be sure to get the perfect woodworking finish every time-all the time.

Prep

Before you begin to sand the project, you're going to want to inspect the piece for any glue or other adhesive materials that can affect the final finish. Glue and other adhesives will show up as a blemish even if it's been stained over. Rub mineral spirits over any bare wood surfaces prior to sanding to spot any glue. Of course, if you haven't used any glue, then you can skip this step.

First Sanding

Whether you use a powerful belt sander or you roll up your sleeves and use a little bit of your own elbow grease, sanding is an important step in the process. Sand in three progressive steps: heavy grit, medium grit and light grit stages. Sand diagonally against the grain with the first two heavy and medium grit sandpapers, then follow up with the finish sanding using the fine grit and sanding with the wood grain.

Wood Putty

Apply any wood putty to patch any holes, dings, dents or scrapes that should now be visible after the first sanding. For larger holes, dents, dings and scrapes, fill in the hole partially before the first sanding and then fill it in again before the next step: hand sanding.

Hand Sanding

The next step takes a little elbow grease but it is well worth the effort and it really pays off in the final finish. Hand sand the wood with aluminum oxide sandpaper of 220-180 grit. I prefer to wrap the paper around a sanding sponge and gently sand the wood to a smooth finish. Vacuum or dust the wood once sanding is complete. Use a sponge filled with clean water and wipe the wood so that it gets very wet. Dry it off and let it dry overnight. Sand one more time very lightly with 400 grit sandpaper to remove what is called the "fur".

Staining

Coloring the wood with stain is a great method for not only making the wood look its best, but also to help protect and condition the wood. Staining is a simple process: flood the stain onto the wood and wipe it away with a dry cloth while it's still wet. The longer the stain sits, the darker the color will be. If you're going for a smooth as glass finish, you may want to use pore filler for an even and smooth finish.

Sealers

In some cases, a special wood sealer is used to protect the wood from excessive moisture before the first coat of finish-like a bar countertop. In most cases, you'll just need to apply a good coat of finish to the wood and allow it to dry.

Top Coats

Apply as many top coats of finish as desired to achieve the perfect smooth finish. You should allow the top coats to dry for at least 24 hours before applying a second coat. Buff the final coat with a buffing towel or wool cloth to get a mirror like finish on any woodworking project every time.