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STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
FOR APPLYING WOOD FINISHES
Finishing your shelves can be an enjoyable and rewarding activity. While you probably will not achieve a professional quality finish, especially if this is your first finishing project, with proper preparation, patience, and practice you can achieve excellent results.
The quality of a stained finish is improved by using multiple colorant applications. HouseWerks uses dye stains and wiping stains, to add depth to the finish, as well as glazes and toners when needed to achieve the best color match possible.
All of our clear, protective, lacquer topcoats are applied in a spray booth using a professional, high volume low pressure (HVLP) spray gun and turbine.
If you use brushes, instead of the equipment mentioned above, it will be difficult to achieve the same quality finish, but good results can be achieved if you research the subject, prepare all materials in advance, and practice with the raw wood samples we provide.
Below is a very brief description of the materials needed and the steps to be taken to apply a protective finish to your shelving.
For a list of products and methods used to finish your shelving, check out our Wood Finishing Products page which has links to some of MinWax's resources on wood finishing.
For additional help on finishing your shelving, refer to the page on Finishing Tips & Suggestions.
Preparation:
To complete this project, you will need the following materials:
- Sawhorses or other supports to hold shelves in horizontal position,
- Plastic drop cloth or newspapers to cover the floor or ground of a well-ventilated work area, if possible, use your driveway, open end of garage, or level area outside [if inside be careful of the buildup of fumes and always wear a respirator with an organic solvent filter cartridge. Fans are useful in blowing fumes outside - be sure to dispose of all chemicals in the proper manner],
- Clean lint-free rags,
- Disposable plastic gloves (2-3 pair),
- Disposable 4” plastic bowls (Glad-Lock, Zip-Lock, from grocery store) to hold liquid wood finishing products (wood conditioner, sanding sealer, wood stains, lacquer, polyurethane) [don’t store in bowls for more than a day – only use while applying products. When finished, discard what is left in bowl. Do not pour back to the stock container,
- Inexpensive, boar bristle (real hair) 1.5" to 2.5" wide paint brushes (3 brushes) [the cheaper ones are $1 to $3, but often shed bristles - good bristle brushes are $5 to $10 each],
- Naptha or low-odor mineral spirits (don’t buy paint thinner) is needed to clean up spills and to soak brushes if you want to use them again – fill glass jar to top of bristles and soak brushes overnight – enclose jar with air-tight baggie and place where it won't be knocked over - dry with newspaper or paper towels and wrap in heavy paper to store],
- Wood Conditioner (MinWax is preferred) [raw wood soaks up a lot of this] should be used on all wood surfaces to be finished,
- Stain of your choice (MinWax is preferred),
- Sanding Sealer (a MinWax product),
- Lacquer, polyurethane or other clear protective coats (many choices in MinWax line),
- Block Sander, 3M rubber sander which uses 1/4 sheet of sandpaper works best (you can staple the sandpaper to a 4" - 5" long block of wood, but this is not as easy to use - only cheaper),
- Sandpaper - a few sheets each of the following grades: fine (220-grit), very fine (320-grit or 400-grit), and extra fine (600-grit or 800-grit). If you plan to only purchase one pack, buy one with a variety of the grits listed above.
- Adequate time – Plan on extending the process over a couple of days. It is better not to rush your project. Let the shelves dry thoroughly before proceeding to the next step.
- Patience – go slowly and enjoy the experience – remember “haste makes waste.”
- CAUTION! - Most of the liquid chemicals you will be using must be handled and stored with care. Most are flammable and the fumes are toxic to humans and pets. The fumes can be explosive so do not smoke, have open flame, or devices that may produce sparks near these chemicals. These chemicals are a fire hazard. Any rags or applicators that contain residues of these chemicals can self ignite. Store soiled rags in a bucket of water when you are finished. Rags can then be laundered and left to dry out outdoors. Make sure you dispose of spent materials properly. Never pour these chemicals into any drain or dispose of in soil or in our waterways. Solidification or neutralization products are available to permit safe disposal in landfills.
- Keep HouseWerks' telephone number handy – call us at 310/466-3909 if you need any advice.
Wood Conditioner:
For soft or porous woods, use of a wood conditioner is essential to producing a surface finish that is not blotchy because soft or porous woods absorb stain unevenly. The pre-stain wood conditioner assures even adsorption of the stain. Use wood conditioner if in doubt, even if no stain is to be applied. Most sealers and other finishing coats can be absorbed unevenly and impart a slight color to the wood If your finishes to be applied will be oil-based, use an oil-based wood conditioner. Likewise, if the finishes to be applied will be water-based, use a water-based wood conditioner.
Use wood conditioner on pine, spruce, birch, and maple. Apply the conditioner with a brush and allow it to soak into the wood for a few minutes. Wipe off excess after 5-10 minutes and apply stain, sanding sealer, or other finishes before the wood completely dries. Don't wait more than 15-20 minutes because the conditioner dries quickly.
Stain:
Stir stain before and during use. Use a rag to apply stain to the top and underside of the shelves. Use a cotton Q-tip for corners underneath the shelf. Apply stain using strokes parallel to wood grain. Allow to penetrate for several minutes and then wipe off the excess stain. Continue to apply stain until desired shade is achieved. Be sure to wipe off excess stain and rub the surface with a soft cloth before you let it dry overnight. Dried excess stain on the surface can be removed with a cloth damp with mineral spirits, but won't remove excess stain that has been absorbed by the wood, so proceed slowly until the desired shade of the stain has been reached.
Sealer:
Sanding sealer is used on raw wood to fill the wood pores prior to applying polyurethane. If you use a wood stain, there is no need to apply the sanding sealer. Stir sealer before and during use. Using a brush, apply a thin coat of sealer using strokes parallel to wood grain. Wipe up any excess drips with brush or rag. Sealing underside of shelf is a good idea. Let shelf dry for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight if time permits. Sand lightly using fine grit sandpaper (220-grit) to smooth out any bumps, followed by lightly sanding with very fine sandpaper (320-grit or 400-grit) to smooth out. Sanding gives a better surface to which polyurethane can adhere. Dust shelf with a soft cloth before proceeding to the next step.
Lacquer,
Polyurethane,
or Other Coating:
Stir lacquer, polyurethane, or other finish before and during use. Be careful not to stir too vigorously and never shake any of the wood finishing products. Shaking creates bubbles in the product which will be difficult to remove from the finish on your shelving. Bubbles will create small craters in your finish. Apply thin coats using a brush. Use long brush strokes parallel to the wood grain. Apply to all surfaces. Applying three or four thin coats is preferable to one or two heavy coats. If you apply it too thickly it will run and you'll spend twice the time trying to fix the drips. Let shelving dry about 4 hours between coats. Drying time depends upon the type of lacquer or polyurethane you purchase, the temperature, and the humidity. Sand extremely lightly with super fine sandpaper (400-grit to 600-grit), if you have it, or extra fine (320-grit) after each coat has dried completely, except for the last coat. To sand, just pass the sandpaper over the surface once without apply much pressure. Car polish can be used after the final coat is completely dry rub out any minor flaws.
In the future, if shelves get deep scratches, you can repair sections of your shelving in place on your wall using the procedures outlined above. First use medium grit sandpaper on the affected areas until the scratches are removed. Rub sandpaper in strokes parallel to the grain of the wood. Repeat the steps you followed when you first finished your shelves.
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