How to Stain Wood

Well, maybe more about what to really do before doing a project on staining.

1. Take off the old finish.
2. Figure out if you’re dealing with real wood or veneer.
3. Hopefully, you figured out if you’re dealing with veneer before sanding too far down past the veneer into particleboard.
4.  Sand it down with 80, 120, then 220.
5. Wipe it down with a wet cloth to remove the sawdust.
6. Stain liberally.
7. Read the directions, if it said to wipe the excess off after 5-15 minutes, do it.
8. Let it dry.
9. Apply the topcoat seal polyurethane stuff.
10. Let it dry for 24 hours.

Note: make sure you have good tools.