One important thing that was not mentioned is that rags used for most staining projects must be disposed of properly as they are exothermic (generate their own heat) when they dry and can be a fire hazard. Placing them in a metal container with a lid or in a plastic bucket partially filled with water is safest. As a 20 year Fire Investigator, I cannot count the number of fires I have been to where staining rags were the source of ignition.
@ebesel, we usually hang them outside to dry in the sun before discarding.. Outside even if it is raining. Please, is this wrong? But if using paoer towels and stain, those are usually dry very quickly and discarded in trash can if dry. Is this safe? TY!
@@rwind656 Using a metal container with a lid is safest imo, and it is the method I use when doing staining projects at home. Drying them outside on a line should be ok, but they need to be watched and kept away from other combustibles, just in case. An exothermic reaction can begin (or continue) several hours after the project is complete, so I always let the rags sit in the metal container for at least 24 hours before doing anything with them. The two big DONT's are: 1.) Don't wad the rags up and drop them on the floor or in a corner when finished, and 2.) don't put them in the garbage for at lest 24 hours after they are dry. (even paper towels)
I remember It was hard to even imagine this happens. Before I started woodworking a few years ago, I had no idea it was even possible, since I was self taught. Thank you for posting this. It's good to see this getting mentioned, and hope people see this post and prevent it. I don't know if it's just me, but I don't think this gets mentioned as much as it should be. It's an incredibly easy mistake to make, but also incredibly easy to prevent at the same time. I think that's what made it so scary to me, so I forced myself to make it into a habit to prevent it.
@@rwind656 I do that, too. Several days (OK, weeks, even...) of exposure to open air, sunlight, rain, snow, and wind-blown debris render oily rags comatose. I think the issue is linseed oil, but a web search might turn up other culprits.
I had no idea or direction for what I wanted to do with my life as a young man. I discovered Steve Ramsey on youtube years ago and tried my hand making some furniture. His videos introduced me to all the power tools I needed and explained how to safely use them. 7 years on I am now a ticketed carpenter with a small cabinet making business. THANK YOU STEVE
Now that is an AWESOME testimonial! Congrats, man! *high fives*🖐 Do you have your own channel now where folks can follow your progress & see your amazing skills at work?
I'm 41 and have dabbled in all kinds of hobbies. I just got into his weekend woodworker course, and I found my thing that I really enjoy doing/passionate about. I would love to make a business out of this Hobbie and hope to live your dream one day!
@@marikiemarie7622 It's not that I don't believe you, but I can't really understand that. In my experience it is the complete oposite. I work at a lumber/wood store and the three types of wood that we stock are spruce, pine and white oak. What I have learned is that when it comes to warping/bowing is that spruce is the worst, turn your back on it for 5 minutes and it's a corkscrew. Pine is a bit better but not by much. White oak is the best material to work with of the three in my opinion. It pretty muck doesn't warp at all and if it does it's only a fraction of what pine does.
@@marikiemarie7622 I couldn't disagree more. I think most woodworkers would agree that pine is one of the most difficult woods to stain. It's uneven density leads to blotchiness and it has a relatively high oil content.
OOH! Also - you mentioned that you avoid mixing water and oil-based products. I'm a professional (fine art) oil painter. You can always apply oils on top of water-based mediums but never water-based over oil-based. In oil painting, it's called the "fat over lean" rule and you follow it in order to avoid texture problems like cracking/clumps that result from the bottom layer curing more slowly than the top layer dries. I'm probably explaining things you already know but I always want to enable cool people to do cool things! ~Thanks for the best channel on TH-cam!!
Late on this... but that's not always the norm. With wood stains and finishes, you in fact can put water-based over the top of oil-bases. I've put water-based finishes over oil-based stains and finishes with no issues as long as you know how to apply properly. But yes in general thats a good guideline to adhere to.
I have used water based polyurethane over oil based stain several times and never had a problem with it. You just have to make sure the stain has had plenty of time to dry. I don't particularly like the water based polyurethane though because it takes a lot more coats to get a very nice high shine. I only use it if I ran out of the oil based or am working on something that might have contact with food. I made a box to store nuts in and wanted to make sure no one got sick if anything managed to get through the shells of the nuts because I wasn't sure if the oil based stuff could cause that kind of a hazard and the natural options can wear off with time, so I didn't want the person who I was giving them to needing to do that kind of maintenance on my gift.
'Fat over lean' refers to thinning down the first coat to penetrate the wood, then adding additional coats without dilution for protective and finish effects.
Steve I'd just like to thank you. I stumbled on your videos about 5 years ago. As someone who has always wanted a shop and was always interested in woodworking you made it seem so doable. I picked up a few inexpensive tools and just started messing around making boxes and what not. I now have a shop full of tools and I cherish every moment I get to spend out there. So much of my current happiness has come from those first few videos of yours. You've literally changed my life. Thank you!
I usually clean projects with mineral spirts before staining, and this has the same effect as using a pre conditioner, filling the most absorbent fibers, as well as removing dust quite well.
I'm new to woodworking. I came back from staining something downstairs. Figured I was done. I saw this and instantly clicked it. I watched the video, grabbed an old tee shirt rag and wiped down what I stained. Thanks Steve. You're the man.
I’ve watched so many videos of people just not going to the pony, trying to sell you things, by far the best video I’ve seen. To the point, clear, full of knowledge. Thank you sir
I took a bunch of small scraps of pine, beech and oak and made samples of all the stains I keep in stock. Much easier to show a person (or yourself) how the finish will look. Get a new stain? Make a sample of it.
Steve, I love your channel man. I'm a pro woodworker and i wish i would have learned your message so much earlier. Expensive tools are not required to make beautiful products. Expensive tools can make the process faster IF you are properly experience with them, but they are not required at all. So often when i was younger I would fail at a part of my woodworking and I thought it was because i didnt have the right tools like i saw Marc Spagnuolo have. It had nothing to do with it. I simply didnt know my tools and my materials enough. Wood working is for people of all budgets and minds. One of my prized woodworking posessions is a hand carved sparrow. I bought it from a homeless man who carved it from used sandpaper, a used utility knife, and a broken fork. The bird is beautiful. I couldnt make it with all my tools.... He found an abandoned lot with a broken fence and used the cedar from the fence to make the bird. He used copper wiring for the feet. His tools and wiring were scavenged from the dumpster of a cabinet shop.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I just made a whitewood desk for my home and though I made my share of newbie mistakes, thanks to your teachings it's sturdy, took the stain beautifully without blotchiness, and I was able to fix and avoid many little mistakes along the way for a better end product. I can't stop touching it! (saved over $700 making it vs buying anything online too!)
campbellscollision I agree, still none of my business, I got no problem watching him do some cool woodworking stuff, you know from the safety of my own home 😁 who cares what the guy does in his spare time so long as he’s not hurting anybody
Steve is right: The pre-stain conditioner really does help a lot when staining pine. It is easy to use, and it eliminates much of that blotchiness. But there are both water-based and oil-based versions of this product, so you need to get the appropriate one for the stain you are using. And as for the Basic Mobile Workbench, I built one and it is great. I already had a decent workbench bolted against one wall of my garage. But I find myself using the BMW workbench more and more.
Everybody, if u have problems with materials accepting stain or finish, u can pop the grain as we carpenters say. A damp rag, not too wet used to coat the surface. Let dry, and then apply stain or whatever ur using for coating. This process opens up the grain of the material. Sanding closes the grain. If u r only applying clear coat, oil or water based polyurethane, u do not want to pop the grain, just sand it.
@@SteveRamsey I don't care how many videos of yours I've watched over the past 50 years, I still enjoy all of them. LoL I really do. Whether I know the content already or not. Your videos are not only informative but entertaining. A also enjoy how you mix in your videoing errors with humor. Thank you very much and keep up the great work.
staining and finishing projects were one of the most intimidating things for me as a starting woodworker - I was so afraid to ruin my creations by using the wrong method or doing it improperly. this is a great video for anybody trying to figure out what's right for their projects.
I stained all my kitchen cabinets when i bought my house with oil stain then put 8 coats of water based polyurethane on and wet sanded them and buffed them they are smooth as glass been that way for 5 yrs now still lookin good
Hey Steve, as a long time subscriber, I would like to thank you for all the great videos you’ve done over the years, they are truely inspirational and always a joy to watch.
I am not a beginner. I am more of a long-time amateur still making beginner mistakes and learning new stuff. I just recently learned about some new-fangled stuff called sanding sealer and I almost wept when I saw the difference in the finished product. I wish I could go back in time, retrieve and redo some past projects. Great channel! Just subscribed.
Seriously , im so grateful for your channel ! The time and effort your taking just to teach us newbies, people like you are why a craft carries on Great video Short and sweet but very clean and informative and not confusing Right on brother !
You do realize the time and effort is not "just to teach us" its his job, almost 2M subs, he makes a sh/t big load of money with every video. Hes richer every day, making more money in a month than you probably make all year 👍
@@tiagomartinho77 you do realize that he doesn't have to do that , (as many TH-camrs don't ) and still make big coin , and what if it's both , making $ and helping ppl , either way I got something from this video and therefore said thanks , just cuz he's making money (however much ) still I learned soo..
Just put danish oil on beautiful natural hardwoods. It penetrates and seals in the beautiful natural tone of the wood. Two coats 15 minutes apart and done. It’s that easy. The wood soaks it right up.
Thanks Steve, for clarifying what I sort of knew but was not really clear about - you do not need to stain hardwood. I also agree, a good oak stain or even a natural stain can enhance oak. I'm refinishing an oak table top (not the legs) which was mostly original golden oak color and I polyurethaned twice over many years. I took it down to bare wood with a scraper. I can't decide if should do any staining at all. Will cover with Odies oil. I bought regular and dark oil. But since the top should match the legs (and round edge and sideband), I feel some staining is probably necessary. Never used Odies before so will do some experiments on the underside of the table. I want to stay away from Minwax "finishes" to work best with the oil, so will go out today and get some Colony, or Varathane, etc.
Minwax prestain conditioner is just mineral spirits, use mineral spirits instead (use water before a water based stain). Shellac will prevent oil and water based stains from penetrating the wood (it doesn't dissolve in either solvent). That's all you need to know.
I don’t think so Troy, I just used both of those product & mineral spirits are clear (like paint thinner) the MinWax prestain conditioner is like a goldish/bronze colour. They look totally different. I used mineral spirits to clean board after sanding then once it dried I applied the prestain conditioner & let it dry then applied some “Espresso” (minwax stain) & 🤯 holy f the grain popped
@@frankking1466 Looks like you're right about the contents, I never looked it up. My bad. Minwax lists light and medium aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAS 64742-47-8 and CAS 64742-88-7) which is basically kerosine/jet fuel with some naphtha in it. I've use mineral spirits as a prestain treatment and it does work fine, the point is to put some solvent into the more thirsty parts of the wood so they don't absorb more stain and look blotchy.
I’ve never stained or anything like this before, I’m scared of making a mistake because I’ve never even watched anyone staining either, the very 1st video I watch is yours about mistakes. Thank You for posting!
Thank you for posting this! I was going to stain an old 1890s desk I was refinishing (my first project) but after seeing this I decided just to sand it and use poly and the color is so nice without staining! I love how it came out.
NOW I finally find a video explaining staining basics. Too late for the kids bunk bed. I tried sanding the thin coat of varnish but applying stain over an imperfect sanding job left the beds blotchy so I added more stain to cover the blotchyness only to get a perpetually wet look because the wood no longer accepts the stain. No other site mentions this except Steve.....I want to polycrylic the beds but fear what it'll do.......the colour is a deep red mahogany and I'll add brushed nickel handles.
6:15 for the ‘blotching’ that’s seen in the thumbnail. The entire video is worth a watch, but if you want to see how to prevent blotching (I sure did!), that’s where it is.
I've personally found that a boiled linseed is great way to finish a wood working project. I recently made a dice poker board out of some beautiful tigerwood. And the linseed after a couple of coats brought out the a beautiful rich color of the tigerwood. But one thing I learned the hard way is cleaning the sanding dust completely is an absolute must for a consistent finish. Great video, I can see why you have the subs you do.
I've built my loft bed/workspace and a rolling table in my room using only a jigsaw and a cordless drill. Maybe not the best option, concerning dust, but hey, that's why I have a vacuum for. To be honest, your channel was one of my main inspirations to just start doing something without a workshop. Thanks Steve!
One important thing to remember about staining, especially bare cabinets. Always be sure to sand before staining! Sometimes oils from your fingers will leave residue on the wood that you will not see until after you stain. Remove all dust after sanding and you are good to go!
I built a large computer desk out of pine. I love the way pine looks, especially the knots, and I use a light staying, and then I apply polyurethane for about five coats. I used to use regular brushes, but I got smart use foam brushes now...
Great video, I refinish wood floors for a living and use waterbase finish overstaying almost every week. The biggest concern it’s to wipe off all excess stainAnd let it dry for at least 24 hours. Thank you for making appointment that stain is not a finish it’s just a sealer of sorts
I've found that wetting the wood down slightly and then drying works just as well as using a preconditioner, surprisingly. Don't knock it 'till you try it; test it on a scrap piece of wood first, of course. It seriously makes a difference. Good video though!
Yup, me too. After the sanding, I wipe the wood down with a wet rag. Not so wet that it's dripping everywhere, but wet enough that water leaks out of the rag when I apply pressure during wiping. Then I either let it air dry, or if I'm doing a single piece and I'm impatient, I use a hair dryer on low heat to speed it up a bit after letting it soak for a few minutes. I never let it dry completely though, the wood is still slightly cool and moist to the touch
Huge fan for years. Always learning. Today's lessons, don't let conditioner sit for hours. Ended up having to sand a pine table top and start over. Thanks Steve. Happy new years.
For posterity, shellac is the "universal binder". You can mix pretty much any oil and water borne products if you put a coat of shellac in between them.
Great tip, I will be sharing this with my clients when they ask to apply the stain themselves. Often they don't understand the wood conditioning part and you video demonstrated that perfectly!
Another thing not mentioned: If you glue anything. Make sure there is no glue residue left anywhere as stain has a tendency to slide right off any exposed glue. This can be especially tricky if you have two glued pieces that has the slightest gap between them filled with glue. This gap will not take the stain and can look ugly.
Conditioning is super important on the soft woods. When you started staining that pine I was yelling at my phone " What an idiot you forgot the conditioner " I'm glad you got to that part. Well done.
😅 Imagine ordering a custom cherry wood dining table, thinking you're getting a dark cherry colored table and receiving the latter. You ask the woodworking pro you hired about the difference in color and he explains "No worries- it will be that color in a handful of years." 😂
Thank you for posting this video. You are so right and, I wish I would have watched this video before I ruined the table that took me so long to send. I painted a native american image on it, and used a stain/polyurethane mix on it. Completely ruined my project. I am going to try and sand it and start all over again. But this time, just going to leave the natural color of the wood and add a gloss finish. Thanks again. Your video makes a lot of sense. Mike V. Albuquerque, NM
I used to work at a paint store and I can't tell you how many times people would buy stain for whatever project and come back in later talking about how they ruined it because they didn't like the way that particular stain looked once applied. Different woods take the exact same stain differently! Always test on scrap before applying to the finished piece!
I worked for many years in a large commercial work products company, most kitchen and bath cabinetry, but including some furniture, etc. Though the "latest and great" finishing products and techniques were employed. one wood species still tended to be blotchy: MAPLE. Whether in production finishing or in the limited finish applications we actually did in the prototype shop, I saw huge numbers of blotchy parts and ALL were maple. Like the look of natural maple? Go for it! Want something darker? I would recommend darker wood from jump street or use something more stain friendly than maple. The only option I would personally consider on maple would be one the the tinted finishes which has color in the actual topcoat.
I did my fence with an osmo product. It was an oil and hard for an amateur to apply evenly especially when the sun is drying it quickly. I think I was given bad advice of to apply plenty maybe like you would a traditional fence treatment however it's quite patchy. I'm now not sure if to apply a second coat.
I wish I would have watched your videos before I build shutters for my home. I used some reclaimed cedar, oak and then bought more pine to fill in the rest. Now I have a crazy multicolored shutter assortment
Thank you so much for this informative video. I was planning to slap a coat of stain on my weathered patio furniture to protect it. I'll learn more before deciding what to do with my patio furniture.
Hey Steve! Really great content on your channel. I've been trying to finish an Ikea table top using Danish oil and for some reason it seems to have gotten all blotchy and patchy even though I sanded down and wiped off excess and followed the instructions. Any suggestions on how I could save it and get a nice smooth finish? Any help would be much appreciated!
I've been a cabinet maker, furniture builder and finisher for 40 years. You are the second TH-camr to say that staining wood is uncommon. In fact the guy said no professional furniture maker uses stain!! Where did you get this idea?
Wow. Did not know this. Glad I came across this video. Totally attempting to make a pallet bed and I want to add stain to it now that I have finished sanding it. Thank you for this information!
Hello Loved the video very informative! Thank you so much! but I would like to ask if there are any available shop link to the colors. I love the Pine color! It beautifully turned into a golden yellow brown as it stays for years and I would like to use it for my room furnitures.
First :D This video came just when I needed it, I have been trying to figure out how I want to finish my most recent project, Aspen ply free standing closet :)
@@SteveRamsey You're welcome and I mean it. I love all your videos. Your BMW was my first workbench and when it warms up here soon (Colorado) I will make more headway on your WW course. I've used the cold winter to gather more tools. I've got the itch to build stuff, baby!!
What about deck stain? It is more of a paint, but labeled as stain and does soak into the wood a little bit. It is also protective against the elements, but it needs to be reapplied regularly. Thoughts?
It's kind of misleading that you say you can't undo stain. If you don't like the color of the stain you can repeat the sanding process to get back to the raw wood. You don't even have to get all the way to the raw wood just mostly there and apply a different stain. I've done this multiple times. Also a tip for those staining pine...using a pre-stain conditioner works very well but it almost works too well as it makes the wood so consistent in color that it has no character and that's fine if that's the look you want. I like to have a little variation in color...call it slight blotching if you will...so before using an oil-based stain I generously wipe mineral spirits on the wood so that it's all wet...let it sit a few moments...wipe off the excess mineral spirits that didn't soak in...then rub in the stain. It does a hell of a job at turning what would be severe blotching into something much more presentable that you would consider aesthetically pleasing character.
Joshua Smith Thanks for the tip! I also prefer and like the look of different tones in the wood color in terms of “blotchiness.” When I saw the conditioner it looked a bit too even toned for my liking. I’ll look more into mineral spirits!
Just stained some pieces and ran into issues even after using a pre-stain conditioner. Still came out blotchy in several areas (used Pine) and while it didn't ruin the project and I'm still happy with the results, I know I could do better. Any idea what went wrong? Is 2 coats a pre-stain an option, or do I just need to do a better job sanding and preparing the wood beforehand?
this video was VERY thorough even for someone who has enough experience with wood work. Not a ton but a lot. FYI... When doing many many linear feet such as in base, I use a "weenie" roller to get the stain on (no I don't get ridiculous and have it soaked and dripping duh) then of course wipe excess off with a rag. Of course I had to "prove" myself to a dude, so I did 10 boards in the time he did two. lol
I'm quite confused now. I have a brand new wooden fence and deck installed and I want to retain its color as much as possible but dont want it to get damaged. What do I do?
A clear-coat polyurethane would be the best. You could use oil, which looks more natural but is less protective. Steve has has a video on other different types of finishes finishes and their uses.
I hear you, man. I do that all the time with cheap Chinese made wooden boxes that I've picked out from dollar stores. You'd swear that they've been bleached or pickled from how bland they look. I almost always seem to find ones that have a figuring that becomes really interesting with just about any colour of stain, so long as it's a natural wood colour.
I remember my friends dad staining their deck when I was a kid and being mad it came out splotchy, then he spent weeks sanding it and it was still splotchy. The guy wasn't the brightest lol.
Great advice! When applying the poly coat and starting from one end and not lifting the brush until you get to the other end to avoid streaks...if you have very large tabletop, should you just start from the opposite end for each coat of poly and rotate for each coat?
Great information. As much care should be taken with finish as with the assembly. By the way, Steve. Imagine my surprise when I saw your commentary on a E Magazine report on TH-cam about the Little Rascals(Our Gang)!!!! Wow, a man of many talents!! That must have been before WWMM. I’ve been subscribed for many years and never knew that about you. By the way, the interview was great..
Perfect timing! I'm teaching a friend some woodworking by doing a picture frame. We picked up supplies this evening including a can of stain, since he wanted a dark-looking wood, but I cautioned him against the expense of walnut for a first project. Thanks for the tips and tricks!
One important thing that was not mentioned is that rags used for most staining projects must be disposed of properly as they are exothermic (generate their own heat) when they dry and can be a fire hazard. Placing them in a metal container with a lid or in a plastic bucket partially filled with water is safest. As a 20 year Fire Investigator, I cannot count the number of fires I have been to where staining rags were the source of ignition.
@ebesel, we usually hang them outside to dry in the sun before discarding.. Outside even if it is raining. Please, is this wrong?
But if using paoer towels and stain, those are usually dry very quickly and discarded in trash can if dry. Is this safe? TY!
@@rwind656 Using a metal container with a lid is safest imo, and it is the method I use when doing staining projects at home. Drying them outside on a line should be ok, but they need to be watched and kept away from other combustibles, just in case. An exothermic reaction can begin (or continue) several hours after the project is complete, so I always let the rags sit in the metal container for at least 24 hours before doing anything with them. The two big DONT's are: 1.) Don't wad the rags up and drop them on the floor or in a corner when finished, and 2.) don't put them in the garbage for at lest 24 hours after they are dry. (even paper towels)
I remember It was hard to even imagine this happens. Before I started woodworking a few years ago, I had no idea it was even possible, since I was self taught.
Thank you for posting this. It's good to see this getting mentioned, and hope people see this post and prevent it. I don't know if it's just me, but I don't think this gets mentioned as much as it should be.
It's an incredibly easy mistake to make, but also incredibly easy to prevent at the same time. I think that's what made it so scary to me, so I forced myself to make it into a habit to prevent it.
I've seen too many floor guess catch stuff on fire this way!!
@@rwind656 I do that, too. Several days (OK, weeks, even...) of exposure to open air, sunlight, rain, snow, and wind-blown debris render oily rags comatose.
I think the issue is linseed oil, but a web search might turn up other culprits.
I had no idea or direction for what I wanted to do with my life as a young man. I discovered Steve Ramsey on youtube years ago and tried my hand making some furniture. His videos introduced me to all the power tools I needed and explained how to safely use them. 7 years on I am now a ticketed carpenter with a small cabinet making business. THANK YOU STEVE
Now that is an AWESOME testimonial! Congrats, man! *high fives*🖐
Do you have your own channel now where folks can follow your progress & see your amazing skills at work?
I'm 41 and have dabbled in all kinds of hobbies. I just got into his weekend woodworker course, and I found my thing that I really enjoy doing/passionate about. I would love to make a business out of this Hobbie and hope to live your dream one day!
When you have oak tastes but a pine budget. Stain is the answer.
I can't stand oak. Pine stains better and for some reason, I don't have bowing or warping with pine..
@@marikiemarie7622 It's not that I don't believe you, but I can't really understand that. In my experience it is the complete oposite.
I work at a lumber/wood store and the three types of wood that we stock are spruce, pine and white oak. What I have learned is that when it comes to warping/bowing is that spruce is the worst, turn your back on it for 5 minutes and it's a corkscrew. Pine is a bit better but not by much. White oak is the best material to work with of the three in my opinion. It pretty muck doesn't warp at all and if it does it's only a fraction of what pine does.
@@marikiemarie7622 I couldn't disagree more. I think most woodworkers would agree that pine is one of the most difficult woods to stain. It's uneven density leads to blotchiness and it has a relatively high oil content.
you killed me man! :-)
Just bought a bunch of oak as a first project... Had no idea how expensive it actually was. Expected 50-80$ project got 300$
OOH! Also - you mentioned that you avoid mixing water and oil-based products. I'm a professional (fine art) oil painter. You can always apply oils on top of water-based mediums but never water-based over oil-based. In oil painting, it's called the "fat over lean" rule and you follow it in order to avoid texture problems like cracking/clumps that result from the bottom layer curing more slowly than the top layer dries. I'm probably explaining things you already know but I always want to enable cool people to do cool things! ~Thanks for the best channel on TH-cam!!
Late on this... but that's not always the norm. With wood stains and finishes, you in fact can put water-based over the top of oil-bases. I've put water-based finishes over oil-based stains and finishes with no issues as long as you know how to apply properly. But yes in general thats a good guideline to adhere to.
Good rule of thumb, thanks for the tip
Fine art and wood are probably 2 different things...you can do water over oil if the label says its okay.
I have used water based polyurethane over oil based stain several times and never had a problem with it. You just have to make sure the stain has had plenty of time to dry. I don't particularly like the water based polyurethane though because it takes a lot more coats to get a very nice high shine. I only use it if I ran out of the oil based or am working on something that might have contact with food. I made a box to store nuts in and wanted to make sure no one got sick if anything managed to get through the shells of the nuts because I wasn't sure if the oil based stuff could cause that kind of a hazard and the natural options can wear off with time, so I didn't want the person who I was giving them to needing to do that kind of maintenance on my gift.
'Fat over lean' refers to thinning down the first coat to penetrate the wood, then adding additional coats without dilution for protective and finish effects.
Steve I'd just like to thank you. I stumbled on your videos about 5 years ago. As someone who has always wanted a shop and was always interested in woodworking you made it seem so doable. I picked up a few inexpensive tools and just started messing around making boxes and what not. I now have a shop full of tools and I cherish every moment I get to spend out there. So much of my current happiness has come from those first few videos of yours. You've literally changed my life. Thank you!
Oh wow, that is so cool. I really appreciate hearing that, Ken. Thanks a bunch and keep building!
I usually clean projects with mineral spirts before staining, and this has the same effect as using a pre conditioner, filling the most absorbent fibers, as well as removing dust quite well.
Will have to try!
I'm new to woodworking. I came back from staining something downstairs. Figured I was done. I saw this and instantly clicked it. I watched the video, grabbed an old tee shirt rag and wiped down what I stained. Thanks Steve. You're the man.
I’ve watched so many videos of people just not going to the pony, trying to sell you things, by far the best video I’ve seen. To the point, clear, full of knowledge. Thank you sir
I took a bunch of small scraps of pine, beech and oak and made samples of all the stains I keep in stock. Much easier to show a person (or yourself) how the finish will look. Get a new stain? Make a sample of it.
Stains wont look the same on every type of wood unfortunately
@@jonathantenorio8829 Exactly, and even sanding and preconditioning can make a lot of difference, as explained in the video too.
Is there anything that must be applied before putting a clear stain? Or do I just put the clear stain by itself to keep it's natural look?
@@jonathantenorio8829 thats is why he took all different wood he is working with. If client want beech, he shows beech sample.
Steve, I love your channel man. I'm a pro woodworker and i wish i would have learned your message so much earlier. Expensive tools are not required to make beautiful products. Expensive tools can make the process faster IF you are properly experience with them, but they are not required at all. So often when i was younger I would fail at a part of my woodworking and I thought it was because i didnt have the right tools like i saw Marc Spagnuolo have. It had nothing to do with it. I simply didnt know my tools and my materials enough.
Wood working is for people of all budgets and minds. One of my prized woodworking posessions is a hand carved sparrow. I bought it from a homeless man who carved it from used sandpaper, a used utility knife, and a broken fork. The bird is beautiful. I couldnt make it with all my tools.... He found an abandoned lot with a broken fence and used the cedar from the fence to make the bird. He used copper wiring for the feet. His tools and wiring were scavenged from the dumpster of a cabinet shop.
What a great story and a useful insight! I’m new and I appreciate it. Screenshotted to save for later.
Cool comment. Thnx man!
ive been watching for a good while. you have made me so confident in doing projects "im not even a carpenter im a dj"
Meh, you can be both!!
Ooooo, maybe you could build a cool mobile rack for your vinyl!
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I just made a whitewood desk for my home and though I made my share of newbie mistakes, thanks to your teachings it's sturdy, took the stain beautifully without blotchiness, and I was able to fix and avoid many little mistakes along the way for a better end product. I can't stop touching it! (saved over $700 making it vs buying anything online too!)
He looks innocent enough, friendly, helpful even.....and then you see the ouija board and wonder what he gets up to off camera
omg ...sooo spooooky ..good eye park
Quokka Pirquish
But......the coffin didn't get your attention?😉
Haha. Oh man! What a change in perspective!!!
I mean Ouija apparently 🙄 not my way but different folks ya know...
campbellscollision I agree, still none of my business, I got no problem watching him do some cool woodworking stuff, you know from the safety of my own home 😁 who cares what the guy does in his spare time so long as he’s not hurting anybody
It all started with this video for a small project and now I am in week 4 of his course. It is worth the money.
Steve is right: The pre-stain conditioner really does help a lot when staining pine. It is easy to use, and it eliminates much of that blotchiness. But there are both water-based and oil-based versions of this product, so you need to get the appropriate one for the stain you are using. And as for the Basic Mobile Workbench, I built one and it is great. I already had a decent workbench bolted against one wall of my garage. But I find myself using the BMW workbench more and more.
Everybody, if u have problems with materials accepting stain or finish, u can pop the grain as we carpenters say. A damp rag, not too wet used to coat the surface. Let dry, and then apply stain or whatever ur using for coating. This process opens up the grain of the material. Sanding closes the grain. If u r only applying clear coat, oil or water based polyurethane, u do not want to pop the grain, just sand it.
Why am I watching this at 6 in the morning. I don’t even have anything to stain 💀
carli cassano quarantine life
carli cassano I just LOL.. it so me too... lol. Stay safe
Take up woodworking
Lol... maybe you're getting some kind of inspiration..?? Lol
learning is awesome and empowering
The "with" and "without wood conditioner" pics blew my mind. I feel like I can finally try staining/ natural finishes now! -Thanks Steve! :)
Erica Roberts me too! I’m getting me some wood conditioner!
I like without conditioner more. Looks more natural and raw
Now a blur cam! The production value just keeps going up and up! Great job Steve
I'm always researching the latest video techniques. 😂
These production values are preposterous! I demand a proper J J Abrams shaky cam...!
@@SteveRamsey I don't care how many videos of yours I've watched over the past 50 years, I still enjoy all of them. LoL I really do. Whether I know the content already or not. Your videos are not only informative but entertaining. A also enjoy how you mix in your videoing errors with humor. Thank you very much and keep up the great work.
@@SteveRamsey only thing you really need is some sound dampening in that room.
staining and finishing projects were one of the most intimidating things for me as a starting woodworker - I was so afraid to ruin my creations by using the wrong method or doing it improperly. this is a great video for anybody trying to figure out what's right for their projects.
Seeing the way that Cherry darkened over time. WOW!
I can't wait for mine to. Probably not in my lifetime 🤣 tho.
I stained all my kitchen cabinets when i bought my house with oil stain then put 8 coats of water based polyurethane on and wet sanded them and buffed them they are smooth as glass been that way for 5 yrs now still lookin good
thanks for sharing dude! I just realized I bought oil based stain and solvent poly for my project and being paranoid about it hahahaha
Damn I need a video on how you did that, I wan a buy a beach wood desk top and stain it and I wanna get a good finish when I apply the poly
Hey Steve, as a long time subscriber, I would like to thank you for all the great videos you’ve done over the years, they are truely inspirational and always a joy to watch.
Aza Shukri just found the channel & I wholeheartedly agree with you!! He’s been great!
He’s like the uncle whose garage you liked spending your summers in.
I am not a beginner. I am more of a long-time amateur still making beginner mistakes and learning new stuff. I just recently learned about some new-fangled stuff called sanding sealer and I almost wept when I saw the difference in the finished product. I wish I could go back in time, retrieve and redo some past projects. Great channel! Just subscribed.
Seriously , im so grateful for your channel ! The time and effort your taking just to teach us newbies, people like you are why a craft carries on
Great video
Short and sweet but very clean and informative and not confusing
Right on brother !
You do realize the time and effort is not "just to teach us" its his job, almost 2M subs, he makes a sh/t big load of money with every video. Hes richer every day, making more money in a month than you probably make all year 👍
@@tiagomartinho77 you do realize that he doesn't have to do that , (as many TH-camrs don't ) and still make big coin , and what if it's both , making $ and helping ppl , either way I got something from this video and therefore said thanks , just cuz he's making money (however much ) still I learned soo..
Just put danish oil on beautiful natural hardwoods. It penetrates and seals in the beautiful natural tone of the wood. Two coats 15 minutes apart and done. It’s that easy. The wood soaks it right up.
As someone just getting into woodworking I find your videos easy to understand & SOOO informative. Thank you!!!
Thanks Steve, for clarifying what I sort of knew but was not really clear about - you do not need to stain hardwood. I also agree, a good oak stain or even a natural stain can enhance oak. I'm refinishing an oak table top (not the legs) which was mostly original golden oak color and I polyurethaned twice over many years. I took it down to bare wood with a scraper. I can't decide if should do any staining at all. Will cover with Odies oil. I bought regular and dark oil. But since the top should match the legs (and round edge and sideband), I feel some staining is probably necessary. Never used Odies before so will do some experiments on the underside of the table. I want to stay away from Minwax "finishes" to work best with the oil, so will go out today and get some Colony, or Varathane, etc.
"For some reason, a lot of beginning wood workers think staining is a requirement.........." Stop calling me out Steve!
its a personal opinion. i think dark stains look better than everything else
RideRedRacer I have moved on to painting everything now. Staining takes a lot of work I have realized
As someone that loves woodworking and hasn't done more than 3 projects. I thank you for every single video.
Minwax prestain conditioner is just mineral spirits, use mineral spirits instead (use water before a water based stain). Shellac will prevent oil and water based stains from penetrating the wood (it doesn't dissolve in either solvent). That's all you need to know.
I don’t think so Troy, I just used both of those product & mineral spirits are clear (like paint thinner) the MinWax prestain conditioner is like a goldish/bronze colour. They look totally different. I used mineral spirits to clean board after sanding then once it dried I applied the prestain conditioner & let it dry then applied some “Espresso” (minwax stain) & 🤯 holy f the grain popped
@@frankking1466 Looks like you're right about the contents, I never looked it up. My bad. Minwax lists light and medium aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAS 64742-47-8 and CAS 64742-88-7) which is basically kerosine/jet fuel with some naphtha in it. I've use mineral spirits as a prestain treatment and it does work fine, the point is to put some solvent into the more thirsty parts of the wood so they don't absorb more stain and look blotchy.
I’ve never stained or anything like this before, I’m scared of making a mistake because I’ve never even watched anyone staining either, the very 1st video I watch is yours about mistakes.
Thank You for posting!
Thank you for posting this! I was going to stain an old 1890s desk I was refinishing (my first project) but after seeing this I decided just to sand it and use poly and the color is so nice without staining! I love how it came out.
NOW I finally find a video explaining staining basics. Too late for the kids bunk bed. I tried sanding the thin coat of varnish but applying stain over an imperfect sanding job left the beds blotchy so I added more stain to cover the blotchyness only to get a perpetually wet look because the wood no longer accepts the stain. No other site mentions this except Steve.....I want to polycrylic the beds but fear what it'll do.......the colour is a deep red mahogany and I'll add brushed nickel handles.
6:15 for the ‘blotching’ that’s seen in the thumbnail. The entire video is worth a watch, but if you want to see how to prevent blotching (I sure did!), that’s where it is.
thank you kind sir !!
I've personally found that a boiled linseed is great way to finish a wood working project. I recently made a dice poker board out of some beautiful tigerwood. And the linseed after a couple of coats brought out the a beautiful rich color of the tigerwood. But one thing I learned the hard way is cleaning the sanding dust completely is an absolute must for a consistent finish. Great video, I can see why you have the subs you do.
I've built my loft bed/workspace and a rolling table in my room using only a jigsaw and a cordless drill. Maybe not the best option, concerning dust, but hey, that's why I have a vacuum for. To be honest, your channel was one of my main inspirations to just start doing something without a workshop. Thanks Steve!
Wow...I'll bet that was a bit of cleanup! Haha! Hey, thanks for watching Pelle!
Seen thousands of TH-cam videos, but this was really one of the most well made ones i've seen. Thanks. Very clear and informative. 10/10
One important thing to remember about staining, especially bare cabinets. Always be sure to sand before staining! Sometimes oils from your fingers will leave residue on the wood that you will not see until after you stain. Remove all dust after sanding and you are good to go!
I built a large computer desk out of pine. I love the way pine looks, especially the knots, and I use a light staying, and then I apply polyurethane for about five coats. I used to use regular brushes, but I got smart use foam brushes now...
have you been able to communicate with past wood workers with that ouija board?
He uses that board to communicate with the mineral spirits to clean up the stain after he is done.
@@SweetBabyJay hahaha
Jesse Schlarb that was clever! 🤣
@@SweetBabyJay nice one😆.
Seen it too lol
Great video, I refinish wood floors for a living and use waterbase finish overstaying almost every week. The biggest concern it’s to wipe off all excess stainAnd let it dry for at least 24 hours. Thank you for making appointment that stain is not a finish it’s just a sealer of sorts
I've found that wetting the wood down slightly and then drying works just as well as using a preconditioner, surprisingly. Don't knock it 'till you try it; test it on a scrap piece of wood first, of course. It seriously makes a difference. Good video though!
Even w oil based stains?
Yup, me too. After the sanding, I wipe the wood down with a wet rag. Not so wet that it's dripping everywhere, but wet enough that water leaks out of the rag when I apply pressure during wiping.
Then I either let it air dry, or if I'm doing a single piece and I'm impatient, I use a hair dryer on low heat to speed it up a bit after letting it soak for a few minutes.
I never let it dry completely though, the wood is still slightly cool and moist to the touch
@@zoezzzarko1117 oil over water is okay, water over oil is not
Huge fan for years. Always learning. Today's lessons, don't let conditioner sit for hours. Ended up having to sand a pine table top and start over. Thanks Steve. Happy new years.
For posterity, shellac is the "universal binder". You can mix pretty much any oil and water borne products if you put a coat of shellac in between them.
Layer. Not mix 😎
@@zoezzzarko1117 Obviously, since I spoke of putting a coat in between layers. :P
@@lenonkitchens7727 😋😊🤗
I’ve got a friend who had a house built clad with white oak. The builders had loads of it leftover and they let me keep it. It’s great
Great tip, I will be sharing this with my clients when they ask to apply the stain themselves. Often they don't understand the wood conditioning part and you video demonstrated that perfectly!
Thank you just discovered your channel before staining our stairs and floorboards and they are brilliant. Thank you
Another thing not mentioned: If you glue anything. Make sure there is no glue residue left anywhere as stain has a tendency to slide right off any exposed glue. This can be especially tricky if you have two glued pieces that has the slightest gap between them filled with glue. This gap will not take the stain and can look ugly.
So I'm guessing the answer there is wood filler? I hear they are stainable.
I've used the basic mobile work bench for six different projects and are are different. Thanks Steve!
Awesome! It's really versatile. Thank you!
You're killin' it Steve. Love seeing you keep on going after so long. Your positivity really helps people wanna jump in.
Hugely helpful! Thanks for answering all the questions I was too afraid to ask!
I'm ahead of all you wood worker's. I get my wood chrome plated.
@campbellscollision Indeed it is but man that hurts my soul
@Soham Sengupta IKR!!! It's like painting over wood, never understood that!!! (smh)
Conditioning is super important on the soft woods. When you started staining that pine I was yelling at my phone " What an idiot you forgot the conditioner " I'm glad you got to that part. Well done.
I always clean up wood with a damp cloth to help raise the vanes then sand it down, seams to come out a little smoother.
couldn't imagine not water popping before staining after I started doing it,
😅 Imagine ordering a custom cherry wood dining table, thinking you're getting a dark cherry colored table and receiving the latter. You ask the woodworking pro you hired about the difference in color and he explains "No worries- it will be that color in a handful of years." 😂
Hi Steve, thank you for great videos. Can I use natural oil after staining? or any other natural product to protect the stain from changing color?
Thank you sir, I haven’t done this yet but it’s in my near future. I picked up a lot of useful tips here. I appreciate your help.
Ebony & Honey are my two favorite colors on pine personally.
I've never tried honey...thanks for the tip!
Honey is a nice color. It goes well on old oak floors.
Used honey last week, it came out great
Where did you get that table at 7:44?
Please do a video about getting a wood deck ready for the summer. Cleaning and staining.
Steve is amazing. Positive, straight to the point and just the right balance on all sides. What an amazing discovery!
A lot of people think you need to stain everything because it was always part of every project in wood shop in school.
Thank you for posting this video. You are so right and, I wish I would have watched this video before I ruined the table that took me so long to send. I painted a native american image on it, and used a stain/polyurethane mix on it. Completely ruined my project. I am going to try and sand it and start all over again. But this time, just going to leave the natural color of the wood and add a gloss finish. Thanks again. Your video makes a lot of sense.
Mike V.
Albuquerque, NM
I'm not sure but did you mention testing stain on scrap first? Well if not it's a good tip. Brilliant information as usual bud.🍺
I used to work at a paint store and I can't tell you how many times people would buy stain for whatever project and come back in later talking about how they ruined it because they didn't like the way that particular stain looked once applied. Different woods take the exact same stain differently! Always test on scrap before applying to the finished piece!
@@conwaytwittyisalive9883 yes indeed.
I worked for many years in a large commercial work products company, most kitchen and bath cabinetry, but including some furniture, etc. Though the "latest and great" finishing products and techniques were employed. one wood species still tended to be blotchy: MAPLE. Whether in production finishing or in the limited finish applications we actually did in the prototype shop, I saw huge numbers of blotchy parts and ALL were maple. Like the look of natural maple? Go for it! Want something darker? I would recommend darker wood from jump street or use something more stain friendly than maple. The only option I would personally consider on maple would be one the the tinted finishes which has color in the actual topcoat.
Welp..wish i had watched this 5 hours ago b4 staining my first project lol.
Same 😂😂😂😭
Yep, me too :(
Same
Yup.......
I did my fence with an osmo product. It was an oil and hard for an amateur to apply evenly especially when the sun is drying it quickly. I think I was given bad advice of to apply plenty maybe like you would a traditional fence treatment however it's quite patchy. I'm now not sure if to apply a second coat.
I wish I would have watched your videos before I build shutters for my home. I used some reclaimed cedar, oak and then bought more pine to fill in the rest. Now I have a crazy multicolored shutter assortment
Very interesting vid. The one without conditioner at 7:10 I thought was the correct way since it had a more 'farmhouse' look. Learnt a lot. Thanks.
I would say if that's the way you want it to look then it is the correct way.
I like that "farmhouse" look too. Looks more natural/raw, while the conditioner one looks more processed/polished
Thank you so much for this informative video. I was planning to slap a coat of stain on my weathered patio furniture to protect it. I'll learn more before deciding what to do with my patio furniture.
Hey Steve! Really great content on your channel. I've been trying to finish an Ikea table top using Danish oil and for some reason it seems to have gotten all blotchy and patchy even though I sanded down and wiped off excess and followed the instructions. Any suggestions on how I could save it and get a nice smooth finish? Any help would be much appreciated!
I've been a cabinet maker, furniture builder and finisher for 40 years.
You are the second TH-camr to say that staining wood is uncommon. In fact the guy said no professional furniture maker uses stain!!
Where did you get this idea?
thank you for sharing your experiences. I love videos like this where you can learn from each other
Wow. Did not know this. Glad I came across this video. Totally attempting to make a pallet bed and I want to add stain to it now that I have finished sanding it. Thank you for this information!
I stain wood because hardwood is quite difficult to get for me while I have a lot of pine - I like pine but prefer darker furniture etc.
Thanks!
Good vid. I like to use a torch to char stain some of my wood projects then finish it with some poly. Thanks for sharing.
Ditto!! :-)
Hello Loved the video very informative! Thank you so much! but I would like to ask if there are any available shop link to the colors. I love the Pine color! It beautifully turned into a golden yellow brown as it stays for years and I would like to use it for my room furnitures.
First :D
This video came just when I needed it, I have been trying to figure out how I want to finish my most recent project, Aspen ply free standing closet :)
Damn you
Yes, for me too! I have got a urgent project to be built with pine and I thought I had to stain it.
I LOVE the look of aspen! Just a clear finish will look awesome.
@@SteveRamsey
Thanks! I'll give that a try :)
I just watched the video you made 5 years ago about applying spray lacquer. You look so much better and healthier now (plus you dress better too)!
Great job, Steve! Keep 'em coming!
Thanks Bill!
@@SteveRamsey You're welcome and I mean it. I love all your videos. Your BMW was my first workbench and when it warms up here soon (Colorado) I will make more headway on your WW course. I've used the cold winter to gather more tools. I've got the itch to build stuff, baby!!
What about deck stain? It is more of a paint, but labeled as stain and does soak into the wood a little bit. It is also protective against the elements, but it needs to be reapplied regularly. Thoughts?
It's kind of misleading that you say you can't undo stain. If you don't like the color of the stain you can repeat the sanding process to get back to the raw wood. You don't even have to get all the way to the raw wood just mostly there and apply a different stain. I've done this multiple times. Also a tip for those staining pine...using a pre-stain conditioner works very well but it almost works too well as it makes the wood so consistent in color that it has no character and that's fine if that's the look you want. I like to have a little variation in color...call it slight blotching if you will...so before using an oil-based stain I generously wipe mineral spirits on the wood so that it's all wet...let it sit a few moments...wipe off the excess mineral spirits that didn't soak in...then rub in the stain. It does a hell of a job at turning what would be severe blotching into something much more presentable that you would consider aesthetically pleasing character.
Joshua Smith Thanks for the tip! I also prefer and like the look of different tones in the wood color in terms of “blotchiness.” When I saw the conditioner it looked a bit too even toned for my liking. I’ll look more into mineral spirits!
Just stained some pieces and ran into issues even after using a pre-stain conditioner. Still came out blotchy in several areas (used Pine) and while it didn't ruin the project and I'm still happy with the results, I know I could do better. Any idea what went wrong? Is 2 coats a pre-stain an option, or do I just need to do a better job sanding and preparing the wood beforehand?
Drove my wkend woodworking passion and channel. Thanks, another amazingly useful video.
Thank you! I really appreciate that.
this video was VERY thorough even for someone who has enough experience with wood work. Not a ton but a lot. FYI... When doing many many linear feet such as in base, I use a "weenie" roller to get the stain on (no I don't get ridiculous and have it soaked and dripping duh) then of course wipe excess off with a rag. Of course I had to "prove" myself to a dude, so I did 10 boards in the time he did two. lol
Awesome, now I can give my wooden prosthetic limbs a tan!
Tan well enough, you get an n word pass
Zeeno my friend and my 𝖓𝖎𝖌𝖌𝖆! I will use it wisely. |°з°|
I'm quite confused now. I have a brand new wooden fence and deck installed and I want to retain its color as much as possible but dont want it to get damaged. What do I do?
A clear-coat polyurethane would be the best. You could use oil, which looks more natural but is less protective. Steve has has a video on other different types of finishes finishes and their uses.
@@cerving20 thanks !any products your recommend ?
The question (topcoat) came up when working on the Weekend Woodworker Sonoma Coffee Table. Great timing. Thank you!
Stained pine is under rated af!! Lol funny what you said about pine bc that is what I am staining 😂
Very helpful vid
I stain wood because i build things out of the most basic and cheap woods.
I hear you, man. I do that all the time with cheap Chinese made wooden boxes that I've picked out from dollar stores. You'd swear that they've been bleached or pickled from how bland they look. I almost always seem to find ones that have a figuring that becomes really interesting with just about any colour of stain, so long as it's a natural wood colour.
You just saved me from potentially ruining my beautiful shelf unit I built in my garage. I would have made many of these mistakes. Thanks!
Pine, the camry of the forest 😂😂
Yes!!! Santa Clarita Diet FTW!
I’m so glad we have steve to set us straight and give us the mere mortals the best advice.
I remember my friends dad staining their deck when I was a kid and being mad it came out splotchy, then he spent weeks sanding it and it was still splotchy. The guy wasn't the brightest lol.
you're a great teacher. Every video of yours is so informative. Thank you.
Yes you can go back when you stain. I’ve done it loads of times with a belt sander
Great advice! When applying the poly coat and starting from one end and not lifting the brush until you get to the other end to avoid streaks...if you have very large tabletop, should you just start from the opposite end for each coat of poly and rotate for each coat?
Great information. As much care should be taken with finish as with the assembly. By the way, Steve. Imagine my surprise when I saw your commentary on a E Magazine report on TH-cam about the Little Rascals(Our Gang)!!!! Wow, a man of many talents!! That must have been before WWMM. I’ve been subscribed for many years and never knew that about you. By the way, the interview was great..
Perfect timing! I'm teaching a friend some woodworking by doing a picture frame. We picked up supplies this evening including a can of stain, since he wanted a dark-looking wood, but I cautioned him against the expense of walnut for a first project. Thanks for the tips and tricks!