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Read below for:
A guide to finishing your own furniture -
From LAWRENCE McFADDEN our premiere Stain and Finish Company |
| Finishing Tips |
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Step 1 Sanding
The most important step in finishing furniture
is sanding and surface preparation.
It can
affect the overall results in
several ways.
Sanding with the right sandpaper
will assure
a more even depth shade. Even
if the factory
pre-sanding has been completed,
all surfaces
must be sanded with 180 garnet
sandpaper
before staining can take place.
The rougher
the surfaces are before staining,
the darker
the finish will be. Smoother
surfaces will
produce a more professional result.
Always
sand with the grain, being extra
careful
with moldings, turnings and end
grains. Next,
thoroughly wipe off all sanding
dust and
residue with a tack cloth or
a cloth dampened
with mineral spirits.
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Step 2 Staining - Make a Test Sample
Lawrence Mcfadden stains are real work savers.
This one product stains, seals and even protects
wood in a single easy application. Before
staining, test color on an unexposed area
(e.g. the back of a drawer) to be sure it
is the desired depth and shade. Begin staining
by applying the stain generously in a circular
motion with a clean, lint free cloth or foam
brush. Apply stain only at sections at a
time. Do not apply stain to the entire top
of a large table or to the entire side of
a bookcase unit. The stain may begin to tack
up and make it difficult to wipe off the
residue. Remove excess stain with the grain,
using a clean area of cloth. For hard to
stain areas, use a small foam brush just
as you would apply a liquid stain. If too
dark, simply dampen the cloth with mineral
spirits and rub off stain until desired color
is achieved. For a darker color, apply an
additional coat of stain. Allow a minimum
of 4 hours drying time before applying additional
coats of stain or polyurethane finishes.
For best results, allow overnight drying
between coats. If weather conditions are
humid, drying times will be affected. Darker,
heavily pigmented colors may take up to 72
hours to dry before clear coats are applied.
Some lifting of color may occur when applying
a clear coat. At this point you have a durable
and complete finish and could stop here.
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Step 3. clear polyurethane
Application of clear polyurethane is recommended
over the stain to provide additional protection
against marring, and adding resistance to
moisture and alcohol. To apply the clear
coat, follow the same procedure as you used
when applying the stain, but with one exception.
In removing the excess clear coat, be sure
to form a smooth pad surface with your cloth.
Keep turning the cloth, always making sure
it is smooth. If heavy streaks appear, either
too much clear coat has been left on the
surface, or your cloth surface is not smooth.
Correct this by using a smoother cloth surface
and stroking lightly in the direction of
the grain to even out the surface. If using
a foam brush, apply the clear coat as you
would a paint. Be careful not to apply heavily
and level out any residue with the direction
of the grain. Allow a minimum of 4 hours
before applying additional coats. For best
results allow clear coat to dry overnight
between coats. We do recommend 2 coats of
clear polyurethane be applied to all furniture
with light scuff sanding (read below) between
coats. The more coats applied, the higher
the fine gloss and added protection.
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About Clear coat sanding
Each clear coat should be thoroughly
dry
and scuff sanded with 320 sandpaper
before
applying the next coat. For a
flat surface,
use a very fine sandpaper, sanding
with the
grain. For molding, turnings,
drawer fronts,
and sharp edges use "Scotch
Bright"
(available at most paint stores)
sanding
pads or 4/0 steel wool. Clean
surfaces with
a tack cloth or mineral spirits
dampened
cloth. Repeat process after each
coat until
desired gloss is achieved. Lawrence
McFadden's
clear coat polyurethane is a
satin gloss
finish and will not develop a
100% high gloss
finish even after repeated coats.
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Helpful Hints
1) Mix .5 ounces of mineral spirits to .5
ounces of Lawrence McFaddens wipe-on clear
polyurethane. With a 1" foam brush apply
this mixture to the end grain areas immediately
before applying the colored stain. This prevents
the stain from being absorbed too quickly
into the end grains.
2) When applying Lawrence McFaddens paint/stain
colors, a painted look results when several
coats of the base stain are applied. One
coat of the paint/stain color wiped off will
allow the wood grain to show through and
will appear as if the unit being finished
was dyed.
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Discount-Unfinished-Furniture is not liable
for any event resulting in the use/misuse
of this information. This is meant to be
a general guide.
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