Gitman00
2010-08-26, 02:31 PM
So, I decided to get a new dining room table recently. In an attempt to save some money, I bought one unfinished and stained it myself. Never having done this before, I didn't quite know what I was getting into.
It has been... an adventure. The staining process is a little more involved than I expected. First was the two coats of rosewood stain. Before each coat, the wood had to be sanded with 220g sandpaper and dusted off. Each coat took several hours, to do the table and accompanying six chairs. Then it needed to dry for another 6 hours.
And of course, there was a hole in the plastic over one of the white seat cushions, and of course some of the stain happened to spill on exactly that spot. :smallmad:
Finally came the polyurethane finish. This was the trickiest part, as the stuff dries a lot faster than the stain. If you don't spread it quickly and evenly, you get permanent streaks, as I found out during the first coat. Also, check for loose brush bristles before it dries. :smallannoyed: Then, after yet another sanding and dusting, on goes the second coat.
So, after a week's work and a few minor setbacks, I have now stained and finished my first dining room set! Oh, and I discovered that parawood (from rubber trees) takes just about any oil-based stain beautifully. Now I just have to get the spills off the floor tiles...
Any other stories of successful or failed first attempts at similar crafts or home improvements?
It has been... an adventure. The staining process is a little more involved than I expected. First was the two coats of rosewood stain. Before each coat, the wood had to be sanded with 220g sandpaper and dusted off. Each coat took several hours, to do the table and accompanying six chairs. Then it needed to dry for another 6 hours.
And of course, there was a hole in the plastic over one of the white seat cushions, and of course some of the stain happened to spill on exactly that spot. :smallmad:
Finally came the polyurethane finish. This was the trickiest part, as the stuff dries a lot faster than the stain. If you don't spread it quickly and evenly, you get permanent streaks, as I found out during the first coat. Also, check for loose brush bristles before it dries. :smallannoyed: Then, after yet another sanding and dusting, on goes the second coat.
So, after a week's work and a few minor setbacks, I have now stained and finished my first dining room set! Oh, and I discovered that parawood (from rubber trees) takes just about any oil-based stain beautifully. Now I just have to get the spills off the floor tiles...
Any other stories of successful or failed first attempts at similar crafts or home improvements?