I'm making Pine widow sills and trim for my garage windows and was going to stain to match the window casing (?) I already have. Maybe I have my terms reversed. I know staining pine despite how fine you have it sanded will result in a blotchy surface. I have sanding sealer. Will that even out the stain saturation and prevent it from soaking into the wood? Hope that makes sense.
Stain Penetration
- Thread starter djg
- Start date
I haven’t used sealer on pine but have had good success with it on maple. Without the sealer, the maple was real blotchy after staining.
That or a water based stain that sits on top like the Lifeline stains by Permachink.
Last edited:
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
I applied the sanding sealer and allowed it to dry (90 F) an hour as per instructions. Then I applied the stain and wiped off after a minute or less. The finish was very blotchy. I'm torn between sanding it off and start over or just use as is. After all, it's just for windows in the garage over work benches and will be covered in dirt within a month.
Maybe I didn't let it dry long enough before staining. Is sanding sealer the same thing as wood conditioner?
Maybe I didn't let it dry long enough before staining. Is sanding sealer the same thing as wood conditioner?
I can only go by my experience with maple but I did notice that the amount of time I left the sealer on the maple before I wiped it off made a difference. If I wiped the sealer on the maple with a rag then very little soaked into the wood and my finish was still pretty blotchy…. But dark. If I applied the sealer liberally with a brush and let it soak in for 4 or 5 minutes before I wiped it off I got better results. The final finish was very uniform but much lighter. I should mention both the sealer and my stain were both water based.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #6
Oh. I applied the sanding sealer with a brush and then let it dry for an hour. Did not wipe it off. I only let the stain set on the surface for a minute before I wiped it off. Maybe I used the sealer wrong. and both the sealer and stain are oil based. Just what I had on hand.
Another method would be to apply 2 coats of satin polycrylic in clear. Let that dry then use poly shade overcoats to get the tint you want without it soaking into the trim and going blotchy.
(Note) I am not a finishing pro. I am a carpenter who sometimes has to fix his own darn screw ups. Sometimes more successfully than others.
(Note) I am not a finishing pro. I am a carpenter who sometimes has to fix his own darn screw ups. Sometimes more successfully than others.
I get complete penetration when I use stains. On my tee shirts that is.
Sorry, but my answer is; Stain... Sacrilege!
Probably not very much help.
Probably not very much help.