I'm building a bed, and I was wondering when i should sand it?
Before assembling it or after? It's pretty rough wood with some tiny spots "peeling" if that makes any sense... so it needs some tough sanding... it's pine?
And also where should i stain and cover with poly?
I bought a wood conditioner to use before i stain and poly... should i apply this to all areas? hidden or not?Should i stain the insides of the bed that wouldn't show? or just cover those parts in poly to protect?
I'm sorry if these questions are silly... i just really don't want to mess up! This is my first project!
Thank you everyone!
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claydowling
Sat, 08/11/2012 - 09:54
Sanding and Staining
I thoroughly recommend sanding as much as possible before assembly. You'll have to sand after as well at the joints, but it's a lot less that you'll have to do.
I think I would use the sanding sealer after assembly. That will make the finish apply uniformly over glue joints as well, and should make end grain take stain more evenly. This might be a pain in the tail though, and you should factor in your willingness to deal with that pain.
When I tried straight stain over sanding sealer I didn't like it very much. I tried mixing my stain in with my finish and I liked the results a lot better. I still have to put a final layer of clear finish over it to get the right sheen.