Stain is used in order to preserve the natural look of the wood, while adding a decorative colouring and protection. Staining & Varnishing, if done correctly, takes around 3 days.
Preparing the wood for staining is an extremely important process. It ensures the stain will have an even and professional finish. The best of achieving an even surface for staining is to sand the wood. This can be done with a mechanical sander or by hand, but either way, ensure the whole wooden piece is sanded with at least a 100-grit sand paper. This will generate allot of dust, so make sure you are in a well ventilated area and make sure you clean the dust away before you add any stain.
Now to apply the stain, use a natural brush of a decent size. Apply the stain in even strokes and, once soaked into the wood, wipe off with a rag or clean brush. The idea is to let the stain soak into the wood. Stain has a different effect than paint, so make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions when applying.
Now to seal the stain into the wood. This is the penultimate step i the process. For this you will need a good sanding sealer. Apply a sanding sealer with even brush strokes. This will create a wet look on the tin and, once dry, will seal the stain into the wood. Once dry, sand the surface with a 240-280 grit sand paper until the finish is smooth to the touch and a uniform flat, frosted colour.
Finish with an oil-based varnish. Varnish is the final step, and once applied, will ensure that your stain treatment looks nicer, for longer. Very simple to apply, just apply with a standard brush and, unlike allot of paints and stains, one coat is more than enough.