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Never underestimate the power of sanding and experimentation when beginning a wood furniture staining project. These two things can dramatically impact your finished product. Of course, almost everyone understands that sanding is important, even if they don't fully comprehend the why. Put simply, sanding opens up the pores of the wood, allowing more of the stain to soak in. If you use a different "grain" of sandpaper, you will get a different staining result. DON'T try this, untested, on a new piece of furniture, however! Instead, pick up a cheap, unfinished wood shelf (made from the same type of wood as the furniture you're thinking of staining), and do your testing on that! In a similar vein, experiment (on another board) with various sanding techniques before actually sanding the furniture. Many people are enamored with belt sanders because it’s faster, but I have found the results to be less than satisfactory. Besides, when staining wood furniture, usually I’m creating an heirloom piece, and it’s simply worth the extra time. Again, try both on a practice board and use the one that serves your personal needs the best. Staining wood furniture is at least as much about the art as it is about the science, and one thing you'll learn very quickly is that you'll have areas of darker and lighter stain, depending on how long you let the stain "set" on the wood before wiping. To keep an even look, always try to apply and wipe in as even a manner as you can. Even so, there WILL BE some variation, and that's okay. A small amount of color variation adds character to the piece, but remember that in general, the longer you let the stain sit, the darker the final result will be. Staining wood furniture is a hobby that anyone of most any age can quickly grasp the basics of and enjoy. It’s not an “instant gratification” hobby. The results build slowly, sometimes over the span of many days, and if care is taken up front, if a bit of testing is conducted before the actual staining begins, your results will be magnificent, and you’ll have a piece you can truly be proud of.
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