Strong(er) Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 Hey guys, I hope everyone is all set for the weekend. I recently purchased an unfinished maple train table for my son's birthday (he is turning 2 and loves Thomas). We wanted to purchase it unfinished so we could stain it to match our living room (dark wood everywhere). I am very new to the woodworking world, so I have been doing a lot of research on how to darken this wood without any problems. I was planning on going with the process outlined by Marc in his coloring blotchy wood video. I was going to go with a shellac sealer first, then a general finishes gel stain, and I am trying to figure out what the best top coat would be. I would like to go with a water-based poly so the color is preserved, but I haven't been able to confirm this is an acceptable last step for my project. Any advice/guidance would be greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMadson Custom Wood Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 Your process is perfect and easy. Yes, General Finishes water based poly can go right over their Gel Stain, just wait a couple of days between for best adhesion. One trick I've found with the darker stains to prevent clumping in the corners and edges is to apply the gel with a rag or brush and wipe off well. You'll have a bunch left in the corners though. Use a stiffer, large paint brush to feather out the clumps. Dig into the corners and spread the clumps out. Keep this brush dry and clean while you're working. I whack it against a towel to keep it fresh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 Of course you can put a General Finishes water-based topcoat over a General Finishes gel stain. THE KEY IS...make sure the stain has COMPLETELY DRIED! One week is good, 2 weeks even better. That's just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strong(er) Posted June 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 Thanks for the quick responses...I just needed that little bit of confirmation to boost my confidence since this is the first time I have ever finished anything and it is a birthday gift that we hope to have in our home for quite some time. I will try to post some pictures once it is complete! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 Maple can be tough to stain dark. Dyes might be a thing to consider. Make sure your top coat is scratch resistant. Trains and toys have lots of corners. Another thing to consider is a tinted finish, thin layers until you achieve the color you want. Topcoat with clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMadson Custom Wood Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 Maple can be tough to stain dark. Dyes might be a thing to consider. Make sure your top coat is scratch resistant. Trains and toys have lots of corners. Another thing to consider is a tinted finish, thin layers until you achieve the color you want. Topcoat with clear. The gel stain he mentioned is a thick, tinted finish. It covers any wood very, very well. Better than any dye stain could do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strong(er) Posted June 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2012 Update: So Sunday night I put a coat of Bull's Eye wax free shellac on and then put the first coat of stain on last night. I am really showing how green I am at woodworking with this project unfortunately. Having little experience, I thought the pieces came from the manufacturer pretty well sanded, so I didn't sand before applying the shellac. Also, I didn't see Marc sand the shellac before adding the gel stain in his video, so I did not do this either...so far I am thinking I should have done both. I have attached a picture of two of the side rails to this point so far...I don't think it looks very good, but let me know what you guys think. At this point I am thinking I should just push through adding another coat or two of the stain and work on getting the project finished by my deadline, which is in 7 days. If I were to do it all over again I think I would have done a better sanding job from the start and tried Charles Neil's pre-color conditioner...seems like that may have yielded better results. I guess this project is just going to have to have a story behind it for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strong(er) Posted June 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2012 Well my wife was really happy with the first coat, so maybe I am being a little too critical. Overall I would def take a different approach next time and I may refinish it in a few years once I get some more knowledge and experience under my belt. Here is a picture of the second coat...we are debating a third coat, but haven't decided. Areas that were accepting more stain become more noticeable with the second coat, so I am a little nervous to make this even more pronounced with a third coat. We will see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southwood Posted June 6, 2012 Report Share Posted June 6, 2012 I think it is turning out good. Not bad for a first timer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derwood Posted June 9, 2012 Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 Not bad for a first timer at all. Hope you continue your interest in ww and pass it to your son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strong(er) Posted June 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2012 Thanks guys...the little man loves it and I am pretty proud of the way it turned out considering this was my first finishing experience. I have def been bitten by the woodworking bug and am working on setting up shop in the garage. Here is a picture of the finished train table before it went inside and got loaded up with trains. Can't wait to get into the next project and looking forward to sharing everything I am learning with my son when he gets older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southwood Posted June 15, 2012 Report Share Posted June 15, 2012 Turned out good. Welcome to the woodworking addiction, there is no cure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strong(er) Posted June 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 Thanks! Yeah, I am discovering that...I am currently selling my motorcycle to fund my woodshop start up. I am also lucky to have a father-in-law who has years of experience and a sweet shop to work in where I can learn. He and my brother-in-law are giving me tools left and right that they don't need, so I should be really up and running in no time. On top of that my wonderful wife gave me a coupon for father's day good for a woodworking class of my choice. It shouldn't be too long before I actually know a thing or two! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derwood Posted July 1, 2012 Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 Looks awesome. Awesome too is having a loving, supportive family who encourages your passion. You're set man ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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