Can Cedar Be Painted White?

Cedar Board Painted White

The white picket fence was always a part of the American home ownership dream.  It wasn’t meant to keep pesky animals out, animals that might feast on your flowers or lawn; it was meant to put a finishing touch on …

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Can You Stain Wood Without Sanding?

Staining Wood

A lawyer friend of mine once told me most of his clients had as their first question, “Can I be sued?”  He always answered yes, but told them the more important question was whether they could be sued successfully.  That …

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Does Poplar Stain Well?

Poplar Wood

A while back, we wrote a piece about poplar wood and asked whether poplar is stronger than pine.  We will not repeat our answer here, but we did provide some helpful information about poplar in the woodworking shop. That piece …

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Can You Stain Over Shellac?

Stain and Shellac

When we began our woodworking hobby, we assumed there was a generally accepted order in which our project was to be finished.  If the wood was to be stained, we stained, and then we added a topcoat, whether polyurethane, varnish, …

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How Long Does Teak Oil Take To Dry?

Apply Teak Oil To Chair

Teak wood is a good choice for outdoor furniture, as you probably know.  You might even have a piece or two of outdoor teak furniture yourself.  It’s a durable wood, has a Janka rating of 1155, which ranks it harder …

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What Does Vinegar Do To Wood?

When I was a coffee drinker, I remember using white vinegar to clean the coffee maker every couple of weeks.  It worked well and was the only reason I bought it, as I do not consider it a good vinegar …

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Does Pine Stain Well?

Stained Pine Doors

While we have moved away somewhat from default staining our woodworking projects, turning instead to wood oils or products like Rubio Monocoat, we still will occasionally use a wood stain as part of finishing the project.  Stains come in a …

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Does Burning Wood Seal It?

If you have ever visited Japan or watched videos of Japanese techniques in woodworking, chances are you have learned of the ancient ways of wood joinery and the building of houses without nails, screws, or other mechanical connecting elements. The …

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Can You Stain Mango Wood?

Mango Wood

We’re so lucky to have so many different kinds of woods available to us to work within our shop.  Supply chains have recovered somewhat from the disarray caused by the COVID pandemic, and lumber yards and specialty wood shops both …

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Will Water-Based Polyurethane Yellow?

Water-Based Polyurethane

We all have a pretty good idea of the value of a topcoat on our stained projects.  Stains will enhance the wood’s appearance and grain and provide color to the wood. However, stains offer no protection to the wood.   Key …

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Does Tung Oil Go Bad?

Pure Tung Oil

We like oil finishes on our woodworking projects.  They create a beautiful finish, accentuate grains, and offer great protection for the wood surface. There are a variety of oils that work well on wood, and we’ve written about some of …

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Why Is My Stainable Wood Filler Not Staining?

Stainable Wood Filler Not Staining

Wood filler is a substance used to fill imperfections in wood, such as nail holes, cracks, and dents. It is typically made from a combination of wood fibers, resin, and a hardening agent. It can be applied with a putty …

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Can You Stain MDF?

Can You Stain MDF

Everything today has an acronym, and they have become a part of the English lexicon in everyday use now.  You probably use some of them, too, at the least when you are using a messaging app on your phone.  LOL, …

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