Producing a beautiful woodworking piece can take a lot of time. Then it’s time to make it captivating by adding finishing touches. At this point, you need to calm down completely. Rushing through the finishing can render all your effort and time invested in the project useless.

The First Step: Decision Making

First, know the purpose of your project, then decide how you want it to look. Are you crafting a plant stand or a dining room table? Answering similar questions will help you determine the best finishing to apply when you build the project.

This will lead you to the other questions like; what type of finishing do I want – glossy, matte or satin finish? Should it be waterproof? How about colour – change the wood’s colour or beautify the natural colour? The answers to these questions are crucial to the finishing.

The Essential Preparation Before Finishing Commence

  • Filling: The first finishing process is to fill the holes in the furniture. But the finishing you want to put on the project will determine the filling to be applied. Any filler can go with painted finishing but for a clear coat, use stainable fillers.
  • Sanding: While sanding is essential, it is also critical to the final look of your work. To get the best results, sand with the grain and use finer grits.
  • Staining: There are many better stains in the market that you can apply after sanding. Don’t be intimidated by the price; buy quality alcohol- or water-based stains.

These are the necessary preparatory steps to take before finishing begins.