Varathane Stained Maple Table

My fantastic garage sale find for a crazy $10. I did do a ton of sanding on this table. I literally took my own advice from my blog "Sanding Tips 101". I spent about a total of 4 hours sanding - not all in one day but gave my hand a break in between. I'm going to stain this table with Varathane's Wood Stain which is available in over 20 colors and also has trial sizes available. This works well for me because I can test the colors of stains on the underside of the table and make a final decision from there. I also appreciate Varathane's stain line because I will not have to invest in a quart of stain, a pint will work perfect on this smaller round table. Varathane offers a full in line of stains, soya based, latex based, wood putty and wood fillers as well as a variety of Varathane Polyurethanes.

Now that I have the table fully prepped and ready to stain...help me pick a stain color - Espresso, Natural, Cabernet? I will be staining and sharing each picture of the step by step process on Februay 22nd. Log on and help me pick!

Sanding Tips 101

Sanding to stain is like primer is to paint. If you do a great job at sanding no one notices, BUT if your sanding jobn is minimal and weak - they will notice! No finish will hide a bad sanding job - same applies for prep and primer work prior to applying paint on the wall.

*Always do your sanding in a well lit area - it is easier to see scratches, nicks, dents or glue marks.

*Don't press too hard while sanding, keep even pressure if using a sanding tool. You do not want to dent into the wood from too much pressure.

*Sanding is not only a one step process. Sand out all blemishes which is any deep scratches, nicks or dents. Use a course grit such as 120-150 for the first layer of sanding.

*Sand in layers and sand with the grain of the wood. Change your paper often-be it on your tool or hand. The sanding does wear out and you will have uneven areas if you do not change papers often. Work your way up in sandpaper - ending with 320 grit.

*Your final sanding should be with the 320 - be sure to sand all of the parts with each sandpaper - including back ledges, legs and corners. You can wrap the sandpaper around the edge of a putty knife to fit into the back of a ledge on a table or dresser.