Staining before assembly

[Westie]

Hi to all.
I am just in the process of building some modular shelving units from pine. I recently made a single unit - in order to construct my jigs and to get an idea of any problems before I started cutting up serious amounts of timber. I cut, drilled and assembled the unit before I applied the stain I intend using. Applying the stain and rubbing off the excess stain was a major hassle - particularly in the nooks and crannies around the joints. Is it possible to stain all the components before assembly. The stain I used was Feast Watson's Rosewood oil based stain. I use PVA glue to assemble the units.
Cheers
Rob

[ubeaut]

G'day Rob - Staining prior to assembly is a very wise move especially for anything with shelves. Just be sure to mask the areas to be glued prior to applying the stain as they will not stick if they have stain on them.

Don't put the stain too heavily on the masking tape, for that matter try to avoid the tape as much as possible. The oil stain can soften the glue on the tape itself and make for a messy clean up later.

Your other option is to use a water dye and not wory too much about the joints as the PVA will stick well after the dye is dry.

You might also want to consider spraying or applying your finish before assembly. This is also made much easier as you can basically turn all surfaces into horizontal ones. Making it easier to spray or brush without having to worry too much about runs etc.

Hope this helps a little.

Cheers - Neil

[Shane Watson]

What Neil said....

although personally I reakon its a waste of time. But if your not doing this type of thing day in day out it will take a while to get the hang of applying stain evenly.

Alternativly, you may want to use a different type of stain. Water based Dye as Neil suggests is probably a good start. I reakon as a good rule of thumb - stay away from the stains they sell in hardware shops, such as Feast Watson.



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Shane Watson..

Combine Love & Skill & You Can Expect A Masterpiece!

[Westie]

Thanks Neil and Shane for your prompt reply to my question. As a result of your answers I now have a couple of other questions.
1. The idea of masking off the joints is not very appealing to me, so the idea of a water based stain sounds pretty good. What would you suggest as a good type to use? I want a dark reddish (Jarrah) stain.
2. Shane, you state that I should avoid the stains available in hardware stores - and I am all in favour of that, as I didn't find the staff particularly helpful when I purchased the Feast Watson product (for instance, they couldn't answer the question I posed originally) - what products would you recommend? and where do I get them.
Cheers
Rob

[This message has been edited by Westie (edited 23 November 2001).]

[Shane Watson]

Well, if your keen to try water based dyes, then look no further than U-beaut (Neil). He can fill you in on the details.

Cheers..



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Shane Watson..

Combine Love & Skill & You Can Expect A Masterpiece!