Brushing The stain

Brushes have been used in the finishing process for a long time. It was the main tool in the traditional finishing process when there was no modern equipment yet. Now, although most of the furniture finishing processes are carried out by spray, brush is still used a lot. Some finishing materials, such as glaze, oil finish, and wax, are designed to be applied by brush. Some wood stains can also be applied by brush with good results. The brush application, although many have been abandoned, actually has several advantages compared to the spray application. In the stain application, the brush is the perfect tool to wet the wood and let the stain color into the wood grain and pores. It will produce a more natural-looking finish and enhance the beauty of the grain and pores. The application by brush is also simpler and gives higher efficiency since no material is wasted due to the dust spray as the spray application.

Tips for brushing stain.

Although considered a simple process, the brush application must be done properly to obtain the optimal results. Here are the things that need to be considered due to the brush application for wood stain:

•   Use the appropriate stain.

Stain that is applied by brush requires a special character, different from the stain for spray application. The stain for brush application needs to be dry longer than the spray stain. The long-drying material is needed to avoid it drying before the whole surface gets the stain evenly. The longer drying time also let the stain wet and penetrate into the wood pores and grain. It will give natural beauty to the grain and pores of the wood shown at the finishing. 

If only the spray stain is available then you can add some slow dry solvent as mineral spirit or butyl cellusolve to make it slower drying and work for brush application. Actually the finishing material industry now has provided many wood stains that are designed to be applied by brushed, so what we need to do is find the right stain and apply it in the correct way.

• Use the proper brushes

Brushes have many kinds and types and currently are designed to be used for special purposes. For the wood stain application, you need the brush that can coat the stain evenly to the wood surface. The brush with thick and elastic hair tips is the best choice. There is also a brush with the cloth tip that can be used to brush the stain with good results. Choose a high-quality brush with the proper size according to the size and shape of the good. You can find more information about brushes by reading our previous post: Brush for wood finishing

• Preparation of the unfinished wood.

Application by brush is going to let the stain wet the wood more than the spray application. Therefore, the wood stain will soak in and color the inside pores and grains. Some types of wood could have a risk since this application. Too much absorption stain is a high risk to result in the too-dark color. The wood with uneven porosity will result in the uneven coloration (blotchy). The imperfect surfaces, such as dents, holes, scratches, or sanding marks, will also be very visible. You need to do good preparation for the unfinished wood. Do a good sanding to remove the sanding marks and chatter marks. The dents, holes, or gaps should be fixed first. Make sure as much as possible that the wood surface has an even porosity. You may need to take care of the soft wood with glue sizing or wood conditioning to reduce the risk of blotchiness.

• The application of stain with a brush

The brush application is actually quite easy to do, but the results are difficult to predict. Since then, you better do some trials on wood or veneer panels before doing a big product. Brushing the stain on the panel with the same type and similar condition as the goods and seeing the results. After you are sure about the results, then you can do the application on big items. The applications on a small panel can also be used as an exercise to familiarize our hands and feelings according to the results obtained.

• The brush application techniques

Dip the tip of the brush in the stain until about ¼ of its head is wet with the stain. Lift the brush carefully and move and stroke the brush to the wood surface until the stain wets the wood. Stroke the brush from one end to another in the direction along the grain pattern. Repeat the brush application side by side with the first stroke, do it repeatedly until the entire surface gets an even stain coloration. The brush stroke should go smoothly and continuously from one end to the other end. Avoid the interrupting of the brush stroke in the middle movement, since it will generate broken color staining. The brushing technique is relatively easy to be done in the small surface area, but it is quite difficult in a big surface area. Exercising and practicing is the key to getting the best result. You may need to modify the stain to be dry slower to make it easier in application.
After the entire surface has been stained, then you have to check the color results. If an even and appropriate color is obtained, then you can continue with the next finishing step. But if it is not, then the stain should be revised. The stain layer can be removed with paint thinner easily when it has not been coated with clear coat on it. Use a cloth dampened with paint thinner or acetone and wipe the stain until all the stain is removed and you get a surface with the even color. And then you can redo the application of stain with better techniques to obtain the color we need.