TIL that skipping the 'prep your surface' step in woodworking can actually work

Everyone says to spend an hour sanding and cleaning before you stain, but I was in a rush on a small oak box last week and just wiped it with a damp rag. The stain went on perfectly even, no blotches at all. Has anyone else found a 'required' step that you can actually skip without messing up?

3 comments

3 Comments

drew5514h ago

Seriously? It's not always that big a deal.

susan64912h ago

Come on, you're both missing the point. Most people just want their project done, not perfect. I've slapped stain right on raw wood plenty of times and it looks fine for a backyard bench or a shelf. Not everything needs to be a museum piece. All this talk of prep work and rules just scares folks away from even trying.

miles_garcia16h ago

Whoa, hold on! That's just pure luck with a tiny project. Oak is super forgiving, but try that on a big pine table and you'll get the worst blotches you've ever seen. Skipping prep is playing Russian roulette with your finish. That one time it worked doesn't mean the rule is wrong, it means you got lucky. You're setting people up for a huge mess if they listen to this.