Being new to woodworking, and even newer to staining and finishing, I have what many will probably consider an easy question. I am building a couple tables that will be used for bedside tables out of red oak. After a “design change” (really a mistake that I made and had to cover up), I have added maple accents. I would like to leave the maple unstained. Will covering it with blue painter’s tape do the same thing with stain as it does paint, or does stain more easily flow under the tape and “bleed” into the accent wood? If it does, does anyone have any recommendations to keep the stain off the maple?
Tom
Replies
Tom,
You can probably count on at least a little stain migrating under the tape. It's safer to "stop out" the stain, by carefully painting the maple with some shellac or thinned lacquer, before staining the oak. Practice your technique first on scraps, to get the right thickness of finish mat'l, so it flows, but doesn't bleed onto the oak. Magnifying glasses will help you to cut in against the oak. It's a finicky job, but doable.
Thanks jw! I will try that! But that leads me to another question along the same lines. Will finish migrate under the tape also? Should I try to tape the oak while I put the finish on the maple, or just not worry about it and try to cut in like you suggested?
Tom
Tom,
I haven't had a lot of luck depending on the painter's tape. It seems there is always a small area somewhere along its length that isn't stuck tight enought to keep the paint/finish out.
If you thin the finish you are using on the maple just enough, it will be fluid enough to flow off the brush, and viscous enough to stay where you put it. I need magnification to see well enough to brush that precisely. Skip the coffee that day!
After stopping out, stain the oak. Make sure (on scraps) that the stain's base will not dissolve the finish you used to stop out; even then, don't let the stain linger on the maple, but wipe it off asap.
Then finish the whole thing with your finish of choice.
Regards,
Ray
The stain will definitely bleed under the tape - because it is being soaked into the wood grain, not just sitting on the surface like a paint. If it is not too late, the best idea is to remove the maple and seal it, then re-install it. If you can't remove it, then seal it in place and then stain. But tape will not do the job. Good luck!
Thanks also to you Jimbo! I would love to get your thoughts on my second question also!
Tom
There is also a green masking tape which is supposed to work well with lacquer. Yes, I know you're using stain but it's worth a shot. Try it on some scrap first!
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled