I'm so glad I watched this video; I'm trying to save money by buying unfinished parawood furniture and staining it myself, but have only a little staining experience. I didn't know it needs to be sanded again out of the box - thank you for saving me from the heartache of messing up my new furniture.
Fantastic, rustinstardust2094! We're glad we could be of some help. Remember, you can always practice on the underside of a piece of unfinished furniture, like bottom of a table/chair seat or shelf, before starting the main surface areas. Happy staining!!!
Hi, I am considering purchasing an unfinished parawood long dining table and having it delivered to my house in November. Because the weather in New England is cold at that time, I can't clear coat it until the spring. Would it be OK to leave the unfinished parawood table in the packing box until next May? Thanks!
Hi Patricia! If the box is going to be inside the house(climate controlled), you shouldn't have any problems. But if it would be in a non-climate controlled area like a garage or shed, the freezing temperatures in the winter could cause the wood to crack in it's unfinished form(without any type of seal/top coat for protection).
@@unfinishedfurniture1 Thank you so much for the great advice. The table will be kept inside the house. Loved your tutorial. It was very helpful for us novices :)
I love the color of that sanded side...what is the color & wouldn't want it darker. So my question is, how.many coats.& want is.the best top coat or sealer for butcher block counter tops?
Hi John! You could wipe mineral oil on the butcher block to keep it in good condition. After using it for any food prep, wash it with soap and water and then reapply more mineral oil. You could also use what is called "Waterlox", which you can apply less frequently. It's easier to maintain. Here's a link to their website if you'd like to research: www.waterlox.com/original/ :)
This video was very informative. I have never used stains before and bought a water based walnut for my parawood table. I just sanded the entire table at 80 grit before I saw this video. 😮Should I follow your steps and sand it with your recommendations? Also do you recommend water based or oil based on parawood? What color was this that you used?
Hi Batch2b! 150-180 grit is what we used in the video. Nothing wrong with following the steps in this video on your project. Both types of stain work well on parawood. We like oil based better, it's just easier to use. In the video, Java Gel Stain by General Finishes was used. If you have any other questions, just let us know!
great video! it's hard finding resources on refinishing rubber wood. what sealer would you recommend? i wanted to refinish the rubber wood top on my kitchen workbench and want to preserve it's blonde color
Thank you for the kind words! We like General Finishes Topcoats. Their High Performance water-based urethane topcoats can be used over painted, stained, and raw wood surfaces. It works very well with parawood/rubber wood.
Thanks for this helpful video. I want to whitewash an unfinished, unassembled parawood nightstand. Do I follow the same prep steps that you showed above for staining? What do you recommend for a clear top coat--water or oil-based? Thanks!
Hi Deb! Follow the same directions as seen in the video for either painting or staining. If you have any doubts as to how the whitewash will look, start on the underside of the nightstand or an area that is not as visible like the back of a drawer. That way, you see how it looks, can make any tweaks, and can then continue with the entire project. As for clear coating, we love the General Finishes water based top coat. Oil based can yellow over time but certainly the General Finish oil based top coat is indeed awesome as well. If you using an oil based paint and using a water based topcoat, let the final coat of paint/stain cure for at least 72 hours before applying the water based top coat.
Someone talked me into using Dixie Belle Boss clear coat under my gel stain before staining. It has made my furniture really rough. Have I made a mistake?
Hi Kim. Prolly not a mistake. If you are using Dixie Bell Gel over top of the Boss, you will need to sand after the application of the Boss to smooth it out prior to application of the Gel Stain. You can always call us at the store if you have other questions. 910-399-2276.
Hi Patti! Water can work similarly on some wood species like Pine and Parawood, but steer clear using water for this technique with Oaks. One of the benefits with using paint thinner is that it evaporates rather quickly. Water can raise the grain so you might have to do some light resanding to knock the raised fuzzy feeling off. We have not used Odie's Oil so unfortunately, we don't have any info on it.
I'm so glad I watched this video; I'm trying to save money by buying unfinished parawood furniture and staining it myself, but have only a little staining experience. I didn't know it needs to be sanded again out of the box - thank you for saving me from the heartache of messing up my new furniture.
Fantastic, rustinstardust2094! We're glad we could be of some help. Remember, you can always practice on the underside of a piece of unfinished furniture, like bottom of a table/chair seat or shelf, before starting the main surface areas. Happy staining!!!
@@unfinishedfurniture1 Another really smart idea - thanks! And yes, I'll need that practice
Hi, I am considering purchasing an unfinished parawood long dining table and having it delivered to my house in November. Because the weather in New England is cold at that time, I can't clear coat it until the spring. Would it be OK to leave the unfinished parawood table in the packing box until next May? Thanks!
Hi Patricia! If the box is going to be inside the house(climate controlled), you shouldn't have any problems. But if it would be in a non-climate controlled area like a garage or shed, the freezing temperatures in the winter could cause the wood to crack in it's unfinished form(without any type of seal/top coat for protection).
@@unfinishedfurniture1 Thank you so much for the great advice. The table will be kept inside the house. Loved your tutorial. It was very helpful for us novices :)
Good video. Great detail. Thanks!
Thank you, Brian!
great and informative video.
Would it work to use a wire brush before staining to bring out the grain? Especially if you were to layer two colors
Hi Boomssloot. A wire brush would help bring out a textured effect on the wood.
I love the color of that sanded side...what is the color & wouldn't want it darker. So my question is, how.many coats.& want is.the best top coat or sealer for butcher block counter tops?
Hi John! You could wipe mineral oil on the butcher block to keep it in good condition. After using it for any food prep, wash it with soap and water and then reapply more mineral oil. You could also use what is called "Waterlox", which you can apply less frequently. It's easier to maintain. Here's a link to their website if you'd like to research: www.waterlox.com/original/ :)
This video was very informative. I have never used stains before and bought a water based walnut for my parawood table. I just sanded the entire table at 80 grit before I saw this video. 😮Should I follow your steps and sand it with your recommendations? Also do you recommend water based or oil based on parawood? What color was this that you used?
Hi Batch2b! 150-180 grit is what we used in the video. Nothing wrong with following the steps in this video on your project. Both types of stain work well on parawood. We like oil based better, it's just easier to use. In the video, Java Gel Stain by General Finishes was used. If you have any other questions, just let us know!
great video! it's hard finding resources on refinishing rubber wood. what sealer would you recommend? i wanted to refinish the rubber wood top on my kitchen workbench and want to preserve it's blonde color
Thank you for the kind words! We like General Finishes Topcoats. Their High Performance water-based urethane topcoats can be used over painted, stained, and raw wood surfaces. It works very well with parawood/rubber wood.
Thanks for this helpful video.
I want to whitewash an unfinished, unassembled parawood nightstand. Do I follow the same prep steps that you showed above for staining? What do you recommend for a clear top coat--water or oil-based? Thanks!
Hi Deb! Follow the same directions as seen in the video for either painting or staining.
If you have any doubts as to how the whitewash will look, start on the underside of the nightstand or an area that is not as visible like the back of a drawer. That way, you see how it looks, can make any tweaks, and can then continue with the entire project.
As for clear coating, we love the General Finishes water based top coat. Oil based can yellow over time but certainly the General Finish oil based top coat is indeed awesome as well. If you using an oil based paint and using a water based topcoat, let the final coat of paint/stain cure for at least 72 hours before applying the water based top coat.
I put my 1st coat on and its blotchy, did not use thinner. could I sand it again, use thinner then re-stain for a better 1st coat?
Absolutely. Parawood is solid wood so you can sand and restart with no worries.
Question after sanding and prepping can I apply a clear finish without staining.
Hi Mark! Absolutely...sand and then apply the clear coat. Parawood looks very nice with just a top coat on!
Someone talked me into using Dixie Belle Boss clear coat under my gel stain before staining. It has made my furniture really rough. Have I made a mistake?
Hi Kim. Prolly not a mistake. If you are using Dixie Bell Gel over top of the Boss, you will need to sand after the application of the Boss to smooth it out prior to application of the Gel Stain. You can always call us at the store if you have other questions. 910-399-2276.
Can you use water instead of paint thinner? Also, have you tried Odie’s oil on it?
Hi Patti! Water can work similarly on some wood species like Pine and Parawood, but steer clear using water for this technique with Oaks.
One of the benefits with using paint thinner is that it evaporates rather quickly. Water can raise the grain so you might have to do some light resanding to knock the raised fuzzy feeling off. We have not used Odie's Oil so unfortunately, we don't have any info on it.
The one thing I don't like is the butcher block look on every piece of furniture they make. It reminds me more of a wood floor than wood furniture.