It doesn’t matter whether you’re getting ready to start a new project or you want to encourage someone to take up wood finishing and refinishing. Having these essential items on hand makes getting off to a good start a breeze.
A drop-cloth is critical for catching spills and splatters. The only mistake is getting one too small. I always start with no less than a 6’ x 9’. I find the all-plastic drop-cloths to be awkward to use, so I opt for the style with canvas on one side and plastic on the other.
Sold in boxes of 100, disposable gloves are essential for protecting your skin against stains and finishes. Always have a box sitting on your workbench so you have no excuse for not putting them on.
Most projects require more than one grit of sandpaper. Be sure to pick up an assortment pack with: #100 grit for rounding edges and removing deep scratches, #120 grit for smoothing the wood, #150 or #180 grit for final wood sanding and #220 grit for sanding between your first and second coat of finish.
In the same manner, most projects require more than one type of brush. A foam brush or an inexpensive bristle brush are fine for applying Minwax® Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner or any Minwax® stain, but you will want a higher quality bristle brush when it comes time to lay down a smooth coat of clear protective finish.
Kitchen paper towels are too thin and quickly fall part when used to apply a stain or finish, so pick up a roll or box of heavy-duty paper towels designed for use in your workshop.
Minwax® wood stains come in so many different colors that you should pick out the stain you want depending on each particular project. But since every stain needs to have a clear protective finish applied after it dries, go ahead and get a can of each of these to have on hand. For water-based stains, apply water-based Minwax® Polycrylic® Protective Finish. For oil-based stains, use oil-based Minwax® Fast-Drying Polyurethane.
Until next time,
“If you wait until you have enough time, it won’t ever get done.”
Bruce
Be sure to check out Minwax’s new “Made With Love. Finished With Minwax.” campaign currently going on. The theme is ‘Find. Finish. Love.,’ celebrating the thrill of finding real wood pieces – sometimes in the least expected places – and the joy of making them into something we love.
