wood staining

[NicholasW00d]

my gf bought a couple of cool wooden stools at the thrift store and asked me to make them a darker stain, like walnut or dark walnut
they seem to be made of a good wood, but I'm really new to DIY, so I need your advice
what would be the best way to do this? and any tips or recos would be appreciated!

 

[Jeff Woodard]

Sand them down to bare wood first then start with 120 grit and work up to 220. I usually apply pre-stain conditioner if the wood is pine or something blotchy, then use a gel stain for more control, I think minwax makes both in walnut shades and they're easy to find

 

[American0]

I think Jeff nailed it with his comment. I wanna add a couple of tips, what I usually do is to always test the stain and the entire process on the underside or an unseen part of the stool first to make sure that's the color I want. and please take your time, cause rushing the drying process between steps can ruin your finish. follow the drying times on the product labels carefully

 

[d@rkr00m]

oh, staining wood is a good DIY project for a beginner. The best way to achieve a dark walnut look is by properly preparing the wood and applying an oil based stain, followed by a protective top coat.

 

[Alan]

@NicholasW00d Jeff and @American0 gave solid tips. I’d just add... take your time sanding and always test the stain on an unseen spot first. Patience here makes a huge difference in getting that deep walnut color.

Did you decide on gel stain or regular oil-based?