Furniture Finishing Tips and Techniques from Knock On Wood Furniture

At Knock On Wood Furniture, we will show you step by step how to get fabulous results using both our oil base and waterbase products. Why limit yourself to three or four color options, when unfinished furniture offers you endless possibilities. Whether you want the bold, luscious colors of waterbase paints and stains, the look of aged wood that has acquired a patina from generations of use or the classic traditional wood tones of our wipe-on oil base finishes, we have the finish for you. You can create customized designer looks and save thousands of dollars, applying our finishes on real wood furniture from your local unfinished furniture retailer. And it's all made in America. Don't feel like doing it your self? Let us help you!

• Preparation
• Supplies Needed
• Application of General Finishes Water Based Wood Stains
• Application of General Finishes Water Based Milk Paints and Glaze
• Application of General Finishes Milk Paints
• Applying General Finishes Glazes
• Application of General Finishes Water Based Top Coats
• Buffing Top Coats
• Distressed & Antique Finishes
• Creating Faux Marble
• Creating Primitive Wood Grain with Wood Stains and Milk Paints
• Pickling
• Color Washing

Preparation

• All surfaces should be clean and free from all dirt and oils.

• Sanding is a progressive procedure. Do NOT start sanding with very fine sandpaper on unfinished wood. Prepare the surface by using medium sand paper first, and then proceed to finer grades. Water based finishes need a smoother surface than oil based finishes, but do not over sand or you may seal the wood so much that it will not take a finish. Sand raw wood in the direction of the grain starting with a coarser grit sand paper such as #120 sandpaper, and finish the final sanding with a fine grit sandpaper such as #180 or #220. On soft woods such as Pine, Aspen or Alder sand first with #120 and finish with #220. On hardwoods such as Oak, Maple, Birch or Parawood sand first with #120 and finish no finer than #180. End-grains (areas where the wood has been cut against the grain), such as the front side of a table, tend to soak up more stain than other surfaces. Give end-grain areas an additional sanding to control the absorption of stain. Refer to our sanding tutorial for more information.

• We recommend minimizing the grain raise, especially on hardwoods such as Oak and Ash. After completing preparation sanding and before applying the finish, spray the project with water or rub down with a damp cloth. Allow the wood to dry and then sand lightly with #220 sandpaper to remove the raised grain. This conditions the wood to accept water based finishes.

• Option for wood stains: Soft woods such as Pine and Aspen absorb wood stain at an uneven rate and may respond better to staining if the wood is pre-sealed. A natural (clear) stain can be applied to raw wood to condition the surface for uniform penetration of the stain. Pre-sealing will cause the final stain to be lighter. Always test your color on a hidden part of the furniture! Allow the natural clear stain to dry 1 hour before applying your final stain color.

• Remove dust with an air hose, damp cloth or "oil free" tack cloths. Do not use oil based tack cloths when using water based finish. Most tack cloths contain oil and will contaminate the surface.

• Do NOT use steel wool when preparing wood for water based finish, as steel particles will cause rust spots.

• There are two methods to fill nail holes with wood putty: 1) fill holes before you stain using putty that dries hard and can be sanded and stained, or 2) stain the wood, apply one Top Coat, and then use water based color putty that matches the stain.

Supplies Needed

• Lots of good quality paper towels or lint-free cloths for wiping. Do not use tee shirts with water based products – they do not absorb water based products well.

• Foam brushes or latex paint pad applicators and a bristle brush to pull stain out of corners. You must brush or wash paint pad applicators before use to remove loose bristles. Note: purchase a brush that will fit in the can.

• #120, #180 or #220 grit sandpaper for sanding raw wood.

• #320 or #400 grit sandpaper or superfine sanding sponges for buffing between Top Coats. Do not use steel wool because steel particles left behind will rust.

• Soap and water for clean up.

• Paper plates and aluminum foil to make disposable paint trays.

Watch our video of how to appy water based finishes!

Application of General Finishes Water Based Wood Stains

• Remove hardware from furniture. Taking a little extra time to remove backs of cabinets, drawer fronts etc, will make staining much easier.

• Lightly sand the wood with 180-220 grit sandpaper to open the grain to allow the stain to penetrate evenly. Do not over sand!

• To minimize grain raising, complete surface preparation sanding and dampen wood with a wet sponge or spray bottle prior to applying Top Coat. Allow the wood to dry completely and lightly finish sand again with #180 to #220 grit sandpaper. Do not sand through the grain raise layer. This conditions the wood to accept water based finishes.

• To get a consistent stain on soft woods such as Aspen, use Natural Stain as a pre-stain conditioner. Apply Natural Stain, wipe off evenly, wait 30 to 60 minutes and apply your stain color. Always test the color on the underside of the project before you begin. It is your responsibility to insure that the color is what you want.

• All top coats (water, oil, lacquer, wax, etc.) may be used over Water Based Stains if they have dried properly.

• All Wood Stains may be intermixed to create custom colors or may be lightened by adding Natural Stain.

• A second coat of stain will produce a slightly darker color.

• If working in high temperatures or low humidity, Wood Stains may be thinned with 10-20% water or General Finishes Extender (3 to 6 oz. per quart) to improve open time for application.

• Tinting may be accomplished by adding 2 oz of Wood Stain and 2 oz. of water to a pint of Top Coat (or 4 oz. of each to a quart). Mix the water and stain together first, then add this mixture to tint the Top Coat. Stir well.

• Use only tack cloths made for water based products (containing no linseed oil).

• Hand Application of General Finishes Water Based Wood Stains

• Always stir the contents well. Stirring reduces the thickness of the stain and distributes pigments that may have settled to the bottom of the can.

• It is essential to apply a wet, liberal amount of stain with a foam brush or a latex paint pad applicator to insure easy workability. If too little stain is used, the surface can dry too quickly causing an uneven appearance.

• Divide your project into manageable sections (top, side, drawer, door).

• Stain a complete section and wipe off the excess evenly with the grain using paper towels or a clean cloth. Check for missed spots and lap marks before moving to the next section. Immediately correct lap marks by rewetting the entire working area with stain and wiping the excess off.

• Sanding between coats of any stain or top coat is referred to as Buffing. We do NOT recommend buffing between coats of stain because you may remove an area of stain that cannot be re-blended. If you must buff because you have imperfections that need to be smoothed out, do so with caution using a superfine sanding pad or #320 or #400 grit sandpaper. Do not buff prior to the first application Top Coat.  

• On most projects three or four coats of Top Coat is just right. On projects receiving extra wear such as table and desk tops, additional coats will add more protection. Tip: use our High Performance Polyurethane for even more durability. For more instructions about applying Top Coats, click here.

Application of General Finishes Water Based Milk Paints and Glaze

Water based Milk Paints can be used with glazes and water based stains to create decorative finishes such as distressing, antiquing, faux marble, rag rolling, or color washing. Creating these layered techniques requires using layers of color combined with sanding techniques. The results are stunning and well worth the effort.

1. Distressing is a technique of marking the wood to give the character of generations of use. Start by gathering the essentials of character building; hammers, nails, screws, old hardware, literally anything you can pound into the wood that would leave an imprint. Then start hammering away. If it’s been a long week and you need a lift, start a little character therapy project for yourself. Get rid of all that stress and finish a piece of furniture at the same time!
2. Antiquing is another form of distressing using sanding techniques, often followed by glazing to give the appearance of an antique piece of furniture that has been well taken care of over the years but, has slight natural wear and discoloration on the doors, edges, or sides. Walk into any furniture store and the trend toward using stains and finishes to create an antique look becomes abundantly clear. Corners and other recesses show the remains of an "old" finish while more exposed surfaces seem to have been "worn away" by time and use. This look of aging did not come from time but from a simple finishing technique that, with a little practice, you can master. Besides applying stains and topcoats, this process involves selective sanding of the "base stain" and wiping in of a "top stain," so it's best to use scrap wood get a hands-on feel for how the stains will look on the particular wood you're using. Here's how to do it all, step by step.
3. Glazing is the process of applying a translucent color to the surface, and then rubbing off the excess glaze to create many effects.

In the following examples, several layers of Milk Paints, Glazes and Top Coats are combined in the tradition of old world craftsmen to create unique decorative finishes in any color palette. The process goes fast as water based finishes dry much more quickly than oil based finishes.

1. Two coats of Autumn Haze Milk Paint sanded through 2. Water based topcoat to prevent color blending 3. Yellow Ochre Glaze 4. Final top coats	1. Two coats Sage Green 2. Water based topcoat to prevent color blending 3. Winter White Glaze 4. Final top coats	1. Two coats of Millstone Milk Paint sanded through 2. Water based topcoat to prevent color blending 3. Van Dyke Brown Glaze 4. Final top coats	1. Two coats of Brick Red Milk Paint 2. Water based topcoat to prevent color blending 3. One or two coats of Basil Milk Paint sanded through 4. Yellow Ochre Brown Glaze 5. Final top coats	1. Two coats of Brick Red Milk Paint 2. Water based topcoat to prevent color blending 3. Espresso Wood Stain 4. Final top coats

Application of General Finishes Milk Paints

• Do I Need A Primer? Although Milk Paints can be applied directly onto bare wood, the use of an additional coat of Milk Paint as a "primer" is recommended for heavy grained wood such as Oak, Pine or Parawood, especially with light colors. Most dark Milk Paint colors do not need a primer. If you want a smoother finish, just add a third coat.

• Remove hardware from furniture. Taking a little extra time to remove backs of cabinets, drawer fronts etc., will make staining much easier. Milk Paints may be intermixed to create additional colors. Snow White or Antique White will soften darker colors.

• If working in high temperatures or low humidity, Milk Paints may be thinned with 10-20% water or General Finishes Extender (3 to 6 oz. per quart) to improve open time for application.

• If working over existing paint or finish, always test a small area to make sure paint will adhere. Sand glossy surfaces with #120 grit sandpaper before proceeding.

• Make disposable paint trays by covering paper plates with aluminum foil.

• Test the color on the underside of the project. It is your responsibility to insure that the color is what you want.

• Always stir the contents well. Stirring distributes pigments that have settled to the bottom of the can.

• Paint on a wet, liberal coat with a wide foam brush, bristle brush, or paint pad applicator. If too little paint is used, the surface can dry too quickly causing an uneven appearance.

• Let dry 2 to 4 hours before applying another coat.

• We recommend two to three coats of paint. If paint is not covering after 2 coats, you are not applying heavily enough. If using different colors of Milk Paint over one another (i.e.-when creating antique finishes) always apply a coat of Top Coat in between the colors to prevent color blending.

• Dry time is normally 2-4 hours under ideal conditions (70° and 70% humidity). Cooler temperatures or higher humidity will prolong dry time to 8-10 hours. Good ventilation, air movement and higher temperatures will accelerate dry time.

• Sanding between coats of any stain, paint or top coat is referred to as Buffing. Buff between each coat of Milk Paint with a superfine sanding sponge, #320 or #400 grit sandpaper.

• Milk Paint dries with a low luster sheen. Although it can be used as a one-can finish, we recommend one application of Water Based Top Coat for increased durability or to increase sheen. It is not necessary to buff after applying final Top Coat.

• Milk Paints are rated for exterior use, and do not require a Top Coat when used in outdoor applications. General Finishes water based Top Coats are not intended for exterior use.

• Use Milk Paint for all your outdoor furniture. It is not just an interior product! Classic interior/exterior paints for use with furniture, crafts, and cabinets. Milk Paint is a sturdy outdoor finish perfect for outdoor furniture. Uniquely engineered from the latest paint technology, Milk Paints can be used directly from the can to produce a high quality satin sheen. No mixing messy powders!

Applying General Finishes Glazes

Glaze Effects are translucent water based colors that may be used over any water based stain or paint to create beautiful decorative finishes such as distressing, antiquing, Strie, marble effects, shabby chic, burnishing, color washing, rag rolling and wood graining. 　

• Always test the color on the underside of the project. It is your responsibility to insure that the color is what you want. Do not practice on your new furniture!

• Always stir the contents well. Stirring distributes pigments that have settled to the bottom of the can.

• Option: Before applying glaze you have the option of top coating first, which will help you control the amount of color and facilitate the spreading of glaze over the surface. The Top Coat layer is smoother and less absorbent, allowing the glaze to slide across the surface. If you want a rustic look with more color, skip the Top Coat layer and apply the glaze directly to the paint. Start with two base coats of Milk Paint following application instructions shown above.

• Let the final base coat dry 2-4 hours.

• Pour Glaze color into a paper plate covered with aluminum foil or painter's tray. Working one small section at a time, apply the Glaze liberally with a foam brush, synthetic brush or paint pad over entire section, keeping the surface wet with Glaze.

• Wipe off excess with absorbent wiping cloths or paper towels to achieve desired look. Do not use Tee-shirts.

• If you want to rework a section, simply rewet the surface with Glaze.

• Work quickly, so that the Glaze color does not dry before finishing a section. If necessary, mask off smaller sections around raised areas such as bead board and moldings. Glazes dry fairly quickly, so plan your sections before beginning.

• If working in high temperatures or low humidity, Glaze Effects may be thinned with 10-20% water or General Finishes Extender (3 to 6 oz. per quart) to improve open time for application.

• Let dry 2-4 hours. Apply water based Top Coat for additional durability or to increase sheen.

Application of General Finishes Water Based Top Coats

• If you are applying Water Based Top Coat over an oil based stain, allow the oil stain to dry a minimum of 48 hours under ideal conditions.

• Water based top Coats are milky white in the can, but will dry to a crystal clear finish. Stir contents well to insure that all the ingredients are mixed together.

• Apply with a foam brush,latex paint pad applicator, or by spraying.

• Apply Top Coats liberally using smooth even strokes working in the direction of the grain. Use enough material to provide a wet film. Do not over brush! Top Coats self level beautifully.

• Top Coats have *burn in* characteristics and may slightly lift some of the color during the application of the first coat (particularly red colors).

• On most projects three or four coats of Top Coat is just right. On projects receiving extra wear such as table and desk tops, additional coats will add more protection. Tip: use our High Performance Polyurethane for even more durability.

• Dry Time of Top Coats

• Dry time is normally 2-4 hours under ideal conditions (70° and 70% humidity).

• Cooler temperatures or higher humidity will prolong dry time to 8-10 hours.

• Good ventilation, air movement and higher temperatures will accelerate dry time.

Buffing Top Coats

• Do not buff the stain prior to the first application Top Coat.

• It is important to buff in between each application of Top Coat for the smoothest possible finish.

• After Top Coat has dried, buff between each application with #320 or #400 grit sandpaper or superfine sanding sponge.

• Remove dust with a clean cloth.

• It is not necessary to buff final Top Coat.

Distressed & Antique Finishes

NOTE: Refer to the General Finishes brochures or our tips listed above regarding Wood Stains, Milk Paint, and Glaze Effects for basic information on the application of General Finishes water-based products and the preparation of the wood before starting.

Finishing furniture is an art form – you can create whatever you want. The terms “distressing” and “antiquing” are often used interchangeably in the wood finishing world. These techniques can be used separately or together along with glazing to obtain the degree of “aging” that you desire.  

Distressed and Antique Finishes - for more design ideas using techniques of distressing and antiquing using Milk Paint, and Glaze Effects, click here.

Turn new furniture into heirlooms by creating a vintage, timeworn look. Antiquing is accomplished as follows: After applying your base color and letting it dry, sand the areas you want antiqued with a random orbital sander, following with 100 grit sandpaper by hand to enhance certain areas along the edges, around doorknobs, etc. The look you are trying to obtain is a slightly distressed piece, so don't hold the sander in one spot too long. DO NOT sand corners or moldings with a power sander - these areas should be done by hand. Do one side at a time. After you have finished a section, wipe it down with a slightly damp cloth to remove dust and reveal either the bare wood or under coat of finish beneath, creating the look of slightly worn areas. After you have sanded all surfaces inside and out with power sander (using either a #220 gray foam sanding pad or #400 grit sandpaper), you are ready to hand sand the edges, corners, and door. You will want to be thinking about where extra wear would be from using the doorknobs, etc. You will notice as you go along that different pressures will bring out more of the undercoat. The doors of furniture get the most wear, so open and close the door and take notice of where your hands are. Imagine over time how much the areas are used and touched. This should help you decide what areas need to be more distressed. Be careful not to sand too hard after you have wiped a section with the damp cloth. When the furniture is sanded while damp, too much paint will come off. It's important to gradually sand all areas.

Follow with Glazing if desired. The trick is to really slather it on (and we mean slather), keeping the surface wet as you apply the glaze. Then just wipe off the excess until you achieve the look you want. You could use an earth-tone glaze such as Van Dyke Brown applied to the sanded areas and moldings of a piece of furniture to create a discolored and aged look. Or you can use glazes to create soft layers of colors. Make the layers of color as intense as you want.

Finish with 3 coats of Waterbase PolyAcrylic following instructions in brochure.

Distressing with Milk Paints and Glaze Effects

• Apply Glaze Effects over Milk Paints or any of the other waterbased products to achieve a distressed look. Choose furniture with some character such as raised panel doors or decorative molding - most pine pieces will work well. This is an excellent kitchen cabinet finish as well.

• Begin with two coats of Milk Paint painted on for a base coat. Let dry for 2-4 hours and buff between coats with #400 grit paper or a super fine sanding pad. You have the option of painting a second color over the first, and sanding through to allow the first color to show through (color washing), or simply sanding though to the wood below.

• Using coarse #100-#120 grit paper, sand all edges of raised panels, doors, drawers and corners of cabinet all the way through to bare wood. Sand heavily if you want a more rustic looking piece.

• Liberally apply Glaze Effects (really get the surface wet) with foam brush or Handipainter pad over entire area. Wipe off excess with a lint free cloth to achieve desired look. The glaze will color your sanded areas and give the painted sections an aged look. Let dry 2-4 hours. Apply PolyAcrylic, High Performance topcoats for additional durability or increased sheen. (For more design ideas using Milk Paints and Glaze Effects, click here)

Creating Faux Marble

Creating a marble look on furniture is easy with Milk Paints or Wood Stains. The following are some useful tips to know before you begin. Marbleizing works best on closed grain woods such as pine, maple, birch, aspen, or alder. If you use "open-grain" woods, such as oak, the distinct, visible grain of these woods will show through the background of the marbleizing, and distort the look. Use your imagination! In nature, there are no two pieces of marble exactly alike. If you don't like the results simply paint over and start again.

Note: These instructions are also included in the Water Base Finishing DVD. Read the information on the application of General Finishes water based products and the preparation of the wood before starting. These instructions only address using General Finishes products to create special effects.

List of Materials needed:

Whitewash Wood Stain or Milk Paint Snow White

Black Wood Stain or Milk Paint Lamp Black

PolyAcrylic

Natural sponge

Lint free cloth

Feather

220-400 grit sandpaper

Foam brushes

• Apply 2 coats of White to get a solid background. Allow each coat to dry for 2 hours. Then lightly sand the surface to a smooth finish, following instructions in brochure.

• Dip the tip of the feather in Black and draw the marble veins on the surface in a diagonal direction. Use a slow, twisting motion with the feather as you drag the color across the surface. Veins should look like lightning bolts or tree branches, each vein roughly parallel to the one next to it. Avoid a crisscross pattern. Veins should continue from edge to edge. Allow the veins to dry for 5 minutes.

• Pour equal parts of White Milk Paint and PolyAcrylic in a flat pan. Dip the sponge in this mixture and then blot the excess on a paper towel. Sponge over the surface in a random pattern. Lift the sponge - do not drag it. The sponge will soften the veins and begin to cover some of the veins. Let this dry 5 minutes.

• Next, fold a cloth into a pad making sure there are no wrinkles on the bottom side. Wrinkles will leave an undesirable pattern on the surface. A latex handi-painter can also be used. Blot the entire surface by lifting the pad straight up and down. This will blend the black veins into the white creating a soft, subtle look.

• Use the feather again to lightly accentuate the veins using Black Wood Stain. Allow this to dry 2 hrs.

• Finish by applying 3 coats of Polyacrylic, sanding as instructed in the brochure.

Creating Primitive Wood Grain with Wood Stains and Milk Paints

Create the old world look of primitive grain on any piece of unfinished furniture. In this discussion, you can use Cranberry Red Wood Stain or Brick Red Milk Paint as the base color and Espresso Wood Stain or Pitch Black Glaze Effects as the secondary color.

Note: These instructions are also included in the Waterbase Finishing video.

• Apply 2 coats of the red base color, then sand the surface with #320 or finer grade sandpaper. Finish with a layer of Polyacrylic to prevent color blending. Allow each coat to dry for 2 hour

• Apply a heavy coat of dark stain (such as Espresso Wood Stain or Pitch Black Glaze Effects) directly over the base color with a polyfoam brush or handipainter. Allow the stain to set for 5 minutes.

• Create a graining comb by beveling the end of a piece of corrugated cardboard with a razor knife. This will expose the ripples in the cardboard. Drag the comb across the stain to remove most of the top layer of color, allowing the base color to show through. The result will look like wood grain. You can purchase commercial graining combs from craft supply stores to create a different look.

• An option to Graining is Dry Brush Antiquing. Follow steps A and B. After the base color has dried, apply a thin coat of the Espresso or Pitch Black directly over the base color. Repeatedly brush the stain until it is almost dry to achieve soft grain lines. The wood stain softens the base color to a warm antiqued look.

• Finish with 3 coats of Waterbase PolyAcrylic as instructed in the brochure.

Pickling

Pickling is simply applying a light color stain to wood; then wiping off the stain to let the color of the wood show through. The most popular pickle color is Whitewash Stain however you are not limited to white. Apply the stain and wipe off as much as you want while letting the wood grain show through the stain. The look you want to achieve is a soft subtle color. Let the piece dry and apply 3 coats of Waterbase PolyAcrylic following instructions in brochure.

Another pickling method (the French provincial look) requires two stain coats. First apply a light color stain, such as Pecan Waterbase Wood Stain, and let dry for 2 hours. Then apply a coat of Waterbase PolyAcrylic and let dry for 2 hours. Finally, add the look of age by applying a wash coat of Whitewash. Push the White into the edges of raised panels or into detail areas such as carvings. Wipe off the stain from the other areas. Let the piece dry and apply 3 coats of Waterbase PolyAcrylic, following instructions in brochure.

Color Washing

First, apply a base coat of Milk Paint. While the first color is still wet, immediately apply a second stain color over the base color.  Then brush out the two colors using a dry bristle brush. This will blend the two colors to create a softer shade with interesting texture.