# Staining 2x4's



## dstilson (Jan 3, 2017)

Hello All, 

I've been reading and reading....many opinions on this. 
I also realize it will take YEARS to establish finishing techniques that work for me. 
I am perhaps asking a very involved question and hoping for _too_ simple of an answer??

I'm making some 2x4 furniture. I'll also be staining it. 
So far, I've sanded it, wiped with a dry cloth to get rid of saw dust and this morning wiped with a damp wash cloth to get more sawdust off. 

Being they are 2x4's, it's definitely a 'rustic' look. 
I'm trying to balance between them looking 'nice' and accepting the fact that a 2x4 from Lowes can only look so good. 

I'm attaching some benches I've already made as Christmas gifts as well as a 2x4 with one coat of each stain I'll be using so you see what my end goal is. 
(Both benches are the SAME stain, believe it or not)

I'd like to know if a PRE-STAIN is really needed? 

So far, my reading has led me to believe it will help with blotching. 
I thought I read that mineral spirits would do the same thing? 

Any advice? 

Much thanks!


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

By wiping with water you raised the grain of the wood. This will cause the wood to accept a lot more stain than it would otherwise. 

For the most part 2x4's are a mixture of spruce, pine and fir. All of these woods are prone to go blotchy when you stain it so a wood conditioner is good to use. A wood conditioner is a sealer that helps the wood stain more uniform. Since the conditioner is a sealer it's necessary to use a darker color stain to achieve the look you want.


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## arvanlaar (Dec 29, 2014)

I agree with Steve, wood conditioner is absolutely key if you want to get a uniform stain of any kind on 2x4 wood. I've used it once and it worked wonders!


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## dstilson (Jan 3, 2017)

I'm now quite impressed with PRE-STAIN! 
Really cleared up the wood, and for a cheap 2x4, the grain is quite nice. 
Thanks for the guidance. Have a great day!


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