# Can i mask off sections of wood i want to stain?



## 13thmurder (Oct 10, 2012)

ive been looking at desks lately and just happened to come across one left in the street with a "free" sign on it. its in good condition structurally, but extremely dirty and stained/scratched up so i figured id sand it and stain it to get it clean. 

it's a particle board desk with wood veneer. i successfully sanded the veneer to bare wood...

anyway, now about staining it... i know nothing at all about woodworking. what i want to do is mask off part of it so the stain won't go there, so i can keep the wood's natural color on some parts, but have the stain on others and create a pattern.

is this possible? if so, how would i go about doing it? would frog tape work? or should i get a white crayon and apply wax to the area i want to keep the stain off of, or perhaps get some kind of sealant (the shiny stuff that goes over stain... some kind of resin i believe) and apply it to the areas i want to mask off first, and then stain the rest, and put the sealant over the rest after? (i wonder if the double layer of sealant would create a slight raise in the desk's surface though?)

any advice on this is appreciated.


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## Treeoflifestairs.com (Jan 9, 2012)

You can use the tape or really anything that will keep the stain from penetrating into the pores of the wood.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*liquid masking film*

There is something for you here:
http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=liquid masking film&page=1&rh=i:aps,k:liquid masking film


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

13thmurder said:


> ive been looking at desks lately and just happened to come across one left in the street with a "free" sign on it. its in good condition structurally, but extremely dirty and stained/scratched up so i figured id sand it and stain it to get it clean.
> 
> it's a particle board desk with wood veneer. i successfully sanded the veneer to bare wood...
> 
> ...


Well frog tape is for latex paint and wouldn't do what you want for stain. I would mask off the area you are going to stain with standard painters tape and clear coat the areas you want natural. Use light coats as a heavy coat would run under the tape. It would be better if you could spray the finish even if you have to use the rattle can stuff to do it. Brushing it will put the finish on too wet and would run under the tape. After you have the areas clear coated then remove the masking and stain the piece like you were going to stain the whole thing. On the areas clear coated the stain won't adhere and the stain will just wipe clean. Then you can put clear coat over the entire piece. Just make sure the clear coat is compatible with the rattle can stuff. I believe it is common to find Minwax fast dry polyurethane it rattle cans as well as quarts.


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## 13thmurder (Oct 10, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> Well frog tape is for latex paint and wouldn't do what you want for stain. I would mask off the area you are going to stain with standard painters tape and clear coat the areas you want natural. Use light coats as a heavy coat would run under the tape. It would be better if you could spray the finish even if you have to use the rattle can stuff to do it. Brushing it will put the finish on too wet and would run under the tape. After you have the areas clear coated then remove the masking and stain the piece like you were going to stain the whole thing. On the areas clear coated the stain won't adhere and the stain will just wipe clean. Then you can put clear coat over the entire piece. Just make sure the clear coat is compatible with the rattle can stuff. I believe it is common to find Minwax fast dry polyurethane it rattle cans as well as quarts.


well, im a bit short on money... so buying 2 different kinds of finish won't really be an option. would using a brush, but letting it drain and brushing it on lightly work?


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

13thmurder said:


> well, im a bit short on money... so buying 2 different kinds of finish won't really be an option. would using a brush, but letting it drain and brushing it on lightly work?


Probably not. Stains are thin and designed to penetrate. Most likely it will run under the tape.

Your best bet is to stain everything equally.

George


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

It might work to brush the clear but I would put each coat on as thin as possible. Too wet and it will run under the tape for sure. To be on the safe side try it on some scrap wood and see if it works before you try it on your project.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I agree with George. By the time you figure out that the stain seeps under the tape it's too late.













 







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