# can i paint over 'conditioned' wood?



## sonofbuster (Mar 28, 2010)

hi there! i'm (slowly) finishing a bookcase for my kid and originally planned on sanding and staining with a poly coat. i did this with his step stool and it still looks great after a year of abuse. following the steps i took with that stool, i conditioned the bookcase with Minwax pre-stain conditioner. it darkened the wood a hair making the grain of the ply come out and... i don't like it. yes, i'm a newb and maybe i was being optimistic about how stained plywood would look, but it's where it is now. 

so my question: after having done this 'conditioning', can i just paint over the wood or do i have to go through and sand again? actually, i'm not going to sand the thing again as it took me a couple months to get it all sanded doing little bits at a time. if i can't paint it, i will just finish the job and chalk it up as 'lesson learned'! hopefully, though, someone has made the same 'mistake' and painted just fine! hopefully...


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

Scuff sand with 220 or 180 grit sandpaper and then prime with a shellac based primer like BIN. I apply a thinned coat first (50/50) and when that is dry caulk any gaps and spackle any holes. Scuff sand 220 and apply full coat of primer. Surface should be perfect at this point, scuff sand 220 and paint with the paint of your choosing. 

If you want to make sure do a sample piece on scrap wood using the conditioner first and make sure everything sticks like it is supposed to. :icon_smile:


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If the conditioner has dried overnight you should be able to paint it like it never had the conditioner put on it.


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## sonofbuster (Mar 28, 2010)

thanks guys!


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