Homemade Water Based Pre Stain Wood Conditioner

If you want to use lacquer try lacquer thinner.

Homemade water based pre stain wood conditioner. Siccatives are used for drying oils chemistry becoming more modern. See pics for what it would look like. Varnish shellac and lacquer can all be turned into wood conditioner as long as you use the appropriate solvent. Allow the conditioner to penetrate the wood for 5 to 15 minutes and then wipe off any excess.

I ve used both pre stain from minwax and another one called pre stain conditioner. Check the can for what type of stain to use with that particular conditioner. Before applying any water based stain use a wood conditioner to ensure a consistent penetration of a stain. They both work fine.

After sanding with 220 use two coats pre stain conditioner as follows. For shellac use denatured alcohol to thin it out. Using blown or boiled linseed or tung oil will make the oil form something closer to an epoxy like resin in a crude primitive kind of way. Also the wood will absorb the oil after a while and the wood will look dry again even if you cover it with a water based varnish.

Use a brush or cloth to apply a liberal coat of the pre stain conditioner to all surfaces of your woodworking project. You can use water but if you are using an oil based stain then i would switch to a water based stain. As with the stain you will soon apply always work in the same direction as the wood grain when applying the wood conditioner. Unlike their oil based counterparts water based pre stain wood conditioners make the fibres of the wood to bulge you should therefore sand the surface slightly using fine grade sandpaper after about 30 minutes following application.

A wood conditioner is an easily manufactured product. It is prepared by thinning one part of regular varnish or a polyurethane varnish with two parts of any paint thinner such as mineral spirits. Don t soak it just know that water will raise the grain and you will have to give it a light sanding before applying the stain. Only 8 left in stock.

Apply wet coat of pre stain conditioner allowing short time for softwood to absorb mix then wipe excess lightly with a dampened rag of pre stain conditioner with grain allow coat to dry fully 2 4 hours depending on temp and humidity and sand lightly with ros machine 220 then by hand with 220 following grain between and after 2nd coat.