Finishing for Beginners

Years ago I remember teaching a class about finishing that included one student who said he had never used a stain or finish, and to make matters worse, he had never even painted anything. This was a two-day class in which I go through all the products and application methods. How was I going to address this student’s lack of any experience at all? Here’s an attempt, addressing you the reader, rather than him. The steps are sanding the wood, deciding on the color and maybe applying a stain, and deciding on a finish and applying it.

Sanding

The first step is