Preparing Surfaces For Finishing

Give your projects a smooth base before painting or staining.

Photography by Brian Francis

Step-by-Step

Select wood filler, and clean the project surface. Choose a wood filler to match the color of the wood used for your project—you might even find a color named for the species of wood used. A close match is particularly important for projects that you will stain later. Clean the surface of your project by wiping with a finishing cloth, making sure to remove all debris.
Apply wood filler. Put a small amount of wood filler on the area you need to fill. Drag a putty knife across the area, keeping the blade parallel to the wood to smooth the filler evenly. Scrape off any excess that is not directly on the area you are filling. A large area may require a second application; be sure to allow the first to dry.
Prepare the project surface. Allow ample time for the wood filler to dry, following the manufacturer’s guidelines. Wood filler can shrink when it dries, so check to see if more filler is needed. To ensure uniform sanding, lightly pencil lines onto the surface of your project. You’ll know you’ve sanded all areas when the markings are no longer visible.
Sand. When sanding by hand, use a sanding sponge or block to apply pressure evenly across the sandpaper. Always wear a dust mask when sanding. Start sanding with a coarse-grit sandpaper (80) and progress to the finest grit (220). Each successive pass with a finer grit should take less time than the last one and should remove sanding marks from the previous pass.
TIP: Sand with (parallel to) the grain of the wood, not against it.

You Can Build These Pet Steps!

Use the tips from our Skill Set series to create steps for your dog or cat. Find detailed instructions, an illustration, and a list of tools and materials for building this project here.

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