1 Inspect your wood project

Start by making a thorough inspection of the wood. Make note of any holes, cracks, splits or loose joints that need to be repaired. These are always best completed prior to staining and finishing your wood project.

2 Fill holes and cracks

Small holes and cracks in the wood can be filled using Minwax® Stainable Wood Filler. Don’t smear the wood filler around the hole, as that will require additional sanding to remove the excess. Instead, use the tip of a screwdriver to carefully pack the wood filler into the hole, mounding it slightly to allow for shrinkage as it dries.

3 Don’t skip the sanding!

Sanding is a critical step in the wood preparation process for several reasons.

It smooths out the dried Minwax® Stainable Wood Filler, removes minor nicks and scratches, and opens the pores of the wood to accept more stain. Sanding also removes the surface glaze created by the heat from the factory’s planer blades as they come in contact with the natural resins in the wood. Left unsanded, this glaze can prevent stain or finish from entering the pores.

4 Test, Test, Test

Wood is unpredictable. Always test any technique, material or product on an inconspicuous spot before you proceed with the wood project.

5 Always use pre-stain wood conditioner

Since wood pores are irregular, use Minwax® Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner before you stain to reduce the likelihood of blotchiness.