Hi all,

I’m refinishing an old wood table. As you can see from the photos, it was constructed with different pieces of wood. This means that the wood grain runs in multiple directions.

I’m still in the process of getting all the old stain off. I’m then going to sand it by hand (in the direction of the grain) to prepare it for the stain.

I have two questions:

1. How do I apply the stain to this type of table? Can I simply wipe it on regardless of the grain (or try my best to go with the direction for each section)? Or do I have to tape off each section to get precise lines? Does that only matter for the top coat?

2. General question about the products I should use. I was thinking of first using a conditioner to avoid streaks, then a stain, then a top coat. Or do you recommend those two-in-one stains + top coat things?

Thanks for your help.