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Thread: Paint or stain first?

  1. #1

    Paint or stain first?

    I am working on a nightstand similar to this one:





    The inside is going to be painted and the outside stained with clear coat. Should I paint the inside first and then stain the outside or the other way around? I am assuming that some touchup work will be required but I want to minimize it if possible.


    Disclaimer: This is not my photo. I just found nightstand similar to the one I am building on the internet.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    9,647
    I would paint first. Any stain you get on the paint can easily be wiped off.

    John

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Tasmania
    Posts
    2,162
    I would stain and clear coat first. Any stain bleed will be painted over and any paint will wipe off the sealed surface. Depends on the timber too. Coarse grained hardwood will make clean up tricky either way. Best to be super accurate. Cheers

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Lafayette, IN
    Posts
    4,563
    I'm with Wayne--stain AND SEAL first. It's much more difficult to stain accurately than to paint accurately. If you were make a little "oopsie" with the paint before you stain, you would have a lot of work to make sure that the stain would take evenly in that spot. If it were stained and sealed first, and you get a little paint where it doesn't belong, it wipes right off of a finished surface easily.
    Jason

    "Don't get stuck on stupid." --Lt. Gen. Russel Honore


  5. #5
    Thanks. I will stain and finish first then paint. Will report back with results after I am done (it may be a while).

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