Staining

[bob pieroway]

I made a coffee table using white oak and applied two coats of minwax sanding sealer.Applied one coat of minwax stain and it looks great.Would applying a 2nd coat of stain just be a waste , since the pores of the wood are now sealed?Also what would be the best protective finish. especially on the coffee table top?
bob

[Bill White]

Since it is a coffee table that will see some use, I would use a wipe on poly finish. I prefer a gel type as it is easy to apply.
Remember that a wiping finish will require more coats than a sprayed or brushed finish.
As much as I don't like poly, there are some applications where it makes for a more long lived surface. Tables are one such application.
Bill

[John TenEyck]

If you like the color there's no point in applying another coat of stain. If it's not as dark as you'd like, then yes, apply another after the first is fully dry. As for a top coat, I have to disagree with Bill to use a gel poly varnish. My testing of General Finishes Gel Urethane topcoat showed very poor chemical durability compared to most any other varnish as well as most water borne topcoats. Alcohol will damage it very quickly and just plain water will do so as well in a couple of days. My advise is to use your favorite oil based varnish (just not the gel type). You can apply it with a brush or wipe it on by thinning it with mineral spirits.

John

[bob pieroway]

Thanks Bill and John.With the upcoming holiday and a full house of company I may not have the time to work on this project.But when it's completed I will post a few pictures of my work.
bob

[Jerry Olexa]

A 2nd coat of stain will darken it a little..Only benefit I know..Not really needed..Cosmetic.

[Prashun Patel]

As the others have said, only add more stain if you think it needs it.

But you are right: the wood is now partially sealed after 1 coat of stain, so the second coat will not make it twice as dark.

You could just topcoat with Wipe On Poly if you want to stick with Minwax. I would go with a satin or semi gloss. I think they look better than the high gloss - especially on a porous wood like oak.

One caveat: give it a few days to dry before starting the WOP. If it's not fully dry, you can lift up some of the stain when you wipe on the top coat.

[Howard Acheson]

I'm a little confused. The Minwax sanding sealer generally used to seal the pores of the wood. Once the pores are sealed, no oil based pigment stain like Minwax will penetrate. The instructions for applying Minwax stain are to wipe or brush it on rather heavily, let it set and penetrate the wood surface and then thoroughly wipe off the excess. Because the sanding sealer has been applied, the stain will not penetrate through the sanding sealer and when you go to wipe off the excess you be wiping off almost all of the stain. Failure to wipe off the excess will prevent and finish applied on top to properly dry. Pigment stains are intended to be applied to unfinished surfaces. Stain is not to be treated like a paint.

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> the wood is now partially sealed after 1 coat of stain

No, it's now completely sealed after the application of the first coat of stain. Minwax stain contains a varnish intended to adhere the pigments in the stain on to the wood surface. Check the label which says it "Pentrates, Stains and Seals". The only way to successfully apply an additional coat is to thoroughly sand the surface after the stain has completely dried.

Another caveat when using an oil pigment stain is to thoroughly wipe off the excess stain after letting it set for 15-20 minutes. Failure to wipe will compromise the proper drying of the stain.

[Prashun Patel]

Howard is a pro, and i am not, but a second coat of minwax red mahogAny did make my red oak bench darker. So i took that as the first coat partially sealing the wood. Sorry if i misspoke

[Jim Becker]

Honestly, you are both right. :D

Howard accurately states that the Minwax stain contains a varnish binder that does, in fact, "seal" the wood. So any subsequent applications will not "penetrate". However, and as you experienced, adding another coat may very well change the coloration because of additional pigment lodging in an open grain species like oak or ash, as well as some coloration agents in suspension that remain behind when you wipe off excess. The effect of that second coat is less than the original, of course, but can be noticeable, depending on the wood species involved.

[Howard Acheson]

You are correct Jim. Another way to encourage additional penetration is to lightly scuff sand the stain. It must be done evenly or variable color will result.