Mildly OT: Staining Wood, for sub enclosure under the dash Options

[Mockmaw]

Hi all, I'm hoping that there's a woodworker amongst us that can lend a little advice.

I'm almost finished with the sub enclosure that goes under my dash; it's based off of my old center deposit box which was falling apart. I'd like to stain the box as opposed to painting it a flat color. So I spent some time browsing at Home Depot today but after spending 45 minutes trying to get a little assistance/advice, I stormed out frustrated.

It seems like the process involves an initial pre-treatment (or conditioning), then the stain, then a sealer or protective layer. Are there specific brands of each component that I should be looking for? The Home Depot here in Emeryville basically only carries Minwax, which has a so-so reputation on usenet. Ahh, forgot to mention that I want to stain it black.

The box is sanded and ready to go, just want to make sure I'm completely ready and informed before I jump into this. What're the differences between water and oil-based stains? As I asked above, are there specific brands that I should use? What other kinds of things should I know before I start this process?

Thanks in advance! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mueba.gif)

[tahoward]

Oh my gosh, after reading thousands of posts on this board and not actually being able to help anyone... finally something I know a little about!!!! Minwax is really o.k., especially for a project like yours. If you're using a soft wood, like pine you should use Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner. This helps the wood absorb the stain more evenly, not perfect, but not real blotchy. If using a hard wood such as oak the pre stain is not necessary. I'm not sure the effect you're after, but my guess is that you want to see some of the wood grain since you're not simply painting. Too accomplish this and add a little more depth to the wood wipe one side of your project with stain and then immediately wipe it off. This allows you to put multiple layers of stain to get the desired color. If you simply paint it on, let it sit a few minutes and then wipe it off you are kinda stuck with the results unless you want to sand it off and start over. It also helps to use a scrap piece of wood to practice with in order to get the perfect look. Good luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)