How To Use Wood Conditioner Before Staining. It all starts with sanding. A wood conditioner is an easily manufactured product. Staining without properly conditioned wood is possible—and it can look decent—except you get far more consistent color if you condition the wood.
Not all woods require it, but soft or porous woods (such as pine, poplar, maple, fir, alder, aspen, and birch), definitely require it (do a small, inconspicuous test area first).
It's one of those questions we get asked all the time. Woods like poplar and pine have grains that can run at weird angles, and of different densities, and can absorb stain and finishes differently. Using wood fillers before staining the wood is a practical and easy way to hide unattractive holes and bumps. I stained the whole dresser and it we used a minwax stain and applied the minwax pre stain conditioner prior to staining. Staining without properly conditioned wood is possible—and it can look decent—except you get far more consistent color if you condition the wood. How to finish a diy printer table with stain, glaze, toner, and polyurethane. Use the medium or high grain sand paper (you could start with the high. How to put on a 20 x30 treated wood cover with lattice and heavy duty screen to let air in on the outside.
