How To Stain Over Wood Glue

You have put in the hours to complete your woodworking project. Measuring, sawing, sanding, and gluing. The final step of many woodworking projects is to apply stain. If you used wood glue in your project and now need to apply stain, read on to learn how to do this successfully.

Stain and Wood Glue

Wood glue is a key component of many carpentry projects. In fact, correctly applied wood glue forms a stronger bond than mechanical fasteners. Wood glue reacts with water and expands to penetrate pores in the wooden pieces being glued. Applying pressure, through clamping or screwing the pieces together, achieves even better gluing results.

Wood stains are applied to darken the color of wood. Wood stain works similarly to wood glue. When traditional stain is applied to wood, it must penetrate open pores in the wood. Stained wood has water-repellent qualities and is more resistant to discoloration from UV rays.

Using glue and stain on the same project has the potential to create a dilemma. How can you use both wood glue and stain if they both need open pores in the wood to work effectively? 

1. Test the Stain

Wood needs to absorb stain evenly to show consistent color. Before attempting to stain your project, such as furniture or wood floors, look for a remnant of your project. If the remnant already has wood glue on it, perfect! Otherwise, apply wood glue to a portion of the remnant in conditions as similar as possible to your project. 

Variables to replicate include:

  • Temperature
  • Humidity
  • Brand of wood glue
  • Clamping pressure
  • Duration of clamping

When you have your test remnant piece partially coated with cured wood glue, apply your wood stain.

  1. Use a clean cloth or a foam or bristle brush to apply the stain. Using a cloth dipped in stain will allow you to apply pressure as you stain, forcing the stain deeper into the wood’s pores and likely achieving a longer-lasting finish.
  2. Pop any bubbles that appear within the stain.
  3. Determine an amount of time to allow the wood to absorb the stain.
  4. Wipe away excess stain when your time is up. 

Tip: When staining round or multiple-surfaces on the same piece, two finishing screws can be sunk 1/4 inch into each end of the piece. The piece can now be suspended between sawhorses and rotated easily to stain all necessary sides.

Visually inspect your remnant. If wood glue is applied in suboptimal conditions, it may be that the remnant did and your project could absorb the stain better than expected. If you have followed the steps outlined above, it is likely that your project will exhibit the same coloration and stain absorption as the remnant. 

Titebond wood glue

Bear in mind that your wood might also already have polyurethane or another finish on it.

Proceed to stain your project if you are content with the results of the remnant test. If you are dissatisfied, I have more options for you to consider.

2. Open the Wood Pores

We have a few methods you can use to open the pores of your project to make it more readily accept wood stain. These methods require removing some or all of the wood glue in the area to be stained.

Sand the Wood

Perhaps the simplest way to apply stain to wood with wood glue is to sand away the glue. Wood glue is usually applied to chemically bond boards together. If you are attempting to stain over wood glue, it is likely the glue is in an unintended place.

When too much wood glue is applied to two boards, then when those boards are compressed, the glue can ooze out. Glue that sets on the exterior of a board will fill surface pores of the wood. Thankfully, surface glue will not deeply penetrate wood like the glue between the boards under pressure.

To sand excess surface glue:

  1. Consider the weight and size of your project. If needed, secure your project to a work surface using clamps.
  2. Using a paint scraper or razor scraper, carefully scrape away the dried glue. Take care not to gouge the wood fibers. Practice on your remnant piece if possible.
  3. Begin sanding your project following the grain of the wood by using the proper grit sandpaper. I recommended starting with medium grit sandpaper (#120) and progressing to fine grit sandpaper (#220).

With the excess glue removed, it should be possible to evenly stain your piece now.

Planning your project is important. If you know that stain and finish will be applied at the end of the project, consider leaving an eighth-inch frame of unglued surface between boards. This helps prevent a thin line of non-porous wood.

Plane the Wood

Perhaps you are creating a project with wood left over from other projects. If you have a board whose surface is covered with wood glue, I recommend planing the board

There are three types of planers:

  • Hand planers 
  • Power planers
  • Bench planers

Hand planers shave off thin layers of wood, while electric planers can remove 1/8 inch of wood per pass. Bench planers have a wide variety of maximum cut depths but can reliably remove up to 1/8 inch of wood per pass. 

Bher stain sealer and Wood finish Min Max.

For this project, I recommend using a hand planer. If you don’t have a good tool, you can easily pick up the best hand planer for a reasonable amount. If using a power planer or bench planer, follow manufacturer instructions.

To hand plane a board:

  1. Double-check your planer blade is sharp and even.
  2. Make sure your piece will not move when under pressure. Use clamps for this. If the board is long, clear a path to walk alongside the board. I recommend planing the entire length of the board without stopping.
  3. Ensure that the wood glue is completely dry, otherwise it could clog your planer.
  4. Remove all excess glue using a razor or sharp chisel.
  5. Notice the grain of the wood you will be planing. Plan to plane where the grain is going up and away from your starting position.
  6. Follow manufacturer instructions, apply steady downward and forward to the pressure to the planer and plane for the length of your work surface.
  7. Repeat as necessary until all visual evidence of wood glue is gone.

Now that all wood glue has been removed from the surface of your project, the wood should have open pores ready to accept stain.

3. Use a Gel Stain

The difficulty of staining wood with wood glue is that the glue and stain compete for the same spaces. Using a non-traditional staining agent, such as gel stain, can help solve your problems. 

Gel stains are unlike traditional stains that absorb into the pores of wood. Gel stains create a durable coating on top of the wood. Therefore, gel stains do not compete with wood glue for the same spaces.

Gel stains are usually easier to apply than other stains and can be applied to many materials, not just wood.

To apply gel stains:

  1. Prepare the surface. Unfinished wood needs to be wiped free of all dirt. Finished woods should be degreased, wiped clean, and lightly sanded with fine grit sandpaper.
  2. While wearing gloves, uniformly apply the gel stain with a foam brush to your project.
  3. Gently wipe away excess gel stain with a rag.
  4. Let gel stain cure according to manufacturer instructions, usually 24 hours.
  5. Apply additional coats as necessary to achieve desired finish. Unlike traditional wood stains, gel stains usually need multiple coats to achieve a smooth, glossy finish.
Wood Glue Basics and Application Tips

Conclusion

To stain over wood glue requires proper preparation of the surface. In most instances, wood glue must be removed in order for the wood to accept stain. However, gel stain provides a way to successfully and innovatively stain over wood glue.

An expert at home repair, remodel, and DIY projects for nearly 40 years. His first experience came in completely restoring an antique home. Completely redone from the inside out, and restored to its original form, the home is a featured design by renowned Southern California Architect Cliff May, considered to be the father of the California Ranch Home. Now Dennis spends his time on fine woodworking projects and tool comparisons.