Things You'll Need
Mahogany wood
Wood filler
Paint thinner
Wood stain
Nylon rag
Staining brush, foam brush or clean cotton wiping cloth
120-grit and 150-grit sandpaper
Tack cloth
Mahogany is an open-grained wood similar to oak and walnut. A smooth, flat finish requires the grain to be sealed with a wood filler prior to staining. Leaving the wood grain open to allow the character of the wood to show through and be felt by hand is another option.
Step 1
Sand the mahogany with 120-grit sandpaper. Make the piece as smooth as possible and remove any pencil marks that served as witness lines as well as any tooling marks from machining.
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Step 2
Decide whether to close the pores of the wood's grain for a smooth finish.
Step 3
Mix the wood filler per the manufacturer's instructions if you've chosen to fill the pores. Paint thinner is typically used for mixing filler to a paste-like consistency.
Step 4
Press the filler into the mahogany using a nylon rag and apply against the grain. Work in sections small enough that the wood filler will not dry out before you finish applying filler.
Step 5
Wipe with the grain after adding wood filler across the piece.
Step 6
Allow the filler to dry for 24 hours before working the mahogany again.
Step 7
Sand the piece smooth with 120-grit sandpaper, then follow with a sanding using 150-grit sandpaper.
Step 8
Apply wood stain with a staining brush, foam brush or clean cotton cloth. Use caution not to flood the piece with stain, especially if the mahogany was not sealed with a wood filler. Keep a wet edge while wiping stain onto the wood.
Step 9
Wait five to ten minutes before using a clean cotton cloth (different than the one used to apply stain) to wipe off excess stain.
Step 10
Wipe the piece down with a tack cloth after the stain has had a chance to dry for 24 hours. Apply a protective finish such as polyurethane, varnish, shellac or tung oil.
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