Hey folks! I'm getting into staining wood with some natural materials like coffee, tea, beets, and spices. I'm curious if I can glue the stained boards together afterward, or if I need to glue them before staining. Will the wood glue still hold strong on stained surfaces, or is it better to stick with bare wood for a solid joint?
3 Answers
For the best bond, you really want clean surfaces for the glue. You can give gluing over the stain a try, but you might end up disappointed. Also, I’d recommend not staining the areas where you'll be applying the glue if you can help it. After drying, if the stain isn’t sealing the wood, it should be okay to glue, in theory!
Just a heads up, if you accidentally get glue on stained areas, it'll really show after cleanup, so be careful! It might be best to keep those surfaces clean before gluing.
You can totally glue stained boards as long as the stain doesn't mess with the glue's ability to stick! But since you’re experimenting, I’d suggest trying out a test run first to see how well the glue bonds with your stained surfaces—it might save some surprises later!
Thanks for the tips! I think I’ll experiment with both methods to see which works better for me.