Finishing Compound Cut Items

[rfielder]

How do you finish compound cut items?

I just cut the candelstick, and a couple of christmas ornaments.  Applying stain to the outside is easy enough, but what about the inside?  What do people here do - leave the inside as raw wood?  Dip the object into a bucket of stain?  Spray and hope the the spray coats the inside as well?

Thanks in advance!

[don in brooklin on]

I have cut a lot of the miniature compound bird houses and I finish with dipping in a mixture of 50/50 shellac and alcohol.  Let dry and usually good to go. Some times I do twice. 

I have done the same for other compound ornaments and have sprayed  with poly. 

Just for fun, I cut a candle stick and dipped in red dye and then sprayed with poly.  (I use satin).  This was Keda dye.

[rfielder]

I have cut a lot of the miniature compound bird houses and I finish with dipping in a mixture of 50/50 shellac and alcohol.  Let dry and usually good to go. Some times I do twice.

Don - I tried dipping a couple of items in the stain I am using, but that did not go well.  Drips keep going for far longer than I can stand there, and they pooled on the underside.  The candle holder will need some sanding and restaining by hand.

A piece with small holes had the stain clog up in the holes, so I don't know how this can be fixed.

It is either my technique, or the stain in use, but this does not look like a valid option.  Perhaps with a thinner finish, such as the shellac and alcohol you mention.

[don in brooklin on]

I have taken a air compressor and blown out the holes too.  With all stains you need to wipe off after a few minutes.

I also have a hanging rack (3/4 inch pine with 2 inch brads go to the other side.  I have a couple to hang ornaments and I have a flat piece that I can sit stuff on too.

[rfielder]

I have taken a air compressor and blown out the holes too.  With all stains you need to wipe off after a few minutes.

Interesting - I had not thought of doing that.  Maybe because my air compressor is very loud and takes forever to come up to pressure.... 

Did wipe off after dipping, but I think I waited too long to wiped the stain off the second time.

I also have a hanging rack (3/4 inch pine with 2 inch brads go to the other side.  I have a couple to hang ornaments and I have a flat piece that I can sit stuff on too.

I have been using painter's points.  Work well, but maybe not for dipped items.

Thanks!