Wood Bed - Project Get Shorty

Next up came the fun stuff, or as Mr. Miyagi would say, "Sand the bed!" Horkey's varnish kit, which we ordered as well, comes with the necessary sandpaper. First I grabbed a sheet of 120 and put it on my sanding block. Wrapping the paper around a block of wood would work as well.

Next I began sanding the bed wood, with the grain. This portion of the job is of personal preference. I sanded the wood until the point where when I ran my hand horizontally across the wood it felt even and smooth.

With the wood sanded I then used some air to blow things clean--a vacuum could be used at this point as well.

Because the varnish is self-leveling, it's important the wood is level. Before I got started I grabbed a level and double-checked everything.

When preparing the wood for varnish it's important the wood is free from containments, including the natural oil from your skin. Therefore I grabbed some latex gloves. From there I wiped the wood off with some thinner.

...then fluff it up to the point it begins to resemble a loofah. (Yes, I promise that will be the last time I ever throw lingo from Bed Bath and Beyond!)

From there, run the cloth over the boards.

When it comes to your wood, the Ash can be directly varnished in its natural state, or it can be stained to your liking. Well, my liking came in the form of the Rolling Stones' "Paint it Black." Therefore, I picked up this oil-based Minwax Ebony stain. Note to self: One could also use a water-based stain, or even a gel stain, because the Horkey's Marine Spar Varnish is compatible with all of them.