I have come up with a couple of ways to apply stain/paint/glue when making small wooden projects (most of my projects are small). 

On Amazon I found these foam cleaning swabs that are great for applying stain/paint/glue to my small projects. There is no lint or hair

to get stuck on the wood, they are pretty absorbent and they do a good job spreading glue/stain evenly. After I am finished with the applicator

I snip the foam tip off and keep the plastic handle that comes in handy stirring small cans of stain or paint and come in pretty handy when mixing

and applying epoxy glue.

I was making a large coffee cup display cabinet for my daughter where I cut 1/8" dados for i/8" plywood shelves and came up with the idea of using

pipe cleaners for getting glue down into the dados without making a big mess. I thought someone might be able to use these ideas in their own work.

 

 

 

I bought some silicone kitchen brushes at Dollar Tree and after trimming the bristles slightly, they have replaced using acid brushes for the most part. I like that pipe cleaner trick, I use pop sickle sticks right now, but I'll try the pipe cleaners.

Thanks!

1 hour ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

I bought some silicone kitchen brushes at Dollar Tree and after trimming the bristles slightly, they have replaced using acid brushes for the most part. I like that pipe cleaner trick, I use pop sickle sticks right now, but I'll try the pipe cleaners.

The thing I like about the pipe cleaners, the bristles hold more glue or stain than a solid object of the same thickness.

15 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

I bought some silicone kitchen brushes at Dollar Tree and after trimming the bristles slightly, they have replaced using acid brushes for the most part. I like that pipe cleaner trick, I use pop sickle sticks right now, but I'll try the pipe cleaners.

 

How about a pic of those brushes Fred.  I've likely a lifetime supply of acid brushes (Go H-F!) but these sound interesting.

 

@Bubba - I like the pipe cleaner trick too

Edited July 31, 20241 yr by Cal

Thanks Bubba.  It's good for Patriot Woodworker's to learn from peoples mistakes along with plain old learning.

   I have a few good things I have learned over the years but can never think of them looking at the computer.

Too bad this thing was not around when I was a kid for I might have given Einstein a run for his money and I don't even remember what he is known for!!!!??? 

 One of the most important things I learned the hard way is if I am putting nails or screws anywhere in wood I always counter sink the holes before I do any screwing or nailing.  And I always use sheet metal screws for the threads are the same width all the way down.  To get the right size of drill bit I always hold the drill bit in front of the screw and I only want just a very small part of the edge of the threads to show on each side. Then if I want the screw to be there forever I put a little Elmers on the threads before it goes in... 

2 hours ago, Smallpatch said:

Thanks Bubba.  It's good for Patriot Woodworker's to learn from peoples mistakes along with plain old learning.

   I have a few good things I have learned over the years but can never think of them looking at the computer.

Too bad this thing was not around when I was a kid for I might have given Einstein a run for his money and I don't even remember what he is known for!!!!??? 

 One of the most important things I learned the hard way is if I am putting nails or screws anywhere in wood I always counter sink the holes before I do any screwing or nailing.  And I always use sheet metal screws for the threads are the same width all the way down.  To get the right size of drill bit I always hold the drill bit in front of the screw and I only want just a very small part of the edge of the threads to show on each side. Then if I want the screw to be there forever I put a little Elmers on the threads before it goes in... 

Thanks for the tips Jesse. Einstein......he was famous for bagels wasn't he? 

Today I had another opportunity to use the pipe cleaner trick. I was repairing a kitchen knife block and decided to stain it a darker color.

The pipe cleaner dipped into the stain was exactly what I needed to stain the inside of all the knife slots about 1 1/2" deep on each slot.

After I got done I thought "I sure hope that Minwax stain isn't toxic!"  

 

 

18 minutes ago, Bubba said:

Today I had another opportunity to use the pipe cleaner trick.

Cool idea!

Yes Bubba all the small inventions will help everyone, Keep them coming. I had to change from a knife holder that sits on the cabinet for we ended up with way too many knives for we had no place to fix a meal so wife threatened to roll the portable sawing machine in every time she goes to make a meal... so the knife holder had to have a new home to make way for her cooking areas.

 Now the knives are off the counter and hidden.

Jesse, that's cooler than a winter night in the Antarctic.

 

You aught to bottle some of that genius. 

Thats not genius, it necessity. 

I don't show the plastic holder for it is almost falling apart it is so old.

Cal, just how I feel about minwax. It makes almost any  wood look nasty and not a good clear finish so the beauty of the wood grains show through. 

Cal you must have gotten in to some of that stuff that makes you go color blind.