Use 220-grit sandpaper for a smooth finish that works well with stains. Sand in the direction of the wood’s grain.
You can also use a small hand vacuum, if necessary.
Keep in mind that if you’re using a semi-transparent stain, you’ll still likely be able to see the area that was patched. If you’re using an opaque stain, the color may look uniform, but you still may notice a textural difference in the wood. [4] X Expert Source Andres MatheuCommercial Painter Expert Interview. 28 July 2020.
Shake the stain well before using it. Wait for the wood stain to dry before deciding if the color is right. The drying time depends on the thickness of the filler, type of stain, variety of wood, and the temperature and humidity.
Once you’ve added water, mix it in with the stain and test the stain on a piece of spare wood with filler on it again. It’s better to have a stain that’s too light as opposed to too dark, since you can apply additional layers of stain if necessary.
Allow the stain to dry for several minutes before wiping off the excess. Stains often take at least 1-2 days to dry on wood completely, so check the directions on your stain to find out specific drying time.
You can repeat this process of applying additional layers of stain until the wood filler matches the color of the stained wood.
You can either try to strip the stain from the small section that contains wood filler, or you can remove the stain from the entire piece of wood. Apply the stain again to the even, unstained surface for better results. Alternatively, you can apply the stain to the surrounding area to match the wood to the wood filler section.
