Can you stain over bark?
Sand or stain the wood if you'd like to smooth or tint the wood. Your wood with bark is good to go once the preservative is dry, but this just means you can finish it however you like. Feel free to sand the smooth surface or apply a stain if you want to give the wood some color.
Pour over epoxy resin is your best bet to hold the bark in place if you plan on keeping it. Polyurethane would be another option, but won't be quite as strong. Oils and waxes seal the wood, but they aren't going to serve as an adhesive like epoxy would to keep the bark in place.
If you have a live edge slab that you want to finish, first, peel off any bark in 6 to 8-inch sections using a rounded chisel. Once the bark is gone, take a rotary tool with a sanding flap wheel and sand the edges down smooth.
- Bark rubbing. Kids will love exploring the patterns and textures of bark with this tactile activity. ...
- Bark and leaf boats. Tree bark is very buoyant, which makes it the ideal material for making boats. ...
- Bark tea light holder. ...
- Autumn tree collage. ...
- Rustic bark frames.
How to Apply Polyurethane to Wood | Easy Guide to Finishing ... - YouTube
There are three surefire ways to waterproof your wood for years to come. Use linseed or Tung oil to create a beautiful and protective hand-rubbed finish. Seal the wood with coating of polyurethane, varnish, or lacquer. Finish and waterproof wood simultaneously with a stain-sealant combo.
You can go dark for an elegant, modern look, or choose a natural stain that simply enhances the existing appearance of the wood. Make sure you apply wood finish within two hours of applying conditioner. To apply the stain, first brush on a liberal amount in smooth, even strokes in the same direction as the wood grain.
Fill in cracks in the wood with wood filler.
Put tape on the sides and bottom of the stump, below the cracks, to prevent the epoxy from leaking out of the cracks. Then, drizzle the epoxy into the cracks to fill them. Apply 1 layer of epoxy to fill the cracks and let it dry overnight.
yes, it's a good idea to remove the bark from a live edge slab. The bond between the bark and the wood isn't strong at all. Even if it feels solid when you get the slab, it will just be a matter of time before it crumbles and breaks off on its own.
In general polys offer good durability; they are not as tough as epoxy but they are far more durable than any wax. Aesthetically, poly's are perhaps the most versatile as they can be matte, glossy, or anywhere in between. One rule of thumb is that the higher the sheen, the higher the durability.
Can you keep the bark on a live edge table?
Ultimately, it's up to you whether or not you want to leave the bark on your table. We recommend removing bark as this gives live edge dining tables and other furniture a more beautiful aesthetic. But if you love the bark, you can always choose to leave it in tact!
Stain over varnished wood without sanding is not recommended. Because staining should do after sanding the wood surface thoroughly. Otherwise, the stain will not penetrate inside the porous structure of the wood.

Stained wood that hasn't had a topcoat or lacquer applied to it can be restained using a variety of stains. Oil stains are the most common sorts of stain and come in both oil and gel forms.
Yes! In fact, applying stain over stain is a fairly simple process. It works especially well if you're applying a dark stain over a lighter stain. You can even mix 2 or more stains together and make your own custom stain!
Unfortunately, most pieces that have been stained also have already been varnished, and restaining poses a problem. Since the purpose of a stain is to stain – or penetrate – the wood surface, once varnish has been applied, you can't expect the same results you would get from applying stain to unvarnished wood.