Mockups of your design are important to help your clients visualize design details. In this video, I show how I built a mockup of the edge profile for a Mid-Century nightstand design, so the client can visualize what their piece will look like with different edge bevels. I also want them to get an idea of what the two-tone stain would look like.
A Few Notable Tools I Used
Creating a Two-Tone Mock-Up for Client Approval: A Woodworking Guide
When I’m building custom furniture, one of the most important steps happens before I even start the actual project—getting client approval on the details. For this nightstand build, I needed my client to sign off on two key decisions: the two-tone finish and the bevel angle on the cabinet front. Let me walk you through how I created a mock-up that would help them visualize both options.
Planning the Sample Piece
Instead of making multiple samples, I got a bit clever here. I grabbed a chunk of white oak and decided to mill it up to show two different bevel angles on one piece. On one side, I’d cut a 22.5-degree bevel, and on the other, a 45-degree angle. This way, the client could see both options side-by-side without me having to create separate samples.
Cutting the Bevels
I set my blade to 22.5 degrees and made the first cut, then flipped the piece around, reset the blade to 45 degrees, and cut the other side. Pretty straightforward, except my blade was getting a bit dull and left some burning on the edge. No big deal—I’d sand that out.
Sanding Before Assembly
Here’s a tip I’ve learned the hard way: sand everything up to 180 grit before you do any mitering or gluing. I wanted to cut a miter so the grain would waterfall around the corner, giving the client a realistic view of the final look. But once those corners are glued up, getting into them with a sander is a nightmare. So I sanded everything smooth first.
I used the firmest pad Festool makes on my sander to avoid rounding over my crisp bevel edges. You want those lines to stay sharp and clean.
Assembly
Next, I cut the miter and got ready to glue up the corner. Now, I know this is just a sample, but it would be pretty embarrassing if it fell apart in the client’s hands while they were examining it. They might even cancel the project! So I added a couple of dominos for extra strength.
After clamping it up and letting the glue dry, I removed the glue blocks and cleaned up the edges.
The Two-Tone Challenge
Here’s where things get tricky. I wanted to stain the top portion while keeping the front edge clean and natural. The challenge is preventing the stain from running down that front edge when you apply it to the top. Nobody wants a messy, uneven stain line.
Sealing the Edge
My solution was to seal the front edge with sanding sealer before staining. First, I carefully taped along the edge, creasing the tape right at the corner. Then I taped off the area that would eventually get stained—I didn’t want the sanding sealer getting into those pores and preventing the stain from soaking in properly.
One quick tip: always start with a fresh, sharp razor blade when cutting tape. A dull blade creates a frayed edge, which will give you a frayed stain line. Not good.
Then I sprayed some seal coat (my go-to sanding sealer) on the exposed front edge and let it dry.
Reversing the Process
Once the sanding sealer was dry, I reversed everything. I peeled off the tape and re-taped the face where I’d just applied the sanding sealer. Now, I knew there was a good chance the stain would still seep between the tape and wood—that’s just the nature of the beast. But with the combination of sanding sealer and tape, I’d be able to easily sand off any bleed-through later and then apply a final clear coat for a clean edge.
Preparing for Water-Based Dye
Before applying my stain, I did something I forgot to mention in my previous stain-matching video: when you’re working with water-based dyes, you need to wet the wood first to raise the grain. After it dries, sand it back with 180 or 220 grit (whatever your finished grit is). This gives you a nice smooth surface.
If you skip this step, the water-based dye will raise the grain, and if you try to sand it back afterward, you’ll be sanding off your color. Not ideal. (And by the way, this is just called raising the grain—not “water popping” or whatever made-up term some YouTuber came up with.)
Applying the Stain
I applied my dye and let it sit for five minutes, just like I did with my test sample, then wiped off the excess. Looking good so far!
Dealing with Bleed-Through
Once the stain dried, I resisted the urge to pull the tape off immediately. I knew there was probably some bleed-through between the tape and wood, and I needed to sand that off. But here’s the thing—I didn’t want to get sanding dust all over my freshly stained surface. That would create blemishes that are incredibly difficult to remove.
So instead, I sprayed a sealer coat over the stained area first. Once that dried, then I peeled the tape and sanded off any bleed-through on the sealed front face. After that, I applied my final finish coat over everything.
The Final Result
And there you have it! One sample piece showing a 45-degree bevel on one side, a 22.5-degree bevel on the other, and a beautiful two-tone finish that the client could examine in person. Now it’s off to the client to see what they think. Hopefully, they’ll love it, and I can get started on the actual nightstand build!
This kind of mock-up takes a little extra time upfront, but it’s absolutely worth it. It ensures everyone’s on the same page before you commit to the final piece, and it shows your client that you care about getting every detail just right.
I’m the owner of Benham Design Concepts, a mixed media art studio where I design and build custom furniture and other works of art using wood, glass, stone, and various metals.
In this blog, I talk about the art I create, my journey, and the things I learn along the way.