When to stain when striping?

[Top Spin]

My step-son is making us a coffee table. He is going to inlay some thin stiping around the top, the apron, and the legs. It's his first time to try anything like this. He asked me a question I wasn't sure how to answer.

He is using red oak and he is planning on staining it a light walnut color. The question is, what to do with the striping so that it doesn't get stained, too.

My guess is that he should finish the piece and stain it, then route out the groove for the striping, clean up the edges, then glue the stiping in, then apply the finish. Is that the best way?

The alternative would be to route out the groove for the stiping and then stain, but would the glue hold as well after the groove had been stained?

Thanks for any suggestions.

In case it matters, the finish is to be water-based lacquer applies with an air gun.

PS: I used to work with nitro lacquer and we always applied a coat or two of sanding sealer before the lacquer. Is that true for the water based, too?

[Larry Bud]

If he wants a walnut color, why doesn't he just use walnut?

I don't think there's any other way to do it. If he did it your way, he still needs to sand/plane the striping after he glues it in. And what to do with glue squeeze out?

I think the whole idea of inlay is to use different colored woods to achieve the effect.

[Top Spin]

Too dark, wrong grain, too expensive, etc.

Other than not using any stain?

Yes, the striping would need a light sanding after it is glued in.

Some of the stiping comes with an adhesive on the back. I was thinking that that would be enough so there shouldn't be any squeeze out.

Yes, I agree. But is there no way to do stiping in a wood that needs to be stained?

[Jay]

Try putting some foam weather stripping into the groove. This will keep the stain from soaking in and you can glue up afterwards.

[Top Spin]

Now that's ingenius. I'll suggest that to him. Thanks.