Birch Ply: the internet has no answers for me!
I am cladding the interior of my home music studio/office in some beautiful sanded birch plywood. It was half the price of drywall and is absolutely beautiful (I have absolutely no interest in learning how to mud walls). I am trying to figure out the best/most cost effective way to finish 52 4’x8′ birch boards in a way that I can finish at least 3 a day before installing when the rest of the work is done.
I either satin or matte finish and as close to the original color as possible. I live in a humid climate as well if that matters. Basically just want to protect the wood but leave it be beyond that for a Scandinavian cabin look.
The internet has not been helpful at all so far. I’m trying brush laquer and sealcoat on a test board but it’s not forgiving and will take a long time. Any ideas? Tips?
Replies
Water-based polyurethane would be my first thought. I've put both Minwax and Varithane through one of those small paint sprayers (the self-contained kind that has a built in compressor, hose and paint cup) that you can buy at the big box stores. Those paint sprayers (if you don't already have one) are still under a hundred bucks... and you can use it down the line to paint other stuff.
There are higher end polys, marketed as for spraying, but they'd get pricey quick.
Water based poly is about the only thing you could do that won't change the color much. You can roll it on, and brush it out, or just use a brush. I find a foam brush works really well on waterborne poly, and it's really inexpensive.
I agree with the above. I would go for the sprayer but, a roller might work as well. I would first get some small cans of both water based and oil based poly and test them to see which you like best. The water based is mostly colorless with a slight bluish cast. The oil based will look a bit warmer.
I'd suggest finishing both sides, with just a single coat on the back (non-show) side, to prevent warping.
Thank you for the responses. I will try sprayed poly on the other side of the test board. Although after two coats of satin laquer it does look pretty nice. Its slightly warmer but it brings out the grains of the wood so it doesn't look as flat. Even with me doing a pretty rough job to see what it looked like if I wasn't a perfectionist it isn't too bad. I think I will try to thin the laquer and test that too. I'll do whatever is cheapest on the other side. Thanks for all the advice.
Water base finish will not change the color much. However as it ages it will get dark, no matter what finish is applied.
Finishing both sides of a board does not prevent warping. Antique furniture, pieces that have been around for hundreds of years, were never, ever finished on the inside or undersides. Its just a myth.
And there is absolutely, positively no reason to finish the back side of plywood.
So you're saying there would be no reason to veneer both sides of a plywood substrate as it would be the same logic?
Veneer is different from finish. I always veneer both sides of solid wood. But I only veneer 1 side of plywood. Plywood always comes with an odd number of plies, and doesn't warp. An even number of plies won't change that.
I don’t know if you can buy it where you are, but ‘Osmo Raw’ is my finishing of choice. It’s a hardwax oil, but contains a light-reflective white pigment. The way it reflects light offsets the darkening effect of adding a finish. I’ve used it on Birch ply and Solid Ash and it’s kept these looking natural.
I used General Finishes Satin Oil/Urethane on the birch plywood walls in my workshop. I applied it with a paint pad, kept a fan on for air movement and it was dry to the touch in less than 12 hours.
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