Replies

1. 
   BarryR | Sep 06, 2004 03:44am | #1

   I'd say that you'd be really lucky to get any wood, ply or not, that's going to take stain the same as what you've got now.  Especially with wood like pine, it's very hard to get uniform color even on a single board.  Get A/1 ply, use a pre-stain conditioner or 1 lb. cut shellac & hope for the best.  Practice building up the color using multiple applications of stain on scrap.  Be sure you put a clearcoat over the stain to see what it will look like - use spray shellac, varnish or poly for a quick check.

1. 
   nikkiwood | Sep 06, 2004 07:29am | #2

   You can buy pine plywood from a plywood supplier catering to the cabinet trade -- but the last time I looked, the stuff cost a fortune, more expensive even than quarter sawn oak ply, for example.

   How about building your bookcases out of birch ply, then diddling around with sealers, wood conditioners, stains until you arrive at a satisfactory match?

   Or, what about building the cases out of solid pine boards?

   No matter how skilled you might be with stains/finishing, I doubt you would be pleased with cases made from fir ply.

1. 
   SunnySlopes | Sep 06, 2004 04:24pm | #3

   Thank you both for your replies.  I guess it was wishfull thinking on my part thinking there was a simple solution/straight foward way of doing it.  Solid pine boards is not a bad why to go, especially since it will yield the best match to the existing trim.  

                         Thanks again to you both"One measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions"

2. 
   notDusty | Sep 06, 2004 06:47pm | #4

                 Woodrow ,

          I have used knotty Pine plywood for furniture and various case work with great success . The Pine veneer was thick and looked as though I glued up the boards . IMHO the Hardwood suppliers to the industry have a greater selection of grades of plywood , as well as species .The cost may be $25.00 a sheet more than Oak or Birch ,in the same grade. For $25 you wouldn't want to have less than the best  , the labor dosen't change and the finish should match closer than other species.

                            good  luck                   dusty