I use 3/4″ Birch plywood alot due to it being relatively inexpensive for shelving and closet enclosures. Right now I am in the process of staining the birch a red mahogany w/ Minwax Wood Finish and a top coat of Minwax rub on poly.
Please help with some tips on working w/ this type of plywood.
My issues are the following when finishing this type of wood:
- Stain does not appear even in color… streaks or dark/light areas.
- I cant seem to get a smooth like glass finish
- If I use a brush on poly like Minwax Fast Dry Poly I end up w/ brush strokes
Here is how I apply the stain:
- Sand plywood w/ 220
- whipe clean w/ mineral spirits or tack cloth
- rub stain on with rag and let sit for 4-6 min and then wipe off excess
- let dry overnight and re-apply another coat to get desired darkness and let dry again.
- apply 1-3 coats of rub on poly
Replies
buildthis,
To get an even color on the plywood I suggest you washcoat it first with shellac. SealCoat is dewaxed shellac and will work well for this.
You'll need to make some samples first. Try a dilution of three parts alcohol with one part shellac. Apply it to the plywood evenly and quickly. After it dries give it a light sanding with 320, clean the dust and apply your stain. If it is still too blotchy for you, increase the amount of shellac a little and repeat the test on another sample. Be sure and keep track of what you are doing, formula wise, so you can repeat it.
If you want a glass like finish I would suggest you used a better coating. Fast dry wipe on poly is near the bottom of the food chain, IMO. If you do use this coating, you'll need to sand well between coats before applying more. Use 320 or 400 grit paper as required. You'll find re coating over a leveled surface will dramatically improve the look and feel.
For a varnish, check out Behlens Rock Hard varnish. It flows well, builds quickly and will give you a superior surface.
Good luck.
Peter
Would that be the Zinsser Sealcoat you are referring to?
What do you recommend I use instead of the wipe on poly to seal and protect my stained surface?
Edited 5/1/2007 1:04 pm ET by buildthis
Yes, SealCoat is made by Zinseer.
Varnishes such as Behlens Rockhard is a good brushing varnish. Waterlox makes good wiping and brushing varnishes. The original Sealer is a thinner wiping type.
McCloskeys is also a pretty good product for finishes.
Peter
Peter,
Thank you so much for helping out this novice.... Soon I hope to get a handle on the huge chapter of finishing wood.
I'm sure I will be posting many more newbie questions soon.
Thanks again!
Keep the questions coming. Be sure and do samples first. You'll be very glad you did.
Peter
Peter,
I bought some of the Zinnser Sealcoat (which by the way is awesome) and mixed it 3 to 1 w/ denature alcohol. I put some on a rag, rubbed it in and let dry for about 15 min. Sanded lightly w/ 220.
I used the same Minwax Stain as before, it went on great and there was no blochiness and it gave me an even color, however the color of the stain did not seem to to be dark at all. I let it dry overnight and applied another coat of stain and was able to obtain a slight shade darker but still not a huge improvement. It seemed as if the stain did not penetrate as it should.
Is this normal when using this process along w/ a Minwax type stain? If so. is there another type of stain or dye that I could use that would give me the deep red mahogany color I am looking for? I really dont want to buy another type of stain unless I have to.
Edited 5/9/2007 8:53 pm ET by buildthis
Could you please suggest the best way for me to finish off my dining room table?
I have tried varnish, both semi-gloss and satin, and polycrilic satin. In each case I have sanded the top with a 600 paper to get a glass smooth surface. However, each time I brush the finish on I get brush marks, wells, and overlapping. I use a good china bristle brush and try not to overbrush too much.
Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks
ve
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