Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Jan 19, 2010 07:42am | #1

   Fir is always a challenge. First a question though, do you have spray facilities?

1. 
   popawheelie | Jan 19, 2010 10:46am | #2

   First off. Thanks for responding Steve. I do appreciate your help.

   I have an old binks spray gun around somewhere in a box and I have a small re-chargeable spray can somewhere. I have a small compressor.

   My shop isn't set up yet from our last move.

   I'm working on that.

   But I don't have it set up. I've found that setting up spraying and getting the tip right and paint right is a long drawn out pain in the rear.

   That's why I have gone back to other methods.

   unless there was a large project or I knew I would be spraying on a regular basis it just doesn't pay.

   So, long story short, no I don't have spray capabilities.

   I read this from you in another thread.

   Let me point you to a article in Fine Homebuilding magazine for September 2009 (Issue 205) written by finishing guru Peter Gedrys.

   He outlines five steps for an excellent finish on similar doors. It's similar to, but not identical to your first schedule. 1) He starts by sanding with 150 grit, raising the grain, and finish sanding with 180 grit. Note this sanding is all done by hand--sanding block with the grain, not ROS. 2)Then he applies a wash coat, either of shellac or water (you need to test which works for your door) The shellac wash coat is very thin--3 parts DNA to 1 part 2 lb. cut shellac, such as seal coat. That's less than 1/2 lb. cut. 3) he uses a water soluble powdered dye (in his examples, and often a good choice, he uses a medium yellow color. I can tell you from experience that this can look just plain awful at this point. Peter just calls the dye dull until a sealer is applied. He seals the dye with a coat of shellac. This calls for a light touch--no brushing back and forth or vigourous wiping which could lift the dye. If a test reveals you have a problem with this, you could use the Zinsser aerosol shellac to set the dye, and then apply second and third coat of liquid shellac to give a more complete sealing. 4) he applys a glaze. For this he recommends an oil based gel stain, thinned with a bit of glazing medium to give a better consistency and to extend working time. Then finally he 5) locks in the glaze with another gentle shellac coat--again the aerosol is safe, followed by top coat of choice. I'll suggest that for exterior doors a good varnish would make sense, and if it gets sun, the exterior could well be a good marine spar varnish for added durability against the sunlight.

   Should I get this article and just modify it's color for my door? I would sign up for the FWW online mebership to get it. I haven't seen the article so I don't know what it looked like in the end.

   I'm looking for a pretty deep rich antique look. I figure why not go the extra mile and have it really look great.

   When I work on doors I drive long spikes in the ends so I can hang them off of or between two paint/saw horses.

   I've found that I can paint paint both sides of a door with it laying flat and not touch it. It's not a spray booth, but it works.

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Jan 19, 2010 10:26pm | #3

   I think you have a pretty good schedule, and I definately concur with the idea of usinga quality marine spar varnish, in part to provide UV protection for the dye steps, since dyes aren't are light fast as are pigmented color.

   But without spraying you can't just build up an even stain on fir with pigments--you'd likely end up with stripes. But you can hand apply the pigmented glaze over sealed wood to hang up in the crevices, if that's what you want.