I thought that I had this figured out. I tested various stains on Poplar and discovered that gel stain produced a warm color in keeping with what I was looking for. The first piece I stained turned out much darker than the test pieces I had played with. Now, how do I fix this? Could I apply bleach to lighten the stain or should I simply sand the piece down? To prevent uneven absorption should I pre treat the piece with dewaxed shellac – Bullseye seal coat- or could anyone offer a better idea.
Thanks for your time.
Rick
Replies
Was your test piece approximately the same color as your project? One problem with staining poplar is the color variations in the wood - everything from creamy white to black, purple and green.
I've never had much luck trying to stain poplar to get an even color, but have made some interesting pieces using water based or oil based poly finishes.
One problem with staining poplar is the color variations in the wood - everything from creamy white to black, purple and green.
It IS wonderfull as IS...
Which is why I said the problem was with staining. - lol
Yes the test piece was the same color as the piece.
Rick, I really think you'll be safest using a washcoat. Just looking at the raw wood won't give you the information you need about how it's going to absorb stain. Giving it a quick wipe with Naptha or mineral spirits will give you some indication, but seems to me a washcoat would be safest.
Another consideration: what gel stain are you using? I started with Minwax, found it to be rather unreliable (inconsistent). Went to Olympic and it's fantastic!
One thing I'm going to try, probably next week, is using Olympic's neutral "gel base" as a wash coat, thinning it some with mineral spirits.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Rick
I agree with those that say poplar is fine the way it is. The more variation the better. That being said, not everybody agrees. So I start with a light stain to act as a prestain and to see where the dark spots are. then I use a second coat of darker color to blend the dark spots. And finally a brushed glaze to get the desired color. As you can probably tell this is for a medium brown to dark brown....
For those who fought. Freedom has a special meaning the protected never know.
Not wightin' anybody here.. *quarter and I agree I think?..
Just me.. I see these beautiful slabs of exotics at my local place.. Wonderful wood that you have to send your banker and lawyer to pay for it....
Then I think whowever bought it will stain it so everything looks the same?
Will George
I think that if you get the right poplar you got some beautiful wood and it does pretty much everything well for little money. And you can make it look like almost anything. That's why I have a push on for PETSW..."People for the ethical treatment of secondary woods" :)Be Well
..
For those who fought. Freedom has a special meaning the protected never know.
People for the ethical treatment of secondary woods..
PINE "I LOVE You"
Pretty much been my observation that if you can get good clean ,tight joints in pine you can work any wood. I actually like working with Southern yellow pine. I hate it for rough framing but you can make some nice looking cabinets with it..
For those who fought. Freedom has a special meaning the protected never know.
Thanks for your thoughts. I have been trying to use General Finishes - Candelight gel stain. With the Olympic stain are you sanding after applying the wash coat? If so, to what grit? So far, I have found that applying dewaxed shellac as a wash coat blocks too much of the stain absorption. I was sanding with Scotch Brite pads after the shellac dried. Here in may lie the problem. I probably should have used 400 grit sand paper. Thanks again.
Rick
What cut are you using for the wash-coat? I generally dilute the Zinnser Seal Coat 50:50 with alcohol, makes it a 1# cut if I remember correctly.
I'm going to try my "neutral gel" experiment tomorrow (have to go get some, 30-mile drive). I'll let you know how it goes.
In your situation, I'd be inclined to experiment with some TransTint Dyes. Take a look here.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
When dealing with poplar and stain I've found using wood conditioner such as Minwax's works best prior to staining. The stain goes on with less variations between coats, and brings out some of the grain.
You are correct that you will achieve more consistent results if you apply a barrier layer before applying your gel stain.
If you choose to apply two or three coats of 1#-cut shellac as your barrier layer, wait until it is dry before staining.
If you choose to use a pre-stain conditioner, wet the surface, applying more conditioner as it soaks into the wood fibers, until the surface is consistently wet with conditioner (approx 10 minutes); apply the stain while the conditioner is wet.
You can also apply a glue-size of diluted hide glue as a barrier layer if you like.
Good luck,
-Jazzdogg-
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
Jazzdog, I've always used a washcoat of shellac, though I have a can of the wood conditioner in the cupboard. Always thought (####umed) that conditioner was just thinned shellac. Sounds like I was wrong, based on the difference in stain application. What's the deal with the commercial conditioner?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
It's essentially an untinted clearcoat; lacquer sanding sealer is essentially lacquer with stearates added to make sanding easier (the added stearates also make it problematic if sanding sealer is applied to heavily).
If the solvent for a pre-stain conditioner is not denatured alcohol, it isn't shellac-based.
-Jazzdogg-
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
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