Smooth and Blotch-Free Finish – Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from Jeff. He writes, “Love your videos have learned so much, only wish there were more! I have a problem and can’t find a layman’s answer. I like how you break down things so simply that even dumbass’s like me can understand. I built my nephew a computer desk out of Birch Plywood. I wanted to get this super nice cherry finish. The guy at HD told me to stain it with Cherry Stain (Minwax) then top coat it with Polyurethane (sp) Well, as I am sure you know it looks like “S**T” fortunately I did this on a test piece…please please please give me a layman’s answer as to how I can get a nice looking smooth finish, one that I would be proud of.”
And here was my reply: “Well this may not be super easy, but its the easiest way I know of. You can start by sealing the surface so that you get even stain absorption. I use a product called Bullseye SealCoat. This is a 2 lb cut of shellac but you might want to dilute it down to 1 lb. with denatured alcohol. Simply wipe on a good coat using a rag. It dries quickly so make it snappy. Let this dry for a few hours, then lightly sand the surface (by hand) with 220 grit sandpaper. Blow or wipe off the dust. Now you have a sealed surface on which to apply your stain. You can try the Minwax stuff, or you can try a gel stain. Gel stains are thicker and tend to sit on the surface more than regular stains. This means more even coverage over blotch prone woods. Once the stain dries, you can topcoat with shellac, varnish, lacquer, or any other topcoat of choice. But be sure to sand lightly between coats with 320. I like to actually increase the grit each time I sand. So after the first coat I use 320. After the second I use 400. After the third I use 600 and stay with it from there. And in general, as far as top coats go, I find wipe on varnish to be the easiest to work with. Remember, always practice on test boards. You never know how that stain is going to look until you actually try it. Good luck!”
And here are a few good related articles from FineWoodworking.com (made free for a limited time just for Wood Whisperer readers):
Avoid Color Mistakes and Learn How to Fix a Blotchy Stain
Dyes Can Do It All: Color bare wood without blotching, tint topcoats, and touch up blemishes
Gel Stain User’s Guide: Easy to apply, these stains are forgiving, even on blotch-prone woods
Kitchen Cabinets – Viewer Project
This week’s project comes from Skip. Beautiful birch kitchen cabinets. Norm eat your heart out! Here’s Skip’s description:
“Pictures show my biggest home project. Floor is Cherry. Cabinets are Birch, finished with a 7 step process including conditioning, 3 gel stain combos-Minwax and Old Masters, then wipe-on-poly top coats. Drawers and lower china cabinet all have full extension slides. Granite was contracted. The stained glass was my first attempt, but worth the effort. Good note – when I decided to design and make the stained glass, I visited a local supplier/window maker and he said I could ask questions, watch him work and get some pointers… for a reasonable time – but asked if I decided to make a window, to please purchase supplies and material from him. A great trade off!”
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