knottyBuoyz III The TW28 Project

[Knottybuoyz]

[glossieblack]

Getting there.

[TomW1]

I love the look of the veneer. Will youu be staining it or just putting a good clear coat on it. Tom

[Knottybuoyz]

I love the look of the veneer. Will youu be staining it or just putting a good clear coat on it. Tom

Hi Tom

Testing stains and clear coatings this morning.



Also the length of time to leave the stain on the piece before wiping it off.



The clear winner, because we're trying to replicate the finish we have on our kitchen cupboards is MinWax Cherry stain, left on for 5 mins and wiped off followed up by Varathane Ultimate Spar Urethane Satin polyurethane finish. It's gonna be fun!

Cheers!

[TomW1]

Cool I don't think there is any better cherry stain than the MinWax have used it several times. Tom

[pee wee]

That looks really good! I will say that having worked with hardwood a good bit, I see a familiar sight- an uneven stain.

Cherry is one of those woods (maple is another) that is challenging to stain, as it tends to show blotchy. The same grain that makes the wood look pretty also absorbs stains unevenly. There are a number of tricks people use to get it to come out more evenly, pretty much all of them involve applying some clear stuff that soaks in and prevents the following stain from being too aggressive when it goes on. Minwax makes a product, I think it's called wood conditioner, that helps. Some people swear by boiled linseed oil, thinned first. Sanding to a finer grit than normal helps a little. Whatever you apply first will keep the stain from soaking in so fast, so you'd have to leave the stain on longer to get the color you want, maybe two applications.

You would be justified in saying that it looks fine the way it is, it does look good already.

[Knottybuoyz]

That looks really good! I will say that having worked with hardwood a good bit, I see a familiar sight- an uneven stain.

Cherry is one of those woods (maple is another) that is challenging to stain, as it tends to show blotchy. The same grain that makes the wood look pretty also absorbs stains unevenly. There are a number of tricks people use to get it to come out more evenly, pretty much all of them involve applying some clear stuff that soaks in and prevents the following stain from being too aggressive when it goes on. Minwax makes a product, I think it's called wood conditioner, that helps. Some people swear by boiled linseed oil, thinned first. Sanding to a finer grit than normal helps a little. Whatever you apply first will keep the stain from soaking in so fast, so you'd have to leave the stain on longer to get the color you want, maybe two applications.

You would be justified in saying that it looks fine the way it is, it does look good already.

Thanks for the tips pee wee. Will look into that. It appears the veneer is more prone to blotching than actual plank or milled lumber. We're leaning towards early wiping off (5 mins max). Cherry will naturally darken over time with exposure to UV and oxygen, the surface will oxidize. It can take years though and that's Ok. Our kitchen cupboards have a beautiful deep patina after 7 yrs now. I will look into that wood conditioner and do a few tests, we have time before we have to finish the panels. Can't leave them bare in the boat over the winter.

Cheers

[pee wee]

Years ago I heard a story about a furniture maker who had was building a cherry table. He put it outside on a sunny day so the wood would darken naturally, before he put a finish on it. The mailman happened by right after he put it out, and placed his mail on the table. When he went to check on the table hours later, there was his mail, and a nicely darkened table with a mail shaped light spot underneath.

I guess the lesson for us is that with sun exposure the color shifts pretty quickly. You have to be done sanding on it before you age the surface.

[Knottybuoyz]

Years ago I heard a story about a furniture maker who had was building a cherry table. He put it outside on a sunny day so the wood would darken naturally, before he put a finish on it. The mailman happened by right after he put it out, and placed his mail on the table. When he went to check on the table hours later, there was his mail, and a nicely darkened table with a mail shaped light spot underneath.

I guess the lesson for us is that with sun exposure the color shifts pretty quickly. You have to be done sanding on it before you age the surface.

That's true. I had the sheets strapped on my utility trailer for the 1 hr ride home. When I got home and took the straps off the top sheet had "Tan Lines". Luckily, or smarly, I put the sheets good side down.

[Knottybuoyz]

Last panel, for now, laminated this morning.