Question for the woodworkers | FerrariChat

Question for the woodworkers

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by SRT Mike, Jul 14, 2008.

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  1. SRT Mike

    SRT Mike Two Time F1 World Champ

    Oct 31, 2003
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    I just ordered a couple of pieces of furniture. The manufacturer does not offer the finish I like, so they are going to send them "bare" (i.e. no finish applied at all). The wood is pine. I like light colors and their normal finish is stained or something (it's a dark color) so I want to just put a clear glossy finish on and let the natural wood show through for a sort of clean, modern look.

    I want that finish that is shiny and rock-solid... like how burled wood is finished in a car. In other words, it's wood under there, but it's almost like it's covered in a layer of glass. There is no texture you feel by running your fingers over the wood, it's smooth as glass on the surface.

    Is that laquer? Polyurethane? Varnish? Shellac? Something else? I don't even know the difference in all of those finishes. Also, can anyone give any tips on doing the job? I was thinking to sand it smooth, use something (maybe like mineral oil?) and a tack cloth to get the sanding residue and dust off, let it dry, then apply the finish. I assume I will need to apply multiple coats of finish to get it that smooth way, and IIRC from New Yankee Workshop, you should rub it down with steel wool between coats to get the next coat to stick. How many coats? Apply with a foam brush?

    Thanks!
     
  2. DrStranglove

    DrStranglove FChat Assassin
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    No offense but furniture in pine???

    yuck
     
  3. SRT Mike

    SRT Mike Two Time F1 World Champ

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  4. UroTrash

    UroTrash Four Time F1 World Champ
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    #4 UroTrash, Jul 14, 2008
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2008
    First the stain.

    Pine tends to take stain very unevenly so it is best to treat the piece, after sanding with Minwax Sanding Sealer:

    http://www.minwax.com/products/wood_preparation/sanding_sealer.cfm

    This stuff is a must.

    Sand the piece, then brush this stuff on, then sand it off, repeat once.

    Then sand very smooth. apply your stain. +/- on whether you need to sand, depends on the previous Sanding Sealer.

    to get a hard glassy typs finish you will need to use several caots of polyurethane or similar. It will not raise the grain if you prepped well with the Sanding Sealer.

    I'll tell you, getting a perfect glassy finish is hard, I've never mastered it.

    BTW, there are plenty of types of furniture that lend themselves to pine, alder or other relatively soft wooks.
     
  5. SRT Mike

    SRT Mike Two Time F1 World Champ

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    Great - thanks Uro!

    I don't want to use stain (to keep it as light as possible), so I will use that sanding sealer and then just several coats of Polyurethane. Hopefully it will come out OK. We shall see! If nothing else, I'll get a nice high of the poly ;)
     
  6. GregD

    GregD Formula Junior

    Nov 3, 2003
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    It's been a long time for me working with finishes, but i think laquer is no longer available for consumers, at least in california. The paint shops are all pushing water based polyurethane.

    Do not use steel wool. The fibers will catch on the grain and you will see them in the finish. especially on light colored pine. use sandpaper only.

    I would wait for the pieces to arrive, take a look at how the grain looks and go from there.
    pine is pretty soft & bland in color. The wood is generally stained to create a hardwood look.
    Lighter stains will be yellow in hue, thats why pine is either painted and sealed or stained dark with stain or oil. You can sand it smooth and use an air hose. The final look will really depend on how much time you spend on the final finish coats and final sand.

    If you want to try Mineral oil, do it on the underside of the furniture as may it change the raw wood shade, which may be a good thing. If you decide to stain, use a primer so the stain will apply evenly.

    If you want that ultra smooth and waterproof finish, A spray gun would be the easiest and ultimately best applicator. Brushing will leave air bubbles, brush marks, ripples etc.

    The polyurethanes dry quickly so you can apply several coats per week. Varathane will take up to 24 hours to dry between coats.
     
  7. 2NA

    2NA F1 World Champ
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    You can indeed get a good finish with polyurethane (oil-based will yellow over time, water-based stays pretty clear) several coats, sand in between.

    For that super deep, hard glossy surface there is a 2-part epoxy product called "bar top finish" that is commonly used for.............................wait for it..................................bar tops.

    I've never used it but it can be purchased from various sources on the internet.
     

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