Staining and finishing beech plywood

[Will1987]

Hi
I'm wondering what the best way to finish a fairly small desktop type item I made out of thin beech plywood would be. i've been reading a book on finishing but there's some confusions I have about certain things.

first of all, I was recommended to use the sanding sealer by zinsser called Sealcoat before painting it because I was originally going to paint it. I read in the book that what this actually is is dewaxed shellac with an extended shelf life. I've decided I'd like to stain the piece instead of painting it. Do you think I should still use the sealcoat? Or should I use "pre-stain wood conditioner" which I understand is actually a varnish or water based finish thinned with mineral spirits or water.

I'm pretty new to wood finishing. I guess the basic steps in finishing something you're going to also stain are: washcoat (or sanding sealer?), stain, lightly sand between coats, and finally some finish on top like a varnish, laquer, or shellac.

is polyurethane classified as a type of varnish with synthetic resin?

is polyacrylic classifed as a type of varnish with a synthetic resin?

would I need to put any kind of clear finish over latex or oil paint or is just a primer or sealer plus the paint enough?

does that zinsser sanding sealer work well under oil paint or just latex?

Finally, does anyone have any hints about whats the best way to stain and finish beech plywood (with a lot of angles and connected perpendicular surfaces)?


thanks a lot,
Will

[Don]

Hey, Will. If you have a small desktop item that you want to finish you need first to ask yourself just what type of finish you are after, how much work you are willing to put into the piece, cost of materials, will this be an heirloom or just a simple desk organizer.

Beechwood is a hardwood and can have some real interesting grain. On small items like this that can be complicated, I usually go for simple, reliable, easy maintenance, and a good feel. To me this means something like a wax or oil finish. Something like this, http://www.briwaxwoodcare.com/ comes in many colors and really adds depth and character. It's easy to use and a single product process. The amount of coats and rubbing you put into it develops the finish.

On beechwood, sanding, staining, sanding sealer, then topcoat - would be a one typical way to do it. Sealing first may inhibit getting the stain the way you would like. On softwoods some may use a washcoat of sealer to help with the blotchiness that can happen on some softwoods.

You will find that there are hundreds of recipes out their for finishing. Some good, some great, some not worth the effort or cost, some on the lunatic fringe, some as simple as opening a can of Minwax stain/finish and having at it.

All of your questions are good, but you will really be more comfortable experimenting yourself and determining what you and your's like. Cut some samples of the same material and start experimenting with the steps that you outlined above. What something is called is not as important as what it gives you and how it will hold up.

When I think of a "varnish" material I think boats, outside wood, brushed on, thick, not sanding friendly but holds up well to the elements.

When I think of a "shellac" material, I think again. This stuff is a throwback to ancient times in woodworking. I know that many people use it and it has it's own benefits, but there are simply too many good products out there now to consider this an finish option that you should learn and stick with for life. I only use shellac product for extreme sealing needs, i.e. knots and materials that might "bleed."

Urethanes and Acrylics are wonderful products, each manufacturer has it's own line of product with their own special characteristics. It's going to be experiment time here. Read the labels.

There really is no need for the amateur hobbyist to mess with lacquers. Once you get time under your belt, your work and confidence grows, then yes. Lacquers sprayed can be dangerously flammable in a home shop/garage. Lacquer brushed, well brushed is a problem because it dries so quickly. Lacquer is mostly used in commercial situation where the speed of drying time and film build are the most important considerations.

Catalyzed finishes are great, but again not for civilians. These are extremely dangerous.

I would consider visiting a site like http://www.woodcraft.com/ and look through their line of finishing supplies. You will find that the people that specialize in wood finishes often have products that dovetail into one another and are engineered to do so. Shopping at a box store for finishes is fine, but you are simply going to find that you will need to experiment.

When it comes to staining, to me there is nothing like the richness and character of an oil wiping stain.

Several here have listed there preferences and recipes for finishing. Use the search function to find their posts, many of them are great.

All the best, Don

[Will1987]

Thanks a lot for the response! Got a little affiliate program going do we? There was some good tips in that response - you're right I should just experiment. I was actually just gonna do like a "pre -stain wood conditioner" (the Cabot one) and then minwax stain. is that generally a good way to go in your opinion? but yeah, why not just use some scraps of the same wood and make like 5 different experiments. I can't beleive that didn't occur to me. hhaha

Thanks again,
Will

[Don]

No, no affiliates yet - just good stuff and where to get it. Maybe one day.

dawjr

[dpmcreations]

I know this is completely off topic.. But I am having a tough time finding Good Beech plywood.. Let us know would you.. And if anybody else knows where I can find some let me know...

Thanks alot..

Duane

[Will1987]

Actually I was wrong, it was russian birch plywood. Somehow I got mixed up. Sorry bout that

[jerrymayfield]

If shellac came on the market today it would be hailed as a super finish. It is more resistant to water vapor than any other common finish,and I think it would stick to peanut butter.

Regards

Jerry

[aschueler]

Looks like we resurrected an old thread.

I am most likely going to use shellac on my next project. It's a changing table, and I found this is the most nontoxic finish. Except for mineral oil, of course.

[jerrymayfield]

They both can be ingested. Shellac is used on time release medicines and is or was used on M&M candies.

Regards

Jerry

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