I've made some cabinets out of Arauco Ply, and they're all made but I have to finish them. Have any of yall found a sorta nice thing to do with pine ply?
I've got some roundovers on it in multiple dimensions, so no veneer. I kind of like the look of the plys around the edges, so I don't want to go opaque paint / bedliner. I've tried a few water based stains, and looked at people's videos on youtube, and stain over pine always seems to look like someone just drew on it with brown marker, blotchy with no depth. =P Oh well, pine is cheap! I'm considering a paint wash, but haven't found an idea to get excited about yet.
I'm about to just poly it and move on, but I thought I'd check in with yall first...
Link to my specific project below, but some reasonable finish for ply seems like a fairly universal type of question.
I've got some roundovers on it in multiple dimensions, so no veneer. I kind of like the look of the plys around the edges, so I don't want to go opaque paint / bedliner. I've tried a few water based stains, and looked at people's videos on youtube, and stain over pine always seems to look like someone just drew on it with brown marker, blotchy with no depth. =P Oh well, pine is cheap! I'm considering a paint wash, but haven't found an idea to get excited about yet.
I'm about to just poly it and move on, but I thought I'd check in with yall first...
Link to my specific project below, but some reasonable finish for ply seems like a fairly universal type of question.
I've used tinted hard wax oil (on bathroom cupboard doors).
Immune to steam & damp.
I've also used tinted water based varnish on lounge skirtings.
This required brushing out as thin a coat as possible, 3 coats created the depth of colour I was looking for.
Normal brushing on looks like you've used poster paints!
I only used this as I was matching a new piece to what I'd done years ago.
The tints to give a warmer look.
Antique Pine the colour.
I guess tinted oil/varnish doesn't soak in and blotch.
Immune to steam & damp.
I've also used tinted water based varnish on lounge skirtings.
This required brushing out as thin a coat as possible, 3 coats created the depth of colour I was looking for.
Normal brushing on looks like you've used poster paints!
I only used this as I was matching a new piece to what I'd done years ago.
The tints to give a warmer look.
Antique Pine the colour.
I guess tinted oil/varnish doesn't soak in and blotch.
Hmm. It's going to want to absorb and blotch with most finishes. On a sample piece I'd try a couple coats of shellac, followed by a wiping polyurethane. Shellac seals extremely well, and lets you use other finishes on top. That said, shellac is variable so ... look at the colour range, from clear to dark orange (you can do a light tint with alcohol compatible aniline dyes, too), and buy de-waxed only, in dry form and mix a 1 pound cut using alcohol. Use a couple coats (it dries fast) followed by a light (200 grit) sand. Then, for durability use a good quality wipe on polyurethane.
Perhaps too much work and effort but it would give you the potential for a nice look.
Perhaps too much work and effort but it would give you the potential for a nice look.
I have used a satin floor finish that is extremely hard wearing and has worked well for me. I can't remember the name right now but can find it out for you on monday if you like? I like it because it doesn't colour the wood at all, unlike some laquers.
Edit: I remembered - Bona Traffic HD. Made for walking on, looks nice (to me)
Edit: I remembered - Bona Traffic HD. Made for walking on, looks nice (to me)
Bona Traffic is good stuff but a gallon is $160 and it is a two part (like epoxy) finish(I did my floors with Bona HD). Bona Mega would probably work fine and is cheaper (@$100 a gallon). I had good success mixing water based color pigment I got from Woodcraft with water based finish and it turned out well, with the pigment in the finish you don't get the blotching as much.
Did you find the Arauco ply had a very thin veneer on top that was a challenge?
Good luck with your project.
Did you find the Arauco ply had a very thin veneer on top that was a challenge?
Good luck with your project.