Stain/Finishing Stand and Canopy

[Harif87]

Im looking to refinish a stand and canopy set i just got. Im kinda noob-ish when it comes to refinishing stuff. I was just wondering what exactly is the difference between those $50 stains and the $10 stains? Should I not be cheaping out here on the stain/finishing gloss?

Any info is appreciated

 

[artie1209]

I use Minwax products with great results. Then I use a oil based polyurethane to finish and protect it.

 

[onegreenray]

i agree with minwax for the stain. just make sure to put two coats of poly on after the stain drys. also for the inside of the hood i had used an exterior paint and put about 7 coats on it to seal the wood real good. water always finds a way in.

 

[Harif87]

I was thinking of just paining black and then finishing with polyurethane. Would it work if I applied polyurethane over paint?

Would that even look nice?

 

[pmui]

???
why would you do that? is the wood in bad shape? I've done that, to a computer i built out of scrap plywood. I filled the holes, then painted it black. I then sealed it with polyuthane.

you'll only see a difference in the product, if you are finishing nice natural wood pieces. You will not notice any difference if the pieces is already been finished once before.

 

[Harif87]

The truth is its the finish thats really bad, the stand/canopy was in a garage for about a year, the finish is worn off. Im not sure if that affects the integrity of the wood as far as bringing out its natural beauty.

Here is a pic of the stand. Notice the dirt stains on the bottom.

 

[pmui]

if it's dirty use fine sandpaper to clean it. If it's been water damages, and the wood has swelled, then the integrity may be compromised. Can you get a better picture of the base?

You can paint it black, if your going for the black lacquer look.

 

[Imbarrie]

I agree, sand lightly then really a clear finish.
If that doesnt work, then use blank paint. But use an exterior Black.

Has anyone tried polyacrylic? I heard it can be cleaned with water and less smell than polyurathane. Also can be reapplied after 2 hours and still waterproof after it dries.

Im building a stand soon. And dont want to paint black.

 

[pmui]

i've tried the water base polyacrylic. Clean up is pretty easy with warm water. It's not 100% water proof, it will turn white if water stand on it, but it is water resistance as water will roll off of it in a vertical surface application, Less smell also.

 

[pmui]

Im building a stand soon. And dont want to paint black.

I also depends on what type of wood you plan to use on the exterior of te stand. THe structural part can be made from 2x4 studs and ply wood. The finish side is what you want to think about; if you are painting it, use luan or pine. If you plan to stain you need a think of birch, oak, cherry, walnut, maybe pine (you need to prep pinr in orderfor the stain to take evenly) or any stain grade type wood that can take stain well.

 

[Harif87]

Im going to give it a good sanding tonight, hopefully everything will come out.. if so ill forget about the black

 

[TimberTDI]

Im going to give it a good sanding tonight, hopefully everything will come out.. if so ill forget about the black

Everything should come out with sanding. I normally run 60,100 or 150,220 grit sandpaper. If you feel uncomfortable about sanding skip the 60 and start at the 100. Remember you can always use a darker stain like jacobean

 

[artie1209]

I have used polyacrylic in the past and it is a good product, but you need many coats 5 or 6 and it is still not as durable as oil base only need 2 coats.

 

[Harif87]

another newb question.. what exactly is the difference between wood sealer and lacquer?

 

[TimberTDI]

Do you mean like a sanding sealer?

sealers like the one above are used to give a nice smooth sanding and even tone when staining. This is especially needed in softer woods like pine. You may have noticed on some people's project that the stain doesn't look even; it maybe blotchy in certain spots. That's because soft woods vary in density throughout the board, so the stain is absorbed differently.

HTH,

Steven

 

[TimberTDI]

In case you were wondering about the polyacrylic...

I've used it on the desk that I built downstairs. I wanted something that wasn't going to yellow the wood. I must say that it is very effective at that. The problems is that with only two coats it doesn't offer much protection. It has let through water rings, marker stains and other various types of stains. I won't use it again on something that is going to get heavy use and abuse.

 

[TimberTDI]

Oh and to give you some inspiration;


Here's a shot of when I refinished my 150 back in 2001. It was pretty much in the same condition as yours. Gee, I can still remember wifey yelling at me about the smell like it was yesterday. I wondering if anyone at Ocean Gallery remembers this tank?

you can see the minwax in the corner :splitspin

 

[Harif87]

Thanks for the explanation and the pics, they always help.

I almost finished sanding today, still have some of what seems to be water damage on the back of one of the doors that wont come out. Any suggestions?

Im going to start with the filler hopefully sometime this week, just got to find some time after work.

 

[pmui]

if it the back of the door, don't worry too much about it. You won't see it.