Fast finishes?

[Phil Thien]

Anyone have any suggestions for a fast stain/top coat for oak plywood?

The fewer steps/coats, the better.

Not looking for museum quality finish here. Pottery Barn look is okay.

Specific suggestions of products (brands/types) of strains/top-coats that you've found to go on easy and fast would be great.

[Bill Huber]

I don't do a lot of staining but when I do I just us Minwax, it works ok and its easy.
The easiest finish with the best results that I have had is with the General Finishes, Arm-R-Seal. It wipes on and doesn't run, it is some what fast drying, but it does take 3 or 4 coats to really make it good.

[Clint Olver]

Circa 1850 has some nice, easy-to-use wipe-on oil/varnish and oil/varnish/stain mixtures. 2-3 applications sanding with 0000 steel wool in between coats. One day and you're done.

If you are set-up to spray, Magna max lacquer by ML Campbell is a great easy-to-use product that is quite popular around here. Great finish, and dries fast.

C

[Tom Ewell]

Aniline dye (water or alcohol) and water based lacquers (target and the like) all sprayed on.

Recoat every 45 minutes or so, assuming reasonable temps and humidity.

If not too particular, sand down raw to 400 grit, dye, apply 5 coats of lacquer without sanding or "wooling" between coats. Done in 6 hrs or so with almost cabinet grade finish (assuming that not a lot of airborne stuff lands between coats).

If you decide to seal over the dye (helps with bleed through), no wax shellac will add another hour to the process. Sand (400) 'tween coats if the dreaded "nits" find their way into the finish process.

[Scott Holmes]

Phil,

I have many possible suggestions... "Oak ply" doesn't give me enough info to give you a good answer.
What are you finishing? What look and feel do you want? The project needs will determine the best finish, not the ease of application.

[Tom Giacomo]

Scott would know better than me but a coat of amber shellac maybe, can't get any faster than that.

[Prashun Patel]

Oak and oak ply take stain very well, so I wouldn't mess with a dye. Minwax stains are fine on oak.
Let it dry.

If you want durability, wipe on several coats of wiping varnish. My favorite is Waterlox original Sealer.

If this isn't going to take abuse, then shellac is quicker.

[Howard Acheson]

Use the Pottery Barn method. Spray a tinted lacquer. You will be done in an hour and the item can be installed within 48 hours.