Steve Saltzman
08-20-2012, 9:02 PM
I'm in the process of building a rocking horse (technically a rocking cow) out of western red cedar, and am trying come up with a plan for finishing.
I want the final finish to be red/brown (something that's natural color for a cow)... my thought is to do a coat of "natural" stain (minwax is the most available) then top coat.
I have seen some information that referenced cedar oils potentially causing problems for some finishes... is that a concern with western red cedar, or just aromatic red cedar? Do I need to use sanding sealer or shellac coat between the stain and top coat? If it matters, this wood has most likely never seen a kiln--it was cut from decommissioned transmission line power poles and has been sitting in a barn since (~10 years).
For the top coat I would like something durable, which I fear might be tricky using a soft wood like cedar. Would Behlen's Rockhard tabletop varnish be appropriate? Or are there other options that would be relatively durable but easier to touch up? I used rockhard on an oak table I refinished a couple years ago and was happy with the results, but not sure how well it would work in this application. Darkening would not be a problem, but I fear it might be hard to keep from running with this being a 3-dimensional piece with sizable vertical surfaces.
I want the final finish to be red/brown (something that's natural color for a cow)... my thought is to do a coat of "natural" stain (minwax is the most available) then top coat.
I have seen some information that referenced cedar oils potentially causing problems for some finishes... is that a concern with western red cedar, or just aromatic red cedar? Do I need to use sanding sealer or shellac coat between the stain and top coat? If it matters, this wood has most likely never seen a kiln--it was cut from decommissioned transmission line power poles and has been sitting in a barn since (~10 years).
For the top coat I would like something durable, which I fear might be tricky using a soft wood like cedar. Would Behlen's Rockhard tabletop varnish be appropriate? Or are there other options that would be relatively durable but easier to touch up? I used rockhard on an oak table I refinished a couple years ago and was happy with the results, but not sure how well it would work in this application. Darkening would not be a problem, but I fear it might be hard to keep from running with this being a 3-dimensional piece with sizable vertical surfaces.