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View Full Version : stain-->BLO(?)-->poly



Bob Nieman
05-27-2005, 10:44 PM
I have been commissioned to make some shelves for the local public library. I have to try and match existing shelves. The original shelves are solid wood, probably birch. I need to keep to a budget (and am not prepared for gluing up wide panels). So far I have some really nice birch plywood (not baltic, but not home depot either) that I am edging with maple (tongue and groove, 3/4" wide). So far so good, but I will soon need to start finishing them.

I pretty much need to keep to what is readily available in my little corner of the world. Min-Wax "driftwood" is the closest stain I could find. I intend to use the pre-conditioner (although the existing shelving is pretty blotchy), then the stain (testing on scraps first, of course). I was thinking about some boiled linseed oil after the stain, because the maple has some nice figure to it. I haven't seen anything that mentions using BLO after stain--is that OK?
(that's the question I have for y'all)

I'll be putting poly over it (I need something that will hold up to abuse). I am just doing this for the cost of materials.

Thanks,

Tim Sproul
05-28-2005, 1:11 AM
I've heard of some putting BLO on BEFORE stain to help with more uniform staining...also a wipe on application of thin shellac will help acheive the same. Given that the existing shelving is blotchy, I'd skip any conditioners and just stain and then poly. You've said you were commissioned to "match existing shelves" so I'd match them.

Regarding poly and bookshelves - be sure to let the poly cure for a good week in a warm and dry environment before filling the shelves with books. Otherwise, you're liable to have the books stick a bit to the poly since it won't have cured to a hard enough state prior to a week.

Joseph O'Leary
05-28-2005, 11:00 PM
Bob, I did just that on a craft table that I built last year for my sons. The table is maple, stained with minwax oil stain ( don't remember the color right off hand). I then applied 3 coats of BLO letting each dry a day. I let the final coat dry 2 days. I then sprayed 3 coats of minwax poly, sanding lightly with 320 between coats. I left the final coat as sprayed. The table gets a lot of abuse, from a 4 and 2 year old, but still looks good. I do think the BLO brought out the grain after staining.

Bob Nieman
05-28-2005, 11:57 PM
It sounds like I would be OK with the stain and some BLO. The kicker is that I could not find the stain I wanted (driftwood) anywhere, either at borglings or paint stores. I found something else, Minwax® Woodsheen®, in a similar color (Windsor Oak). It is a different kind of product, "A wipe-on gel which combines oil stain with a soft lustre top-coat." I didn't want a one coat wonder, but it looks like this is the closest I will get colorwise. Now, with this as a top coat of unknown variety, I am stuck with the same dilemma. I guess I will try it on some scrap and see what happens. It may seem like a boring project, but so far it has been pretty interesting. Can't believe how much maple I have gone through just for edging! The maple doesn't take the stain quite the same as the birch, but I think it will be OK. I will use the conditioner, even though the existing shelves are blotchy. it has been my experience it will blotch somewhat anyway.

One thing I learned today is that newly cut maple can be really sharp. Slices up a thumb, no trouble at all.