Staining question for Todd Burch

[Greg Daves]

Todd,

Just spent an hour looking over your site...incredible work! Almost makes me want to sell all my tools and take up ditch digging.

My question for you is this. How are you finishing the most recent cherry project on your site, the "Cherry study build out". I am completing my first major project of any size, a corner computer armoire, and it is done in cherry. I really like the look of the pieces that you have pre-finished. Would you mind telling me what you are using to finish these/how you are finishing them.

Admirer, (in a very non-threatening, non-stalking, non-sexual well intentioned manner)

Greg

[Todd Burch]

Wow Greg - you spent an HOUR on my site? Must be a REAL slow day at work today!! Thank you for your kind words.

OK, here's the scoop on the study (which, by the way, the work is picking back up on it).

The products that I am using are ML Campbell products, available at your professional finisher's supply store. Check the www.mlcampbell.com web site for a distributor near you. They'll sell to any 'ol bozo - case in point here.

For everything that you see on the web page as of today, you see a cherry toner, followed by a cinnamon stain, followed by 3 coats of satin precatalyzed lacquer.

The toner is a spray finish only. It is acetone based and evaporates too fast to apply by a brush or rag. Formal product name is Microton Toner - Cherry. I reduce it 50% with lacquer thinner.

The stain is Woodsong II Microton Spray Wood Stain. I applied it with a brush. After 30 to 60 minutes, it's ready to be topcoated, not like the Minwax stuff that takes 24 hours. I only leave it on about 10 minutes. One coat and you get all the color you need, again, unlike Minwax. (It's more acryilic based as opposed to being so oil based like the minwax.)

The lacquer is Magnalac Satin. No reduction needed. I add a splash of retarder.

What yo see on the web site all all interior cabinet parts. The finishing schedule for everythin you see will be:

Cherry Toner
Cinnamon Stain
1 coat Water White Vinyl Sealer
Van Dyke Brown Hand Glaze - for that aged look
1 coat Water White Vinyl Sealer
3 coats Magnalac Satin
And a partidge in a pear tree - all done onsite. (Yuk).

Anyway, again, thanks for the comments. Send business. Kid needs shoes!

Todd.

[Greg Daves]

Todd,

Thanks for the lengthy, detailed response. I really appreciate the time you took to give me all the details.

Work was slow, but if my boss asks, I was looking over my lunch break!

I will be trying a sample soon, and let you know how it turns out. I actually had just researched ML Campbell in my area from an earlier post you gave concerning priming MDF and the clawlock you used. So, some of my work is already done.

Again, I appreciate your time and detail in the response.

Greg