Easiest finish for workshop cabinets?

[Ray Schafer]

Can you guys suggest an easy and quick finish to use on my birch ply workshop cabinets that I am building?

I don't want to paint, and I am not going to use melamine or MDF. I am just making simple, frameless cabinets out of birch ply and want a "wood" look.

Thanks for all help.
Ray

[Prashun Patel]

Natural danish oil or Boiled linseed. Needs periodic retouching, but easy to apply and reapply. Keeps the surface reasonably easy to clean.

[Sam Yerardi]

I like the oil approach and if you want to go another step further I continue with shellac.

[Walt Nicholson]

You should take a look at Zinsser Quick 15. It is an alklyd varnish that dries in 15 minutes and you can recoat 3 times in 1 day. I have used it on a lot of interior stuff and it looks good and really is fast. Brings out the wood color with a little amber tint. No association with the company, just like the product.

[Ken Baker]

Not to hijack the thread - but same question - except - wanting to get some practice at spraying - what would you use if you were spraying?

[Ray Schafer]

How are these applied? Do I apply multiple coats? Do I need to sand in between coats? Do I need to apply wax or something on top?

Since this is garage workshop cabs, I may try several finishes on the differenc cabinets for practice. Maybe one of the above, and maybe the Zinsser, too.

[Sam Yerardi]

One method I use is to apply warm BLO (boiled linseed oil - note that it is not really boiled - it is a name that has stuck for many years). Don't heat it on a stove unless you use a double boiler. Dispose of all rags that have linseed oil on them. They can spontaneously combust. I leave the oil on for about a 1/2 hour and then wipe it off. I let it dry for at least a day or longer, and then I apply shellac. After the shellac dries (I usually wait over night but you can actually start working with it in a few hours. I then rub it down with wax & steel wool.

[Ray Schafer]

the Zinsser approach: This sounds quick and easy! I think I will try it.

[Phil Phelps]

Not to hijack the thread - but same question - except - wanting to get some practice at spraying - what would you use if you were spraying?

...use lacquer.

[Jim Becker]

Were it me...it would be BLO and shellac in most cases. Cheap. Effective. Great looks.

[Ray Schafer]

If you are going to do BLO and Shellac, why not just do shellac?

[Jim Becker]

If you are going to do BLO and Shellac, why not just do shellac?

Either way works. Adding the oil as a first step sometimes highlights the wood nicer which the shellac then futher accentuates.

[Ray Schafer]

Thanks all for the advice. I am an intermediate woodworker but a beginner finisher. I have several pieces around my house that do not have a finish, just because I am intimidated by the finishing.

I have tried shellac on several pieces, and they don't look too bad. the problem with my last one was that I could not really get it very smooth. i wasn't sure what mix I should use and what sandpaper to use, and how often. I really need "the very beginner's guide to a couple of basic finishes for idiots."

I am sure that there are some posts that address this. If anyone can add some closing advice and point me to some posts, books or other resources, I will be deeply indebted.

Thanks.
Ray

[Curt Harms]

I'm pretty inexperienced with shellac as well. I do know that one of the handy qualities of shellac is that denatured alcohol will dissolve it. To smooth a finish, I'd try wiping with a rag wetted with denatured alcohol. If that didn't work, I'd try wax applied with steel wool. I hope someone will comment on this who actually know what they're doing:eek::).

Curt



Thanks all for the advice. I am an intermediate woodworker but a beginner finisher. I have several pieces around my house that do not have a finish, just because I am intimidated by the finishing.

I have tried shellac on several pieces, and they don't look too bad. the problem with my last one was that I could not really get it very smooth. i wasn't sure what mix I should use and what sandpaper to use, and how often. I really need "the very beginner's guide to a couple of basic finishes for idiots."

I am sure that there are some posts that address this. If anyone can add some closing advice and point me to some posts, books or other resources, I will be deeply indebted.

Thanks.
Ray

[Jim Becker]

Shellac cannot be brushed on with the same, umm...exhuberance...as you might with varnish because it dries very quickly. You need to get it on, tip off and leave it. And, you need to use a very good brush for best results. However, the end result can be wonderful. Shop cabinets are a great place to practice this, too, because once your hands "get" shellac, you'll enjoy using it very much.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

18 months ago I'd never used shellac. Then I wanted to use some different finishes on my turnings. I started using Zinsser's dewaxed shellac. Fell in love with it. Buy it by the gallon at the local Ace Hardware store. It's easily thinned.

My experience has been as follows:

1. If finishes are leaving brush marks they are often too thick.

2. I make my own wiping poly by taking regular poly and adding an equal amount of mineral spirits. Worked beautifully using cheap foam brushes. Wipe it on....don't go back over it.

3. Shellac.....thin it using DNA and as Jim stated brush it on....tip it and leave it alone.

4. Deft brushing lacquer.......thin it with lacquer thinner....put it on ....leave it alone.

The neat thing about shellac and lacquer....the next coat combines with the previous coat unlike poly where each additional coat is just that and you have to be careful about sanding through the previous coat of poly if you sand between coats.

Thinning often speeds drying time and you can put more than one coat on in a day and reduces dust nibs.

Of course, the thinner coats requires more coats.

Analyze, decided and go for it!

JMHO based on my limited experience.

Good luck with your project!

[Sam Yerardi]

I agree with Jim. I love shellac, and I love the smell of it. A couple of things you can do to help smooth it out - you can add a bit more alcohol to the shellac to help improve its leveling & flow. Granted, you increase the cut bu doing this but it may help. I haven't had to do that, and when I use it from the can (Zinsser, typically around a 3-4lb cut), I'll apply a couple coats and then when it has dried overnight, I'll rub it out with wax & 0000 steel wool. You get a super smooth finish and a nice (not too glossy) sheen that is really beautiful. Then I buff it with a clean cotton rag.

[Jim Becker]

Sam, the SealCoat (dewaxed) from Zinsser is more like a 2-lb cut unlike the other two they sell which are quite "thick" as you describe. In fact, I don't cut it further for spraying...from the container through the filter and right into the gun and go!

[JayStPeter]

When finishing "shop furniture" I do one of two things:

1. Use up old finishes that I'd be afraid to use on a real project since they are old.

2. Practice a new finish before taking it to a real project. Sometimes practicing on scrap pieces doesn't give you a large enough area to appreciate what you actually need to know.

On my recent outfeed table, I used up a bunch of 3yr old + Watco, SealCoat, and Arm-r-seal. MDF is great for using up lots of finish :rolleyes:. I finished it because I expect to use it for assembly sometimes and don't want the glue to stick.

On my router table, I used it with the cabinet unfinished for around 4 years. Last year I needed to practice shooting some water based finish with my new gun before going to a real project, so the router table got some Target finish shot on. Best finish in the entire shop :cool:.

I still have some raw cabinets that may someday get practiced on.

[Ray Schafer]

When I say that I can't get it smooth, I mean that the wood seems to raise and I am having to sand between all coats of shellac. another thing is that I think that I am using to dilute of a cut -- 1 lb. I mix it myself, and have had trouble getting it to dissolve. I think that I will switch to the Zinsser premixed so that I can use a more concentrated solution.

I still don't know the right sequence of raise the grain, sand, coat, sand, coat. and what grit to use each sanding cycle. ... or can I get away with only one sanding with shellac?

[Sam Yerardi]

When you say that the wood raises I assume you are talking about the grain. The grades of sandpaper you use will depend on how much you work the surface (whether by machine or hand) before you start using sandpaper. I tend to work the wood until I can start with 80-100 grit. If raised grain is an issue, I wet the wood and wait until it is thoroughly dried before sanding it out. I'll sand it down with 100 and then work it with maybe 180 or 220. How much I sand and to what grit is determined by what I intend to do with finihs layers, and on the final coats. Where you sand, then apply finish, sand, etc., is very subjective. There are different ways to approach it. You may sand to 100,, then sand to 220, apply finish, let it dry thoroughly, sand it out again with 220, apply another layer of finish, let it dry, etc., but it's not something that says you HAVE to do things a certain way. For example, for a shellac finish on cherry, I may do the following:
Sand to 100
Sand to 180
Sand to 220
Apply 1st coat of shellac; let dry overnight
Lightly sand with 220 again, apply second coat of shellac; let dry overnight
Rub out with wax & 0000 SW

But that's one method out of hundreds of approaches. Try developing your own finishing schedule and see what results you get. Find a schedule from one of the guys like Flexner, etc., and play with it. What works for YOU might not work for the next guy.

[Ray Schafer]

I have to say that since I found Sawmill, I have felt like I have a team behind me to figure out all the unknowns. It is making me a more confident woodworker. Thanks everyone.

[glenn bradley]

I do pretty much what Sam does but the dewaxed Zinsser's is ready to sand in under an hour (if you're in a hurry). I generally wait longer "just because". The 1 pound cut I use as a sealer dries almost before I can toss the rag away. ;-)

On the sanding between; a method I picked up from an article has pretty much solved that. . . I thought I posted about it here but cannot find it. Essentially you dispense the shellac from a squirt bottle and keep a constant flow feeding onto your pad. Here's an example of the consistency of the finish on MDF.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=72305&d=1190341148

I use the same technique on hardwoods. A little touch up with some 400 or 0000 and you're set to wax or topcoat as desired.

UPDATE - If it helps, I found it: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=65591

[Sam Yerardi]

glenn

Do you thin the shellac to use it in the spray bottle? If so, how much?

[glenn bradley]

glenn

Do you thin the shellac to use it in the spray bottle? If so, how much?

Sorry Sam. Big delay in this response . . . It is a squirt bottle, like a mustard bottle. I hit Zinsser's Seal Coat 1:1 with DNA.

[Steven Wilson]

Ray, use Shellac. The Borg Zinsers will work just fine and look pretty good on birch cabinets (that's what I have in my shop). I would thin the shellac 1:1 with alcohol which will get you in the 1.5lb to 2lb cut range. Use a good brush (Omega Lily Oval varnish brush from Jeff Jewitt) and flow it on. Since shellac dries very quickly you can generally apply a couple of coats in one sitting. Do a search here on how to apply shellac. I can usually apply enough shellac on shop cabinets in one sitting so I can let it dry for an hour and then hang the cabinets. Another 4 hours and you can put stuff in them.

[Joe Chritz]

I'm with Jay. Use up old stuff or practice new techniques. Almost all my stuff is finished differently from each other.

Shellac sprays great and is good practice. Minwax polycrylic sprays decent and works well but is close to the same price as Target USL which is much better.

If I had to buy finish just for shop cabs I would think Bullseye shellac to 2# and spray that, with or without BLO first. Cheap, easy and looks nice.

Cabs generally get finished with something. Hardwood edging, like on my torsion box assembly table and outfeed table get BLO and wax for easier touch up.

Joe

[Peter Quadarella]

First off, this thread is great, as is typical of SMC :).

I have a couple of questions:

If you're doing BLO or Danish oil before shellac, do you have to wait a really long time for it to fully cure before shellacing?

I hate brushes - they remind me of painting which I hate even more than brushes. If it turns out I have to use brushes, so be it, maybe I will grow to like them again. But, I heard some mention of a pad - what's a good pad to use for shellac? Glenn's method is intriguing.

[Chris Padilla]

For shop cabinets, BLO 'em and forget about them but they can be great places to expeiment with stuff.

For finishing real stuff, I like Velvit Oil: a wiping varnish. Easy on, easy to fix, quite durable and even works fine for floors.

Pick up two of the bibles on finishing by Flexner and Jewitt and you'll be in good shape to learn all about the various finishes out there.

[Peter Quadarella]

Chris, is there much difference between Velvit Oil and Waterlox?

Edit: BTW, I do have Jeff Jewitt's book - it's great but I'm sometimes afraid he makes some if it look easier than it is.

[Steven Wilson]

Peter, when you apply BLO before shellac you don't want to flood the surface. Just apply a very thin coat of oil, let it sit for a little bit, and then wipe off completely. Let it dry overnight and then apply the shellac. Sometimes you can get away with applying the shellac after a couple of hours (very thin coat and a warm day). A brush is a great way of applying the initial coats of shellac to get a build. The trick is using the appropriate brush and then flow the shellac on and leave it alone - don't brush it like paint. After I get a good build I then switch to using a pad for the final couple of coats. I don't go this far for shop/utility cabinets though. Just brush on a few coats getting rid of runs/nibs in between coats. After the final coat, I let dry for a day and then lightly sand to 600 grit and apply a coat of wax.

[Steven Hardy]

Can you guys suggest an easy and quick finish to use on my birch ply workshop cabinets that I am building?

I don't want to paint, and I am not going to use melamine or MDF. I am just making simple, frameless cabinets out of birch ply and want a "wood" look.

Thanks for all help.
Ray

MINWAX fast drying Polyurethane !
stop killing linseed trees!!!! (just kidding)
Its fast and easy and resists wear and water damage.:)