Hi – Some years ago I did a kitchen build using Birch ply for the cabinet and drawer faces. When I finished them with oil based poly, there were considerable light colored specks or ‘blotches’ in some of the grain, which I could only imagine was fine sawdust that had gotten lodged or trapped in the grain. It was bit perplexing, as I had sanded with an orbital with very good dust collection, followed by vacuuming the faces well, and then used a tack cloth as a final pass. The effect was not consistent across the entire face, and am wondering if it might be a result of the grade of birch ply. The ply, while from a professional lumber dealer, not a box store, is still of a cheaper grade. Or perhaps a result of a poor finish technique on my part, perhaps sanding too too fine a grit (I seem to recall 220 as the final). I’m about to do another kitchen in a similar material, and want to prevent this problem. Thanks in advance for any thoughts.
Summary: Birch plywood, sanded to 220, vacuumed and tack cloth, then Oil-Based.polyurethane, no stain.
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