how should i finish?

[Decameron]

I just finished a cabinet with a mix of pine, and I'm not sure (the shelves were made from some older plywood I got from a demolition). This is certainly the first project I've completed that has looked anywhere near this good (I've only been at this for a few years now). Up until now I've only used the Minwax stain (usually early american), which is a fairly dark stain, and a Minwax polyurethane . I think this cabinet would look a lot nicer with a lighter stain, something that shows the contrast between the two different woods. I would really love to try something different. Any advice or suggestions would really be appreciated. I have some scraps to practice on, and plenty of time since this is going to be an xmas gift.

[iSawitFirst]

To my eye the natural colors add a lot of interest to the piece. I'd use a clear shellac sealer and water based poly.

[themrfreeze]

I built a computer desk not too long ago out of pine for my young son, and ended up using shellac as the finish (I use it whenever possible). Pine is a real nightmare to stain, and with shellac, you can tint it with something like TransTint dyes to produce whatever color you like. Just apply a few coats of a dewaxed blonde shellac first, then however many coats of tinted shellac you feel like applying. If you feel you need good water/alcohol protection, just wait a few days after applying the last coat of shellac, then topcoat with a varnish or poly.

[adamking]

One of my favorite finishes for pine, (if I need to add color) comes from Mike Dunbar. Brew 10 tea bags per one cup of water or so and use that as a water based finish. Pre-wet the wood with filtered water so you don't stain it with minerals. Knock the grain down with 400 grit or so and clear the dust.

Then, simply use a sponge brush to apply the tea concentrate to give it a nice amber tint. Then use a top coat of amber shellac if you need a little extra color at the end.

[jHop]

One of my favorite finishes for pine, (if I need to add color) comes from Mike Dunbar. Brew 10 tea bags per one cup of water or so and use that as a water based finish. Pre-wet the wood with filtered water so you don't stain it with minerals. Knock the grain down with 400 grit or so and clear the dust.

Then, simply use a sponge brush to apply the tea concentrate to give it a nice amber tint. Then use a top coat of amber shellac if you need a little extra color at the end.

Are you buying the water as filtered (e.g. Evian, Crystal Springs, etc.) or filtering it yourself? (and if you filter it yourself, what is your filter process?)

[AceHoleInOne]

Are you buying the water as filtered (e.g. Evian, Crystal Springs, etc.) or filtering it yourself? (and if you filter it yourself, what is your filter process?)

Now is this important if you have only well water at home, or does this apply to city water users too, meaning is city water going to stain your wood with minerals?

-Ace-

edit for clarification

Edited November 3, 2010 by Ace

[Pete Bennett]

If you can't get filtered water go to a garage and buy distilled like you would for topping up the batterie

[Beechwood Chip]

Water varies from place to place. In Philly, the tap water has so many minerals that I get white stains on any pots that I wash and let drip dry. If you're not sure, get distilled water as The Wood Servant suggested. I get mine from Walmart.

By the way, distilled water is completely safe to drink, but you won't get the benefit of the flouride put into tap water, and some people like the taste of minerals in their water.

[AceHoleInOne]

I guess if you have hard water, then I could perhaps see a very small issue. But I have used water based dyes, thinned water based topcoats 50% with water for seal-coats and even wet wood down with water to raise the grain. Never have run into any problems. But we are on city water that is pretty decent :) :) so perhaps that explains it. Hey they even put chlorine in our water, maybe if I leave it on long enough, it will bleach the wood too :lol: :lol:

-Ace-

[HoboMonk]

Pro tip: I save water from our whole-house dehumidifier and my studio dehumidifier for use in my wood-crafting business.

For all practical purposes, it is as soft as distilled water.

[jHop]

If you can't get filtered water go to a garage and buy distilled like you would for topping up the batterie

I ask because I use a Brita filter to filter my tap water. The tap water here is very hard, and so loaded with chlorine that the swimming pools locally actually add filtered water to dilute it to safer swimming levels (but not drinking levels. I don't get it.)

[Lawrence Brown]

Most grocery stores carry gallon and 2-gallon jugs of distilled water. Even if your city has good water, it can still pick up things from the pipes and so on in your house.If you have a well, you will likely have even more minerals in it. It's not necessarily bad for you (it can actually make the water better), but it's not a good thing to use for this kind of thing.

The jugs at the grocery store are pretty cheap (not the same at all as fancy "bottled" water) and the jugs are handy for other things. Just be very sure you get one that says distilled, not spring or mineral water. The stuff you want often is labeled as for use in irons and so on. Stuff that's aimed at more for drinking will either be natural with minerals or may even have minerals put back in to make it taste better. (completely pure water can actually be harmful for you, but that's another story...)