plywood and stain

[Gd29]

what type of wood and brand stain would you recommend for cabinets and stain? 

I have purchased both maple and birch plywood from home depot and the results are all over the place when I stain it. 

I used a miniwax pre-conditioner which helped with the blotchiness, but with or without the conditioner it doesn't take the color of the stain well. 

the color stain i'm trying is a weathered grey. i've tried sherwin williams stain (which they discontinued), and now i'm trying minwax.

I'm not an expert at this, but would like to get close to a kitchen cabinet grade color and finish. 

thanks

Gd

[wtnhighlander]

To truly get a "kitchen cabinet grade" result, you need to start with appropriate materials and construction. Home center plywood usually doesn't fit the bill for show faces. Can you describe your cabinet construction in more detail, so we understand where the plywood parts are visible? 

[Byrdie]

First rule of thumb is testing on off cuts and scraps.  Second is to understand what you're working with.  The veneer layers on ply just aren't that much wood to accept a stain and at some point it becomes saturated.  As Highlander states, you're probably not starting with the same grade of ply that cabinet makers are getting, but you still might be able to get good results with testing and practice.

[Gd29]

the project is a small closet. it consists of a wooden square frame with 2 levels of closet rod that will only have 1 side of the plywood visible. the second part is cabinet that has drawers on the bottom and an open adjustable shelf system on top.

Essentially there will be parts of the open adjustable shelf that will have both sides visible. 

I'm testing again on new scrap adjusting my sanding technique. i have previously been hand sanding at 220 only. I've seen most people recommend 120 and then 220. i also got an variable orbital sander to make this a little easier and more consistent. 

any recommendations for a brand of plywood or different type of wood that is cabinet grade for both sides visible? looking for a light color (no red-oak etc) to achieve a good grey look.

[JohnG]

If you go to a lumber yard, they will likely have better plywood options. I bought some “stain grade” maple ply from a Wurth location near me and it took stain very well. You will pay more, but it will be better material. If both sides will be visible, be sure to get plywood that has the same grade veneer on both sides.  For the parts that will only be seen from one side, you can get ply with a lower grade veneer on the back to save money (if you need multiple sheets).

My experience with HD/Lowe’s plywood is that it is fine for shop furniture or when being painted, but does not give good results with stain. 

[wtnhighlander]

Plywood for the show face will have thicker surface plies. The home center stuff has surface plies so thin, you can sand through to the glue layer by hand. That's why the stain doesn't absorb well.

If better plywood isn't a viable option for you, consider tinting a clear finish, rather than staining the wood. Minwax flat Polycrylic can be tinted with a few drops of acrylic paint mixed in, to create a translucent top coat. I've also seen polycrylic wixed with latex trim paint to give it a harder surface when dried.