Birch wood is a popular wood species in woodworking, but it is not suitable for outdoor use due to its rot resistance ability. To ensure long-lasting and durable exterior trim, it is essential to choose rot-resistant woods like cedar, redwood, or composite materials. Birch can be used outside to add rustic appeal, but it should be taken care of to keep it looking beautiful for years.
There are various types of birch wood available, and the best wood trim for exterior windows is cedar and redwood, as they naturally resist moisture and insect activity, ensuring longevity. To use birch wood outdoors, seal all surfaces well and use marine grade plywood. Birchwood is primarily used indoors, but outdoor use is a sensible option with a protective glaze to prevent weathering damage. Accoya, a treated softwood grown from sustainable sources, offers unparalleled levels of durability, stability, and insulation.
When using plywood outdoors, seal all surfaces very well and use marine spar varnish instead of most other store shelf finishes. Pressure treated wood is recommended for all exterior millwork, and on vertical surfaces, it would last nearly forever without paint or sealer. Birch plywood is among the strongest and most stable of all plywoods, but it is unsuitable for exterior use.
Birch plywood is used to make skateboards because it is strong and stable, but it is not suitable for outdoor use. It is possible to put on siding sheets after the window frames are in, as long as templates of the walls with the window openings are made first.
📹 Ep24: Finishing The Window Panels on a Birchwood 22 Boat Restoration
Finishing The Window Panels on a Birchwood 22 interceptor restoration project boat which has had the walls uneven surfaces …
Is birchwood waterproof?
Birch is esteemed for its lightweight and waterproof characteristics.
Can birch ply be used externally?
Our general-use hardwood birch plywood sheet materials meet level 2 classifications, making them suitable for humid conditions and outdoor use with appropriate preserver and sealer. Exterior plywood, designed for external use, is engineered to withstand harsh weather conditions and outdoor environments. Made with high-quality veneers and a waterproof adhesive, it resists water, moisture, and other environmental factors. Its main advantage is its strength and stability even in wet conditions.
How to make birch plywood waterproof?
Latex-based or polyurethane-based paint is a cost-effective and accessible method for waterproofing plywood, offering a variety of colors and easy application using a spray gun or roller. However, it requires frequent repainting and may lose the natural aesthetics of the plywood. Lacquer and varnish are ideal sealants for waterproofing wood sheets, providing water and UV protection. These materials can be applied using brushes, rollers, or sprays, and can make the natural veneer grain more prominent.
However, they may turn yellow over time. It is essential to choose a lacquer or varnish that matches the plywood veneer for optimal results after sealing. Both methods can be used for both indoor and outdoor projects, but the latter may lose its natural aesthetics.
Can you use birchwood outside?
Birchwood is a wood species that is primarily used in indoor applications. It is available in a range of forms, including lumber, round wood, plywood, and veneers. Birchwood is a material that is commonly used in the construction of furniture, cutting boards, and flooring. Additionally, it is a popular choice for craft projects and home decoration. In order to withstand the effects of weathering, it is necessary to apply a protective glaze when using this material in an outdoor setting.
What is the best wood for exterior windows?
The choice of wood for windows depends on factors such as climate, house type, overhang, and desired look. Pine is suitable for most environments, and all Marvin windows are designed with pine. Douglas Fir or Honduran Mahogany are durable, long-lasting, and decay-resistant. For exterior doors, Honduran Mahogany is the best choice for entry doors due to its stability, durability, and performance. African Mahogany is less stable, less finish-friendly, and less decay-resistant. To ensure stain-blocking, use a good stain-blocking primer with paint. If living in a moderate climate and having an overhang, choose any wood you prefer.
What kind of wood should I use on the outside of my house?
Outdoor projects often require woods that are not treated with chemical preservatives. Three popular exterior lumber choices are Western red cedar, redwood, and cypress. Redwood is commonly used in the western United States, while cypress grows in the South and Southeast. Both species are straight-grained, dimensionally stable, and decay-resistant. However, they can split when driving fasteners and bleed tannins, making fastener and painting more problematic.
Proper prepping allows for all wood stains and clear finishes. Cypress, grown in swamps, has a conical base with roots that stand out of the water. Its sapwood is almost white, while its heartwood color varies from light yellow brown to reddish brown and dark brown. Inland cypress, with its lighter-colored heartwood, features beautiful ash-like grain patterns and accepts finish as readily as redwood or cedar.
How weather resistant is birch?
Birch wood is not suitable for outdoor use due to its susceptibility to rot, decay, water, and weather damage. It is also susceptible to insect infestations, which can cause significant damage if there are termite issues. Birch wood is easy to work with, but it can split easily if not handled correctly. To avoid this, sharp tools and slow cutting are recommended. Using birch wood in outdoor projects requires careful handling, as it is susceptible to water damage and weather damage. Therefore, it is essential to use birch wood in indoor projects to avoid potential damage.
How to seal birch wood for outdoor use?
Water-based sealers are eco-friendly and best for woods that absorb liquids quickly, such as maple, birch, and alder. They can be used sooner but may have an uneven appearance. Dark sealers offer better UV protection and a more even appearance, but may hide some wood’s natural beauty. Semitransparent options show some wood grain but offer less UV protection and are susceptible to fading. Clear sealers offer some UV protection while allowing the wood’s natural appearance to show.
They also limit the sanding needed. When choosing the best sealer for your home project, consider factors like local climate, sun exposure, frequency of use, and desired look. Apply one coat to prevent additional coats from being blocked by the first coat that keeps liquids out.
Can birch wood get wet?
The article provides a comprehensive overview of birch plywood, encouraging readers to regularly visit VINAWOOD’s website to stay informed about the latest developments and updates on various types of plywood.
What type of wood is good for outside weather?
This blog explores the use of weather-resistant woods like Teak, Cedar, Ipe, Cypress, and Mahogany for outdoor projects. These woods are known for their natural beauty and structural integrity, making them ideal for decking and furniture. Brazilian Lumber, a specialist in manufacturing and importing high-quality decking solutions, is a trusted source for tropical hardwoods and other construction materials that are perfect for the outdoors. The blog emphasizes the importance of selecting the right wood for outdoor projects.
Is birch plywood weatherproof?
Birch wood is not suitable for outdoor use due to its susceptibility to rot, decay, water, and weather damage. It is also susceptible to insect infestations, which can cause significant damage if there are termite issues. Birch wood is easy to work with, but it can split easily if not handled correctly. To avoid this, sharp tools and slow cutting are recommended. Using birch wood in outdoor projects requires careful handling, as it is susceptible to water damage and weather damage. Therefore, it is essential to use birch wood in indoor projects to avoid potential damage.
📹 99% of Beginners Don’t Know These 5 Wood Finishing Secrets!
Wood finishing is easy if you avoid these 5 mistakes. I’ll show you how to properly sand, stain, and clear coat your woodworking …
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When I worked in the mill room of a big door shop, we were constantly steaming out dings and divots, especially on the six panel pine doors. We used good ol’ brown paper towels, damp but not soaking wet and a hobby heating iron with a head about 1 1/2″ by 3 inches. A household clothes iron with the steam turned off will do the same thing. Light sanding afterwards to knock down the raised grain is usually needed. We used to toss our stain rags in a five gallon bucket half filled with water.
Hi Instead of using prestain which by the way is hard to find in the uk we tend to use teabags for pine and high tannin soft woods just get 2 teabags and put in a cup of warm water and leave till cool then paint on your pine and let dry this does 2 things it brings out the tannin in the wood and stops blotching especially on soft woods it also raise’s the grain which you can sand down. Great articles by the way
Actually you don’t have to sand that spot back out. I was recently shown a tip in which we tore a piece of 120 grit sandpaper off of a used disc. We then dipped it in the stain and lightly sanded the spot with the stain on the paper, then wipe off the excess. Repeat until you get the desired color. It cleaned up my rookie mistakes pretty quickly, and there were several. Mistake 1 is real…avoid at all costs if possible! Titebond is water soluble when still wet, so as Matt shows, wiping squeeze out off with a damp paper towel or wet cloth fixes a lot of problems before they get going.
My alternative to the pre-stain is to use a black tea “stain”. Boil 1 cup of water, pour the water into a sealable container like a mason jar, add 10 bags of Black tea and let it steep for 1 hour. Let it sit for at least 12 hours before use. Apply with a sponge brush. The big caveat is that it WILL get moldy over time, so maybe refrigerate it between uses. It helps even out the color of the stain you’ll use and is best for reddish or dark stains. I’ve never tried it with a light color stain.
Matt, I have been following you since the beginning. I do not usually comment but felt a little concerned after seeing this article. Can you please update on disposal of your shop rags? It was a little concerning perusal you walk out and place these in a yard full of dead leaves and grass. I too live in the country and have found picking up an old 55 gallon metal drum or even metal trash can you see others using as a dust separator is an excellent alternative. I work in the construction/agricultural industry and OSHA requires us to use these types of cans to dispose of our shop rags(funny how you learn things in one industry and can carry that over to another as helpful advise). Lastly, you are my favorite youtuber, keep doing your thing brother and THANK YOU for all you do!
Tip for removing the dust after sanding is to wipe the entire surface down with a fine cloth soaked (and lightly wrung out) with deck wash, then rinsed off in the same manner. If it’s a hardwood, you can apply the deck wash by a spray bottle. It does take time to dry, but the end result is a fine and clean surface. Bit of a note about ‘self-combustion’ with painting rags, back in my army days around the time of pharoah, our barrack block was being painted, and the tradies had piled up all their used rags next to their paints and drop sheets in a spare room on the ground floor. Middle of the night and one of my soldiers got up to do a pee (separate rooms) opened his door, and the entire hallway on the second floor was full of smoke down to waist height, and the stair well was alight due to the paint storage being next to it. Luckily everyone got out by going down either the alternative stairs or over a balcony and down a couple of pencil pines, but it was a lesson I took on board. Paint rags self combust, it isn’t a fairy story, and when it happens it goes up fast and quietly.
Great content as usual. I think a article that describes the preferred way to finish different project types would be great. For example, I like the Rubio monocoat finish but I’m not sure how to make that water resistant, like for a table top. With all the finishes like Rubio, outlaws board butter, odor’s oil, lacquer, polyurethane, polycrylic, and so on, it would be a great article to have to cover a couple common categories.
You said it all! I want to add that for my huge interior shutter build, I used Minwax Honey Maple gel stain. Two years later we decided to put a wainscot behind the bed and wanted to match the shutters.Unfortunately, Minwax had discontinued the oil based gel stain and now only makes water based stain. That made me very concerned and I didn’t want to try it. My wife didn’t want me to spend $50 a can for discontinued stock and she didn’t like the VOC’s in oil based stain, so I was forced to give the water based stain a try. I called Minwax to see if they could match the oil stain with water based. They gave me the code number for honey maple water stain. I then went to the store, told them the code and they mixed me a can. I went home, coated a sample board, let it dry, then gave it a coat of poly. To my surprise, it looked exactly like the oil stain. Those Minwax scientists know what they are doing.To accomplish this, I went by the book. I sanded well. I used the grit paper they said to use, I used prestain conditioner for waterbased stain, etc. I can say now that I am not afraid to use their waterbased stain. It is also much easier to clean up and has very low odor. In the can, the stuff looks like melted icecream. I thought it wouldn’t go far, so I bought a couple extra cans. Dumb, dumb, dumb. The coverage is exactly as they say. 125 sq. ft. per quart. Now I have two quarts extra at $25 per quart. When I first started woodworking I didn’t buy prestain conditioner. I didn’t want to spend the extra money and thought I could do it good without.
You can often remove dents caused by clamps (or a clumsy tool drop) by wetting the dents a bit then laying a damp cloth over them and steaming the dented area with a hot iron over the damp cloth. This raise the dent back to normal. This is especially useful on veneered surfaces because you can and will very quickly sand through the veneer.
let me point out one thing. Early in the article you show 2cans of stain. Varathane and Minwax. These are 2 completely different things. Minwax is a penetrating oil stain. You apply it it soaks in and that is it. That color is the color you will end up with. even mineral spirits won’t effect it. Varathane, however is a pigmented oil stain. you put it on and wait then wipe off the excess. If it is too dark take some mineral spirits and you tone down the color. It won’t all come off, but it is adjustable. Putting on more will give you a much darker version, not so with Minwax. Also, a dark color of the Varathane can be used to completely change the color of a stained piece. Also, a rag with mineral spirits can be used to blend the color with Varathane.
Wadding up oily rags then dropping them in a pile on top of dead leaves and dry pine needles seems like a recipe for starting a fire. I was always taught to lay rags flat until they’re dry THEN dispose of them. My finishing projects tend to be small, so I can usually get away with draping rags around the top of a metal trash can (making sure there’s no overlap) while they dry. I know some people who soak their rags in water, then wring them out, before lying them flat to dry. If I were using tons of rags during finishing, I’d probably buy one of those all-steel Justrite oily waste disposal cans.
Great article, as usual. One tip that I’ve learned. If you want a matte or flat “clear” finish, use the gloss formulation for all but the final coat. This especially important if you’re going for the “deep” look on the piece. (I mostly have done lathe turned projects where that’s more common.) The matte and flat finish effect is accomplished by adding solids to the mix. Using that for all of the coats can make the final finish look a bit “muddy”, or “cloudy”, because of the extra solids in the undercoats.
To really get a smooth finish with lacquer, give the final coat a couple of hours to cure and then crumple up some craft paper or a brown paper sack and buff it lightly. That will smooth out any tiny nibs that might have popped up from dust (or pollen if you are spraying outside) and make the satin finish even more satin-y.
It’s good to remove dust after sanding your furniture wood surface with #150-220 grit sanding sponge using a clean white cloth (cotton) slightly moistened with lighter fluid or absolute alcohol. But you must NOT drench the wood surface with lighter fluid or alcohol, and you must be sure the surface of the wood is absolutely dry (alcohol or lighter fluid has completely evaporated) before you apply stain, shellac, or urethane finish. Lighter fluid is great because it evaporates fast (faster than denatured alcohol) and does not leave a color or oily residue. When applying additional coats of urethane, gently sand down the dried previous urethane surface coat with #220 grit sanding sponge, and wipe off with lighter fluid damp clean cloth. Repeat the process several times to build up a smooth clear coat like glass. Urethane must be truly dry (not tacky) before lightly sanding and wiping.
The scenario of the used rags spontaneously combusting actually happened to me albeit involving an autobody shop. My car was in the shop for a bumper repair and the owner of the shop, who lived nearby, was varnishing his stairs after work. For whatever reason he decided to dispose of the rags in the garbage in the shop that other rags with oils and other car related chemicals were thrown in. That night, the rags combusted and burned down the whole shop with my car inside. My car was in the paint part of the shop with its own fire suppression so it didn’t completely go up in flames but the white car came out looking like a roasted marshmellow. A nice golden brown color. I actually walked away from the whole ordeal with a new and nicer car for less than the car that was in the shop. Other people’s cars outside of the shop were completely burned to a crisp unfortunately.
Regarding dry glue under stain, I use hide glue around finish surfaces whenever possible, even when dry it will clean up with water and doesn’t show through stain. Also when staining I keep 220 sand paper handy and often you can wet sand the stain to make the glue spot disappear. It doesn’t always work but its worth a shot to save a lot of work. Thanks for some great articles
P-gun with a little bit thanks for hitting on the lacquer. I’m looking to make some corner shelving for some pots and pans instead of keeping them in my cabinets and I was worried about marring up the finish with the you know abrasiveness of the bottom of the pan. I was going to use polyurethane to seal it and to get some protection but I’m definitely going to use lacquer now. Appreciate it.
I feel like you’re on the right track about lacquer but if you’re going to use a hvlp or a lvlp spray gun to spray go ahead and get precat lacquer from Sherwin Williams. It is much more durable and does not fog up on you like brushing lacquer. I started off spraying mixed down brushing lacquer and it’s not even close as to using precat lacquer. Also when thinning down lacquer consider using Acetone it will speed up the drying process. Hope this helps
I consider myself a better finisher than builder, but I’m always learning, thank you very much. Years ago I turned a small store bought “pond” into one big enough for me to float around in and I was clueless. After perusal article after article I found articles of what not to do. They helped tremendously, I rarely pass on articles like this.
good collection of tips esp since it’s project focused rather than just finishing or just sanding. For northeast and colder climates though lacquer has some downsides. Lacquer develops blushing more in the cold which really caused problems for my large cherry top table which I did in near zero degree temperatures in my garage. Also water rings showed up really easy on the lacquer surface. as you said the fumes lacquer causes are really bad esp in a garage workshop. I ended up sanding off the lacquer finish in spring and used wipe on poly which is much more forgiving than poly spray cans. I could never spray evenly with a spray can.
For the CA, I use starbond as well. If you are doing knotholes, I suggest if it’s big enough to do a seal coat, do it. Use cheap thin foam brush, seal coat and spray (very thin). What happens is it will bubble on you underneath if you just pour without seal (typically, not always!). Starbond will say one drop per square inch at most. This means it’s not deep pour, so on a 1/2″ knothole, if you pour it in there then hit it with the spray to set it you will get bubbles UNDERNEATH. What I suggest is you wait about 5-10 minutes and if a bubble appears hit it with a heatgun or a quick pass with a torch. Rinse and repeat for about 20 minutes or so, then set it and that normally is good.
There is something I always do when sanding, regardless of method, or species of wood. Lightly scribble pencil lines all over your project, when the pencil lines are gone, switch up to the next grit, this greatly prevents damage from over sanding. When using lacquer, Jonathan Katz-Moses did a great article on this a while back (he said it was his favorite finish) you really don’t have to worry about getting all the sanding dust off your project between coats of lacquer. He shows how the next coat liquefies the dust, and makes it blend into the new coat. Having brought that up, there is a problem I have experienced with a few rattle can lacquer finishes, and that is clouding. I always spray lacquer outdoors, on a day that is at least 7-10 degrees above minimum requirements, low humidity, and shield the project from any flying debris or bugs. Every once in a while, I am on the 3rd of 4 coats, and when I come back to lay down the final coat, the project is ruined because of clouding. I switched to HVLP, and the problem is gone.
Thanks, in my opinion, you should wear a respirator even outside. The wind can change quickly and before you know it, you have breathed in a big gulp of this highly toxic material. I am so sensitive to it, that I can absorb it through my skin and get sick from it. You are still young enough to think you can get away with it. Your lungs will tell you otherwise in a few years.
First…sanding. Let the weight of the sander do the work. Your hand is only there to control…steer…the sander. OK. I get it. That takes a couple minutes more. My response…a heckuva lot less time than stripping the finish off and starting over. Second: wood conditioner. I’ve been a Minwax dude for thirty+ years. I know the product, inside and out. You MUST use the wood conditioner on softwoods, and softer hardwoods like poplar, alder, and even cherry to avoid that fugly blotching. It takes an hour longer. So what. You get the perfect finish you started out to get. Perhaps water-based stains or aniline dyes react differently, but my thing is oil-based stains. Let the stuff dry!!! Don’t hurry this step. After application of stain, I wait two freakin’ days before I apply a topcoat. I want ALL the carriers and solvents to ‘boil’ out. Trying to apply a solid finish over ‘green’ stain is a sure way to heartache. I also like lacquer as a topcoat. Today’s lacquer is NOT your grampa’s lacquer that water-stained or peeled off after a bit of heat. I have literally sprayed hundreds of gallons of lacquer using a self-contained HVLP system. What I like about those systems is that (after you allow a warm-up time of 5minutes or so) the air they provide is heated to … oh, I dunno…110 degrees or so. That dries the lacquer super fast. The tabletop Matt sprayed with a rattle can and waited for thirty minutes? Dry as soon as your set the gun down with a warmed up HVLP. Now…I understand that most people don’t want to spend the $$$ ($150 for a consumer grade, and $300+ for pro finishes) but I say it the absolutely best way to apply lacquer.
How refreshing to see a YouTube about finishing wood without seeing Rubio being “squeegeed” all over the piece. Thank you for presenting a real world article. I have tried many finishing techniques over the last 50 years and have finally settled on the basic processes you described. One alternative is to use Zinnser Seal-Coat shellac as a sanding sealer instead of the Minwax conditioner (although it does work pretty good). Also, to produce a really smooth finish, like a table top, as a final step I like to apply wax with 0000 steel wool and then buff it out. That removes the last of the nibs, it’s not wet so additional nibs can’t stick to it and it leaves a very smooth finish that’s nice to touch. Thanks and God bless.
9:20 …Remember kids: always dispose of oily rags in piles of dried leaves and kindling, in the forests outside your house. 😂 …It helps improve the air quality in Chicago and New York City, so it takes their minds off of the continuous shootings brought on by their ruinous anti-self-defense policies.
LOL Dont put stain rags in the trash, they can spontaneously combust! Throw them outside in some old dry leaves or pine needles instead 😂 Just kidding Matt. Learned about this when i was staining a patio. Left to get lunch & came back to a bunch of Black stuff blowing around the ground, hmm, whats this🤔. The pile of rags had burned, luckily i live in the desert so there was nothing around to catch fire.
4:17 I don’t sand edges with a machine/electric sander- especially on softwoods. I use fine sandpaper wrapped around various harder and softer rubber blocks. This creates a flatter, straighter surface without risking variation in the texture or appearance. This is how auto body professionals get perfect looking panels and edges. It only takes a minute or two and that’s virtually the same time an electric sander would take. As a professional that’s the method I’ve been using for interior trim, doors, furniture, and kitchen cabinets for 30 years- even ‘soft’ edges come out clean and straight every time 7:14 I think the process of applying stain does have some ‘tricks’ to make a project come out looking better. While it is true that there is no film thickness benefit with flooding on stain finishes like there are with ‘oil’ finishes, using a nice-quality china bristle brush makes the work go quickly and then you can use the brush “unloaded” to pick up excess and return it to the can but more importantly leaving an even, visually appealing color distribution. Wait a few minutes and rag off any pooling in corners or molded edges and you’ll always have well above average results.
Thank you Matt, great article as always. I made every one of those mistakes on my first build but I guess that’s how we learn isn’t it, that feeling of seeing glue show up after staining is just the worst isn’t it but it sure makes you more careful on the next build! Applying masking tape around joints before applying glue can certainly help prevent nasty surprises! For those like me in the UK Rustins make a pre stain conditioner available from Amazon 👍 And as per another comment I also use teabag water which adds tannins to pine for a nice natural colour change. I leave two bags in a jar of water (doesn’t have to be hot water cold works just as well) for several hours at least and just paint it on with a foam brush.
Lol, I noticed you get a lot of know it alls setting you straight, in the comments, don’t you? There is very little humility being carried around these days….. Anyway, I had a laugh with the rags, that were combustible and dangerous, that you didn’t want to leave lying around the shop, understandably, so why not put them out in the dry forest beside the shop! Now that’s how you ensure the insurance check! lmao…… btw, you can just hang them over a bar. If they are open, there is zero chance of combustion. The amount of heat produced isn’t enough on it’s own. For combustion it is required to contain the heat enough, so that the heat can build on itself, which is what bunching them up can do. …. he said with humility and a smile🤓 peace
I’m a Body Repair Man by trade. I live to sand.😎 I tell you from experience, even if you blow that sanding dust will be in them corners and crevices if you don’t use a rag/towel along with the compressed air, then go back and double check for lint, and try not drip any sweat on it while you’re at it.
overall, not a bad build. The best topper for the top would have been epoxy with a water based roll on topcoat, but for beginners, you did not do them wrong. Just a couple of hiccups i did see that i want point out that could use improvements. Ive made a couple of hundred side tables, and just like you, want to see everyone succeed and have pride in their work
Another trick is using saw dust and glue, mixed into a paste, this does mess with the finish in the areas of the knots but it will help with the prevention of splitting and matching closer to the wood. Another trick I use for finish is spraying water all over the project, this raises the grain and allows for a “smoother” finish when sanding for the final time (do this before pre stain).
Matt, thanks for your informative well delivered articles. I was particularly interested in the stain pre conditioner. Minwax is available in Australia from Amazon but is really expensive. Just wondering if you or any of your subscribers know of any other method to treat wood (particularly pine) prior to staining? I can’t seem to locate a suitable product locally.
Has all “woodworking” YouTube websites gone from building projects to tool and products “reviews”?? Even when you think it’s a projects article…. it goes straight into a used car like sales pitch… “look at the all metal construction and hardened steel drill guides” on this pocket hole jig that sponsors this website. Every single website has stopped teaching anything about woodworking and has instead gone to advertising. “Links are in the description”!!
Good introductory lesson on finishing but filling knots is not that important. I’ve built thousands of pieces of pine furniture and not one was filled. I have epoxied a few large knots so they would stay in place. Mostly Ponderosa and Sugar Pine and avoid Big Box stores. Their wood is never dried to 6-8 percent unless you are willing to pay 3-4 times the price of a lumber dealer. If you like knots, buy Alder.
Yeah….i can’t use lacquer because i’m really sensitive to the strong smells like that. I get really nauseous and sick. Also I would have to do all my spraying during the summertime because during the winter months we start getting snow in around november that doesn’t go away until april and from december to february the weather usually hits around – 10 to – 20 (sometimes colder)…so there’s that. I end up using polyurethane. Just have to make a venting system to the outside now since my shop is in my basement.
Really good article, just an FYI stain rags have to go into a steel stain rag garbage can, where they can cure inside of a steel can. You cannot leave stain rags laying around anywhere outside or in your garage. In the Pacific Northwest if someone left a stain rag outside, they should probably go straight to prison.
Something better than sanding (raw wood, or between coats, or even some top coats), is to scrape it with a wide scraper. You can make one with a solid (no holes) hamburger flipper (spatula). Just sand down the edges so that they’re sharp and straight at a 90deg angle. It won’t gouge the wood, and makes it really smooth. it won’t leave behind any steel wool dust or sand dust. It actually also scrapes off the dust as you make it. You won’t believe how smooth it gets until you actually try it. It won’t clog, or tear, or wear out, like sand paper or steel wool does. Sharpen up a putty knife for narrower spaces.