Quick Fast finish question

[Jeff Body]

I'm not sure if this is the right section of the forum for this but I'm hoping someone can help with ideas.

I'm working on a project where I need to make this 14"x14" panels for an LED project. I'm making a bunch of them and I'm trying to figure out what's the fastest and nicest way to finish them. They start out as 16"x36" project panels from Lowes.
I need to stain or paint them a dark color. I prefer a smooth glossy finish.
One problem I'm running into is the end grain is coming out alot darker then the rest of the panel when I stain it.

2nd problem is I do most of my work at night and I can't spray anything in the garage because that's where I keep the "nice" car. So I'd need a process that involves wiping on or brushing.

I've tried wiping on stain and shellac but even after a bunch of coats it's still not coming out great.

Does anyone have a quick fast process that would work in this situation.

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[Frederick Skelly]

Yes, end grain will usually absorb more finish than edge or face grain. Some folks sand the end grain with finer paper than the edge grain, to close the end grain a little more. I dont know if that will help on plywood because you have both types on the ends.

If you could leave the car out overnight, I've had good performance with this approach: 2 coats of dewaxed shellac, sanding gently, followed by spray paint. It gives me a nice smooth surface.

With luck, others will have additional ideas you can choose from.

Good luck!
Fred

[Wayne Lomman]

If the variation in colour is a problem, paint rather than stain. You can get good results with brushing, but I would be inclined to get a good car cover and spray, even rattle cans will get a good finish on something this size. Cheers

[Andy Giddings]

If you're going for a painted finish and you want it smooth and glossy without spraying, then IME it's not going to be quick. Couple of coats of BIN shellac primer sanded/filled between coats for blemishes followed by a couple of acrylic topcoats sanded between coats.

[glenn bradley]

As mentioned, quick and good don't come together easily in the finishing realm. I think Frederick has your best bet. Florida is not the best outdoor environment for rattle cans but, I would throw a tarp over the patio table, set up some light and give it a try. Another approach is dye although some more info about what "dark" means to you would help. A gel based dark stain may be what you are after for color. End grain would need to be dealt with via sanding to a higher grit or sealing with shellac or a like component. Once the color is there, a clear gloss top coat would get you your shiny appearance.