Small oak trays - how to finish them?

[Alan Kamrowski II]

Hi Everyone,

I'm trying to finish some oak "trays" I am cutting on a CNC machine. They are about 5" square and about 5/8" thick. I am not very skilled with finishing, but I keep trying. I have tried stain and poly and I've also tried polyshades. The problems I run into are that I've got 6 sides to finish and it seems that I always get overspill on an edge. If I try to wipe the edge to get the overspill then I mess up the freshly done surface that caused the overspill in the first place! My experience with the lighter polyshade has been better. I've been using paper towel to apply it and perhaps I need to get a brush of some type, my problem with that is that I'm not really sure how to take care of a brush. I've got sandpaper of varying smoothness so I've gone from 150 to 220 to 500 trying to smooth it out before finishing. What ideas or tips do you guys have on how I can be successful at this?

Thanks,

Alan

[Nathan Johnson]

I've had the best luck with poly using a foam brush. Set it down away from the edge and pull just what you need for coverage to the edge and not over. I rarely get drips that way.
Use a new brush for each coat.

[Edwin Santos]

Hi, I think you might try a gel stain which will be easier to work, and then topcoat with a wipe on finish. It could be wipe on poly or a wipe on finish like Arm R Seal. I prefer using t-shirt type cloth for wiping these finishes. Some people like the blue disposable shop towels. You don't need much finish, you are not supposed to flood the surface, just wipe on a thin, wet coat. You might need to get gel stain at a woodworking store or mail order source, because I'm not sure home centers stock it. Hope this helps

[Wayne Lomman]

Since you are making multiples, use a spray gun. Cheers

[Alan Kamrowski II]

Thanks for the tips everyone; this gives me many things to try. Another beginner question - do you try to finish one surface at a time, or multiple surfaces, or all surfaces? I could set it on something and probably get to the top and sides, but not bottom, etc.

[Rob Young]

Given the size you are dealing with and if the expected use of the trays would tolerate a finish like Watco Danish Oil or a 1:1:1 blend of mineral spirits, BLO and oil based varnish, consider doing a dip-and-dunk method.

You will need gloves and since this is effectively a wiping varnish, rags to wipe after letting things drip back into the pan for a moment. Then you will want some nail boards (get several carpet tack strips and lay them out) to rest the trays upon while things dry. After about 20 minutes on the rack, wipe again. You can dip 2 or 3 times for a little build in the finish.

When I've made small runs of boxes or puzzles this works slick. I made up 3/4 gallon of finish this way by buying quart containers of MS, BLO and varnish and mixing into a clean 1 gallon paint can. Anything that fits through the opening just gets dunked.

[Dan Hulbert]

I'm huge fan of wipe on finishes. I seem to be brush challenged. Bits of old t shirts work great. One of the easiest finishes is wipe on poly. I usually buy some oil based poly and cut it 50/50 with mineral spirits. If these are food related items, mineral oil works great. Most "wisdom" is that sanding beyond about 240 is counterproductive for any oil based finish.

Tack strips work great for drying racks. Been doing that for decades without issues. Non-show side down works best.

[Alan Kamrowski II]

Most "wisdom" is that sanding beyond about 240 is counterproductive for any oil based finish.

Thanks for this tip.

Tack strips work great for drying racks. Been doing that for decades without issues. Non-show side down works best.

What is a tack strip?

[Dan Hulbert]

A tack strip is one of those nasty strips of wood that they use to keep your wall to wall carpet tight against the walls. They are about 1 wide x 1/4 thick x 36" long and have tacks sticking up every couple of inches at a slight angle. You can pick them up for cheap at any big box store that sells carpet. If you look around you can find them by the each rather than the case. Cut them to a convenient size and use them points up to hold your pieces while they dry. Any marks left by the tiny points on the tacks are imperceptible in the finished product, but I always try to use them on the non-show or less show side.

I have a bunch that are about 12" long that I keep in a coffee container between finishing sessions. The larger the piece, the more strips I use to spread the load.

[Stan Calow]

For small things with multiple surfaces and are awkward to hold or brush, I like to use shellac, poly, or lacquer, that comes in spray cans. Hardware store item.

[Alan Kamrowski II]

You are intriguing me with the spray - would you just set it downward and try to hit the back and sides in for multiple passes, and then the top in multiple passes, or would you try to do each side on its own?

[Stan Calow]

If you use spray can (shellac dries pretty fast), I try and do very light one-pass coats, doing all surfaces each time. That is, all sides, top and turn over for back. Then wait for drying, check for drips and runs and do again. Its a very light coat, not as heavy as you would brushing on. The nice thing about spray can finishes is that you just put the can down between coats. Im sure others have better technique.

[Alan Kamrowski II]

Does poly normally have a sticky finish, or does that mean it is just isn't fully dried. Should I do anything between coats like polish it slightly with something? Or just put a second coat on. In the end is there any finishing step that smooths the surface?

[Lee Schierer]

If you want to stain wood, don't use Polyshades. It is difficult to get a consistent finish and multiple coats make the finish look muddy.

Minwax oil based stains work well, but you have to apply them and let each coat of stain dry at least 24 hours before attempting to apply a finish. Apply multiple coats of stain for darker color. I usually apply finish to horizontal surfaces to prevent runs. For me a box would take six times to apply finish to get one complete coat. Always brush toward the edge not away from it. Apply a wet coat to cover, but not an overly thick coating. Check for runs immediately after you have covered all the surface. The nail boards or tack strips will keep your parts from sticking to the table. If you get a drip of run, let it harden and use a scraper to remove the excess finish, then reapply a light coat of finish.

Follow the directions on the can regarding sanding between coats. I usually sand to 220.

Above all take your time. This is the final step and you don't want to rush it.

[Stan Calow]

Alan, are you wiping the excess gel stain off a few minutes after applying? You mention leaving bits of stain which shouldn't happen. For spraying some things, I find it easier to hang them from the ceiling, a rack, or tree limb, so that you can access all the sides without moving the object. Handling things while not cured is where I cause most of my problems. Im currently working on a mirror frame I've been using spray can shellac on, and even though its supposed to dry fast, I'm giving it several hours or overnight between coats, before touching it.